John 6:56-69 nrsv
New Revised Standard Version
56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me,
and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the
Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that
came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died.
But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things
while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
The Words of Eternal Life
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This
teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61 But Jesus, being aware that his
disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62
Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I
have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But among you there are some who do
not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not
believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65 And he said, “For this
reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the
Father.”
66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no
longer went about with him. 67 So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to
go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the
words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the
Holy One of God.”[a]
John 6:56-69
The Message
53-58 But Jesus didn’t give an inch. “Only insofar as you
eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you
have life within you. The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and
drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh
is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my
blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive
Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of
me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread
and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always.”
59 He said these things while teaching in the meeting
place in Capernaum.
Oh Lord this reading is hard…we have been talking about
this for weeks and yet Jesus goes on speaking about the bread of life, about
him being the bread of life and how we must consume that bread and drink his
blood. Ugh! Does he have to be so graphic? Why is this so
hard to hear? Why do his own followers walk away?
One commentator believes we need to move away from the
metaphor...
“In Jewish culture, the idea of eating meat with blood
was taboo. In fact, it was a prohibition given to humanity in general after the
flood in Genesis 9: 4. The Law repeats this prohibition to the people of Israel
(Lv 17:11, 14; 19:26; Dt 12:23). In addition, blood and fat were the parts of
the animal that were to be given exclusively to God in the sacrifices (Lev 3:
16-17; 4: 18-35; 9: 18-20). Thus, the reference to the flesh and blood in these
words of Jesus has nothing to do with the Eucharist (although historically it
has been interpreted that way and some believe that this section about flesh
and blood was added to the original discourse) , but with the sacrifice of the
tabernacle or the temple that restored or celebrated the communion between the believer
and God. Truly, we must not concentrate on the metaphors of bread / meat /
blood that Jesus uses throughout the chapter, but on what is done with those
elements: eating. To eat the manna in the desert was to receive life. To eat
the separated loaves for the priests of the temple was to have communion with
God. Also to eat the sacrificed meat on the altar was, for the believing Jew,
to have communion with the same God. Eating is synonymous with accepting,
receiving, believing, trusting, welcoming, staying, etc., all words that the
Gospel of John uses repeatedly to describe the challenge with which Jesus
confronts us-the obligation of the true disciple or the true disciple. to
remain faithful to the Lord and to remain in communion with Him. And given the
context of sacrifice in the words "flesh and blood," the nuance here
is that we must accept Christ, not only descended from heaven but also raised
on the cross (Jn 3:14). In this approach, according to which the person and the
way of Jesus are understood both through the cross and through the
resurrection, all the gospels are in agreement.”[1]
I like his explanation sort of but for me it robs John’s
Gospel of it’s approach though he does keep the heart of the message.
How does Johns Gospel open?
In the beginning was the
Word,
And the Word was with God,
And the Word was God.
This [Word] was in the
beginning with God.
Everything came to be through
[the Word],
And apart from [the Word]
nothing at all came to be.
What came to be in [the
Word] was Life,
And the Life was the light
of human beings.
And the Light shines in
Darkness,
And the Darkness did not
master [the Light] ….
The Genuine Light, which
enlightens every human being, was coming into the World.
He was in the world,
And the world came to be
through [the Light];
And the world did not know
[the Light].
[The Light] came to his
own,
And his own did not accept
him.
But as many accepted him,
He gave them power to
become children of God.
[They were the ones] who
believed in his name,
Who were not born of
blood,
Nor of will of flesh,
Nor the will of man,
But of God.
And the word became flesh…[2]
The commentator wants us to move away from metaphor and
struggle with the literal concept of consuming that which feeds us with God at
table. But I hear something different if we listen to how John opens this
Gospel with Metaphor as Jesus being the Word of God with us from the beginning
through which all things are made then the word became flesh and walked among
us ministered to us taught us and then returned to heaven leaving us nothing
but…His word, the word. We are called to feast upon the word of Christ.
We are called to feast upon the Gospel.
“Eating is synonymous with accepting, receiving,
believing, trusting, welcoming, staying, etc., all words that the Gospel of
John uses repeatedly to describe the challenge with which Jesus confronts
us-the obligation of the true disciple or the true disciple. to remain faithful
to the Lord and to remain in communion with Him.”[3]
I suspect some people in Jesus’ crowd heard these words
with this exact interpretation some did not but those who were challenged by
Jesus words used the excuse that his words are too hard. Much like the young
man asked how to get to heaven…he was already doing what was easy for him.
Keeping the Sabbath…Tithing, feeding the hungry…So Jesus says let’s go a step
further sell all you own give it away and follow me…the man went away sad
because the call was too hard….
“Throughout this chapter's discussion about the bread which
gives life, Jesus' words have been greeted with misunderstanding, confusion,
and objection from the crowd, referred to either simply as "they" or
"the Jews." In verse 60, we hear about the reaction from the
"disciples" (in John not to be equated with "the twelve";
see verse 67). We may expect better things from them. After all, they were the
ones who sat together with Jesus at the beginning of this text, who followed
Jesus' instructions in gathering up the leftovers of the bread and fish, and
who were rescued from the storm at sea by Jesus. Perhaps most importantly, we
expect that "the disciples" belong to "us," and not to
"them."
Thus, we may be stunned when we hear that the disciples are
now the ones who are bothered by what Jesus has said. We may have been tempted
to simply write off the rest of the crowd as stubborn and obtuse, but the
reference to "the disciples" sounds uncomfortably close to home. In
verse 61, the disciples begin to grumble (NRSV "complain"), just as
"the Jews" did in verse 41. Here, the problem seems not so much that
the disciples have difficulty understanding what Jesus is saying; they
understand quite well but cannot believe and follow what Jesus has said. How
often do we find the same to be true about ourselves?
As has been Jesus' habit throughout this conversation, he
meets objections by sharpening the point of his message, raising the offense
rather than softening it, and thereby bringing the conversation to a crisis. In
verse 62, Jesus points to his "going up" (NRSV
"ascending"). We may think first of Luke's ascension scene, but we
need to remember that this is John's story, and in John's telling Jesus returns
to the Father by being lifted up on the cross.”[4]
Some of the followers of Christ can already see where all
this is leading there have been a few hints along the way as Jesus has upset
some of the Leadership of the community. This is too hard…others just hear the
literal as opposed to the metaphor and do not even try to understand and
dismiss Jesus. Others are still seeking literal food not understanding that
they will just be hungry again and not fulfilled.
Another commentator reflects;
“The text tells us: "Since then many of his disciples
went back and no longer walked with him" (v. 66). Why did they stop
following Jesus? Is it because they did not understand the way Jesus offered
the eternal bread? Is it possible that some have believed that Jesus would give
them a bread that literally would not end? In a society of scarcity like
Jesus’, the idea of endless sustenance would undoubtedly have attracted many.
But we see through the scriptures that God's plan has never been to serve as a
food-providing machine. The earth in its fullness has always been able to
supply humanity and the creatures of the world with what is necessary. But
human greed has created systems of inequality that favor a few and leave most
people in a state of need.”[5]
This statement made my mind jump my train of thought,
honestly my mind often jumps the track, but this time it jumped to a good
track, I hope, for this led me to think about feeding the hungry and what it
means especially since one of the greatest inequalities in this world remains
food!
As you know by our welcome screen and the advertisement on
the welcome loop we collect food for the food bank. It is not a lot when
you read their wish list;
Here is a list of critically needed items:
CANNED VEGETABLES
BABY CEREAL & FORMULA
CANNED FRUITS
MAC ‘N’ CHEESE
PEANUT BUTTER
JELLY
BOXED RICE
BOXED PASTA
CANNED SOUPS
CANNED MEAT
100% FRUIT JUICES
BREAKFAST BARS
OATMEAL
POWDERED MILK
APPLESAUCE
DRIED BEANS
TRAIL MIX
HEALTHY CEREALS
They also accept pet food, baby food, diapers, and other
items to distribute through our Baby Basket program as well as to other
families in need.
Every little bit helps.
But what does it mean to be hungry? Bread for the world
explains it this way.
“Everyone feels hungry on a daily basis. Most people
are able to satisfy this craving and need. Even if not immediately, they can
count on having a meal or snack within hours. This is not the type of hunger
that Bread is concerned with.
People who suffer chronic hunger don’t have the option of
eating when they are hungry. They do not get enough calories, essential
nutrients, or both. People who are hungry have an ongoing problem with getting
food to eat. They have a primary need — how to feed themselves and their
children today and tomorrow. They have little energy for anything else…
It is commonly known that the cause of hunger in the world
is not a shortage of food but rather access to food.
Some people are hungry because food is in short supply in
their area and for a specific reason. It may be because they can’t afford to
buy enough food. It may be both.
Some countries have a “hunger season” every year. It's when
the previous harvest is gone, and the next harvest is not yet ready. It can
last as long as three or four months.
The U.S. doesn’t have that kind of a hunger season, but for
many families, some weeks are hungrier than others. These usually come toward
the end of the month, as families run short of food before they have money to
buy more. People can’t simply decide to spend less on rent, but, if necessary,
they can spend less on food.
For many low-wage workers, retirees, people with
disabilities, and their families, even careful planning cannot stretch the
grocery budget throughout the month. Less expensive — and less nutritious —
filler foods can keep children’s stomachs from growling, but they can’t provide
what children need to grow and learn. Adults who are missing meals because they
can’t afford to buy food can’t concentrate as well at work…
People in certain conditions, whether they live in the
developing world or the United States, are extremely vulnerable to hunger. A
month of bad weather for a farmer or an illness for a worker and a loss of
income can mean less food and the prospect of hunger.
Food insecurity is the more formal term for this condition.
People living with food insecurity lack a stable, reliable means of getting the
meals they need.”[6]
I thought I could share a few statistics with you as well.
According to second harvest;
“On March 31, 2021, Feeding America released local-level
food insecurity projections for 2021 which show that food insecurity has
remained elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels for 96% of counties. In
Central Florida, Feeding America projects that 13.8%, one in seven people and
20.1%, one in five children, live in households that may be food insecure in
2021.
The study, The Impact of the Coronavirus on Local Food
Insecurity in 2020 and 2021, provides a snapshot of food insecurity at the
state, congressional district and county level prior to the pandemic and
presents the likely impact the ensuing economic crisis has had on food
insecurity levels in the U.S. In addition, for the first time, Feeding America
has produced local-level projections of very low food security, a more severe
range of food insecurity that involves reduced food intake and disrupted eating
patterns.”[7]
“95 million more meals a year are needed to fill the hunger
gap that exists in Central Florida.
One in seven people are facing hunger in our community.
More than 500,000 people in Central Florida don’t know when
or where their next meal will come.
One in five children in Central Florida face hunger.”
“What are the Effects of Food Insecurity?
Chronic Disease
Food Insecurity is associated with higher probability of
chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease,
hepatitis, stroke, cancer, asthma, diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease and
kidney disease
Child Hunger
Hunger can harm a child’s opportunities to reach their full
potential and contribute fully to their communities—which affects society.
Children from food-insecure homes may be more likely to:
Have lower math scores
Repeat a grade in elementary school
Experience developmental impairments in areas like language
and motor skills
Have more social and behavioral problems
Be less prepared for the workforce as adults
Senior Hunger
Seniors who are food-insecure have:
Higher rates of chronic diseases
Poorer general health
Three times higher prevalence of depression
Diminished capacity to maintain independence while aging”[8]
.
As we feast on the word of God…and when we share in the
table of remembrance called communion we also share a table with those who
around us are hungry for real food.
You see “God's plan has always been to live in
communion with his people; God is still waiting for us to create a world that
reflects the image of God-in love, justice, fulfillment, mercy, equality, etc.
We see it in Genesis, when God created the human being to share in the work of
creation. We see it in the Law, according to which the sacrifices have in mind
a companionship between God and the person and community. We see it in the
Prophets, who insist on the responsibilities of the people to form a just
society. And John, at last, tells us that the Word that created the world became
flesh to call people to a community to opposed to the values of the Roman
Empire and any political or economic system that dehumanizes the being”[9] Jesus
is always calling us to be an anti-Imperial, anti-hierarchical society in which
its members, are empowered by the Spirit that Jesus emphasizes in the fourth
gospel, live in communion with God and with one another. We are called to Feast
upon the word and share in communion as one people, as one spirit, and as the
one body of Christ. Amen
[1] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3779
[2] King,
Nicholas. The Bible: A Study Bible. Buxhall, Stowmarket, Suffolk: Kevin Mayhew,
2013.
[3] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3779
[4] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=372
[5] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3779
[6] http://www.bread.org/what-hunger
[7] https://www.feedhopenow.org/site/SPageServer/?pagename=about_hunger
[8] Ditto
[9] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3779
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