Image from agnusday.org
John 6: 56-69 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 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." He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 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. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
I find it interesting that John 6:66 is a verse about people turning their back on Jesus: "Because of this many of His disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him." These past few Sundays, we have been exposed to the teachings of Jesus as found in the Gospel of John. These all have to do with Jesus' declaration about His being bread and the importance of eating His flesh and blood. These are not easy teachings, nor as they easy to accept for all people. As the sheep in the above cartoon state, "You are what you eat." If we "eat" Jesus and drink HIs blood, we come to live in Jesus and Jesus in us. We cannot compare that with the manna provided in the desert during the Exodus; this is eternal food. As Jesus taught this some of the believers with Jesus complained about the difficulty of it. Jesus asked, "Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?" An interesting way for Jesus to tell those disciples, "You ain't seen nothing yet!" It was an invitation to stay in the truth for the best was yet to come. Jesus continues,"It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." To always understand Jesus, we must approach His teachings from a spiritual, not physical perspective. This is the same gospel that said we must be born from above; Nicodemus did not understand until he gave himself over to spiritual rebirth, and in the same way, we too, must be born from above to understand what Jesus shares.
The twelve must have been hurt that so many left Jesus on that day, but they did not give up for as Peter answered Jesus' "Do you also wish to go away?" he said, Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Indeed, so have we. We have no one to whom we can go; no other place that will do and provide for us eternally.
If we believe this, we must live this and share this with whomever will listen.
PRAYER: Loving God, grant to us strength for understanding as we surrender to you spiritually. Enter our heart, minds, souls, spirits and lives in a way that bring us to a new spiritual birth. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
