In his teaching following the feeding of the multitude and then walking over the surface of the Sea of Galilee during the storm, Jesus interacted with the great crowd that continually orbited around him, identifying himself as the Bread of Life for the hunger and thirst of their souls. The teaching continued for a length of time none of the gospel writers record. At some point the crowd began to diminish, and finally Jesus was in the synagogue in Capernaum speaking to his larger group of disciples.
He was speaking of himself in highly symbolic terms, and the disciples had difficulty swallowing his words. “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him…Many of his disciples said, ‘This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?’”
Can you imagine the uproar? He was pushing them. Having fed them, having amazed them, and having taught them as they had never before been taught…it was time for them to respond to the clear call of the Kingdom of God. He was not recommending ritual cannibalism, and they knew he was using the words, ‘bread…flesh…blood’ in some metaphorical sense. Notice that they did not say they didn’t understand him. They said it was hard for them to accept. But it was time for them to ‘fish or cut bait.’ They were being called to choose between following an exciting radical miracle maker or giving themselves to God’s chosen who would give them God’s life and lead them to heaven and eternal life.
Many of them failed the test. “At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, ‘Are you also going to leave?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.’” That is the response he was looking for, and the faith of those twelve men changed the world.
I do not fully understand the ‘bread…flesh…blood’ thing. But what I do understand is that he is calling me to eat, and telling me that God nourishes those who will eat of his gift. Yes, the words are symbolic, but the meaning is clear…Jesus is life and he gives life. Somehow I participate in his gift of flesh and blood on the cross, by which I am redeemed.
Here is truth—I am deeply involved in the cross; all of us are, whether we choose to believe in it or not. My life, my whole history, and my death are on the cross. But he gives his flesh as a substitute for mine, his blood as a substitute for mine. He accepts my death and I am saved for life. His flesh feeds my salvation and his blood waters my new life.
I do not see these words as a reference to communion. It is a reference that that which we celebrate in communion. We can do communion and never be touched by it. The historical fact of the cross touches us all.
So when faith becomes difficult and you are pushed to either follow more deeply or to desert…
Prayer: “Patient Father, do not give up on me. I have waxed hot and cold. I have wavered forward and back. I am both certain and uncertain. Yet you never move. You do not advance to take away my uncertainty, nor do you withdraw from me. Every day I make a more certain choice to believe the words of Jesus and to follow him. You would not take away my freedom to do so. But I know this…I will not desert. I will accept. I know that even if my understanding is incomplete, it will come in its own time. I will follow to the end. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”