“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’” – John 6:51
Do you think that the listeners at Jesus’ talk just misunderstood him? Do you think that if Jesus thought they misunderstood him, he would clarify their thinking as it related to what he was saying? Whenever Jesus is misunderstood metaphorically, guess what?
He clarifies it.
When Nicodemus misunderstands being born again, Jesus explains.
When the disciples misunderstand Lazarus sleeping, Jesus explains.
But here, the crowd thinks he means actual flesh. Instead of correcting them, he intensifies the teaching not once, not twice, six times. He repeats,
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” – John 6:53-56
Eat my flesh. Drink my blood. Eat my flesh. Drink my blood. Six times, He doesn’t back away but gets stronger in His words.
If they misunderstood him, this was the perfect opportunity to correct them. Instead, he doubles down. The crowd is shocked because they understand him correctly.The question is, do you?
The gift is not a symbol of Jesus or a kind of Jesus. The gift of his body and blood is the giver himself, the bridegroom giving his body and blood to the bride to be consumed.
John 6 is one of the best teachings of Jesus, which will put you into one of two categories, those who object and leave or soften the passage, and those who believe what he says and participate. Jesus didn’t soften the teaching.
It even gets more graphic, especially when you look into the Greek that was used in today’s reading. At first, Jesus uses the normal word for eat, and then he switches to a much stronger term. The word means to chew or to gnaw.It’s graphic.
All the Church Fathers believed this for the first thousand years of the Church. I stand with the saints. I stand with the Church. I know what I’m eating. I know that it’s Communion.Communion as a symbol, Communion kind of, you won’t find it in the Bible, but you will stumble upon churches that have split from the Catholic Church. They believe that. If you’re looking for life rather than mere existence, go for the source of life, the body and blood of Jesus.
Find it in a symbol outside of the Catholic Church. It’s not gonna happen. The Eucharist is not simply receiving something. It is receiving someone. Do you believe what Jesus said?
Remain in Jesus.
The giver and the gift are waiting for you in the Catholic Church.