John 6:35 Yeshua answered, “I am the bread which is life! Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever trusts in me will never be thirsty.
51 I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. Furthermore, the bread that I will give is my own flesh; and I will give it for the life of the world.”
52 At this, the Judeans disputed with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Then Yeshua said to them, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life — that is, I will raise him up on the Last Day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live through the Father, so also whoever eats me will live through me.[Complete Jewish Bible]
I understand why those who heard Jesus call himself "bread of life" and "bread that came down from heaven" started to complain. It was confusing. Jesus can't have come from heaven, since he came from Nazareth, right? It's still confusing today. This is about Holy Communion, right? Or is it? Scholarly debate is often confused, and confusing. Perhaps Jesus' words are just as fresh today: "Do not complain among yourselves."Even if we cannot answer every question, we see how Jesus draws on ways God has worked in the past. Elijah was instructed, "Get up and eat." Jesus declares that whoever eats the bread that came down from heaven will live forever. The psalmist invited us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." Jesus announces that everyone who comes to him will never be hungry. Manna fell from heaven, and was for this world only. Now it is Jesus—both bread and flesh—that is given for the life of the world, "that one may eat of it and not die."
God of our sustenance, feed us with the bread of life, come down from heaven, that I may never be hungry for you. Amen.
Bryan Woken
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, West Hills, Calif.
Master of Divinity , 1984
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
53 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.
54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day;
55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.
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.[New Revised Standard Version]
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