URC Daily Devotion 30 May 20205
St John 6: 52 – 71
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ 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. 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 for ever.’ 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.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.’ He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for he, though one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
Reflection
Today we reach the end of this part of John’s Gospel concerning Jesus and the bread of life. The passage begins with a dispute, how Jesus can give his flesh to eat? Jesus replies that unless they eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, they will have no life in them.
It is a tricky passage with these references to eating flesh and drinking blood. We have the bread coming from heaven, referring to Jesus’s body.
In John’s Gospel we do not have an account of the Last Supper, these words are the nearest thing in John to the words of institution of the Lord’s Supper. The Synoptic Gospels speak of the bread as Jesus’ body and the wine as his blood. In John it is eating the flesh and drinking the blood that gives life, a life that is eternal since those who eat the bread will live forever. No wonder many of the disciples say that ‘this teaching is difficult’.
The passage doesn’t get any easier, as Jesus speaks about his ascension, which for John combines Jesus’ flesh being lifted upon the cross, his resurrection and ascension. Jesus contrasts the spirit that gives life and the flesh that is useless. We should avoid seeing the spirit and the flesh in dualistic terms, the point Jesus is making the point that it is only when we understand Jesus in ways informed by the Holy Spirit, that we understand what he is about. In John 3 Nicodemus is born of the spirit, or from above.
At the end there are allusions to divisions in John’s church, some turn back and no longer go with Jesus. Peter represents those who abide with Jesus. Judas will betray and represents those who want to break away.
John 6 is about who Jesus is. The words John uses: word, flesh, spirit, truth, bread, blood, life find their meaning in Jesus, the Word made flesh who offers abundant life.
Prayer
Merciful God,
we seek your pardon.
We find Jesus’ teaching difficult,
and go our own way.
We do not trust you as we should,
and fail to hear your word to us.
We betray you by letting you down.
Forgive us.
Despite failing you in many ways.
Despite our doubts and fears.
In Christ you are with us,
and you pardon us.
Amen