Today’s scripture: John 6:52-59 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Tyler Connoley):
As we read the Gospels, each of which has its own emphasis and flavor, one of the questions to ask is, “Why did this author decide to include this story?” or “What might have been going on in the community that would make this particular part of the Jesus story important to recall?”
In the Gospel of John, we find that the community of John was probably having some conflicts between themselves and the local Jewish community. Remember, many early Christians still considered themselves Jews, but their beliefs and practices sometimes put them at odds with their Jewish sisters and brothers. The conflicts were most prominent around the table, where Jews and Christians had very different attitudes toward food, and we see this in some of the discourses in John. But the practice of the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper, just seemed crazy to many outsiders, Jewish and Gentile alike. (In fact, it still does.)
“How can this man say that we should eat his flesh?” the Jews in this story ask. You can almost hear the incredulous undertone — is this some kind of cannibalistic cult? In fact, we know from outside sources that one of the earliest slanders used against Christians was that we were cannibals. The story was that we would cook babies inside loaves of bread and then eat them at our church services. You can see where these ideas come from when you read this passage, and the consternation of the people who are questioning Jesus. “You’re asking your followers to do what?!”
As far as we can tell, the ritual of the Lord’s Supper has been with Christians from the very beginning. In 1 Corinthians, one of the oldest books in the New Testament, Paul recounts the practice with these words, “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'” When you walk up to that table and partake of the Eucharist, you are standing elbow-to-elbow with other Christians from around the world, and from the entire history of Christianity.
The question of what the Lord’s Supper means has also been with us from the very beginning. Not just outsiders wondered about this strange practice. Google “Eucharist theology” and see all the things that pop up. Or, if you really want to make your brain hurt, try looking up the words transubstantiation and consubstantiation.
I won’t even try to make sense of it all, but I can tell you this: Jesus wanted us to “eat my flesh and drink my blood,” and in some strange way he is present with us when we practice the ritual of breaking bread together and eating it in remembrance of him. When we do, we connect ourselves not only to this powerful and sometimes-confusing man, but to the billions of Christians who have been doing the same thing since the beginning of Christianity.
Thought for the day: One thing I know about ritual: it’s best not to overthink it. Next time you take the Eucharist, let the strangeness of it be part of the experience. As you take the bread, feast on God’s wonderful, unreasonable love channeled through Jesus.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.