Breaking the Word

Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? …

And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." (Jn 6:60-69)

Murmuring and shock are part of Exodus experience. Israelites grumbled and were shocked at the teaching of Moses in the original exodus event. Now Jesus is taking the new Israelites into a new exodus and they are murmuring and are shocked at his teachings. Some of them even leave him and go back to their previous way of life. Murmurings and shocks seem to be the regular reactions of the disciples.

There was a division among his followers. Jesus was left with twelve. This is over simplifications. Crowds followed him even after this. There was a crowd leading him to Jerusalem. But Jesus attitude is that all these happen according to the will of the Father. Because he says that no one can come to me unless the Father grants it. So disciples coming and leaving are also done by the Father.

The twelve remain. They are ready to say that he is the holy one of God. He not only speaks about God’s new age, but also makes the new age present among them through his words and deeds (You have the words of eternal life). Jesus knows well that one of them will betray him. However, for the moment these twelve are the representatives of the faith. That is God was working his great movement (new exodus free from sin and death) through the words and deeds of Jesus. 

 …Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. (Jn 6:52-59)

It is shocking to hear from a Jew (Jesus) talking about drinking blood. One of the rules about food and drink is that blood should be absolutely avoided. (Lev 17, 10-14) This was very strictly followed.

We read in 2 Sam 23, 17 as follows: "The LORD forbid that I do this! Can I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?" This means that David did not want to profit from their readiness to put their lives on the line for him. This could give us a clue to understand the meaning of ‘drinking blood’. It is to profit from what one is doing.

So Jesus says that if you want to profit from what I am doing by saying you must eat ‘my flesh’ and ‘drink my blood’. So those who eat and drink the body and blood of Jesus are not cannibals or they break the Jewish law on food. In stead, as in the story of David, Jesus will put his own life at risk, indeed, he will lose his life and his followers will profit from his death.

One can spiritualize the language of eating and drinking as to mean a non-physical event, of meditation, celebration. These are important. All what we say should be understood in line with that of Paul in 1 Cor 10 &11. It should include actual physical eating and drinking. In verses 54-58 the word for ‘eat’ is a very solidly physical one. It means to ‘munch’ or ‘chew’. Those who eat and drink the body and blood of Jesus are the people of true exodus. They benefit eternal life in the present and the future and are raised up on the last day.