3rd week in Easter Time, Friday – 6th May 2022 — Gospel: Jn 6,52-59
Participating in Wisdom
Four times in rapid succession Jesus speaks of the necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Jesus contrasts the Old Testament banquet, in which Wisdom offers the invitation to “eat of my bread and drink of the wine” (Prov 9,5), with the banquet of his own flesh and blood. This language of Jesus is shocking to his audience, for it implies cannibalism and is abhorrent to the Jewish mind (Lev 17,10-14). Jesus being the wisdom par excellence enacts the Old Testament wisdom by giving himself in the form of flesh and blood. Firstly, the result of a believer consuming his flesh and blood is mutual indwelling like that of wisdom: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and in them.” Secondly, to eat and drink of his very self is to participate fully in the mission and destiny of Jesus, i.e., wisdom drives forward. Thirdly, eating his flesh and drinking his blood is truly to be his disciple – in following him, believing in him, and giving oneself with him for the life of the world. Being united with Jesus, the embodiment of wisdom, we gain eternal life and victory over death (vv.51, 54, 58).
