Breaking the Word

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" 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 interesting that Jesus, a Jew, is talking about drinking blood. Jews would not drink the blood and drinking blood was absolutely forbidden (Lev 17: 10-14). Even the flesh of the animal that is eaten should be drained of all blood. Blood was offered only to God and God drank the blood. Jews believed that blood contained life in it and only God drank blood.

“Eat my flesh” and “drink my blood” could mean a lot of things in the biblical context. One is that it has a reference to the last supper of Jesus. Another could be the sacramental food and drink in the Eucharist. Jesus also means that eating his flesh and drinking his blood could also mean being united with him.

Those who eat of his body and drink of his blood are they that form the people of the new exodus. In the old exodus the ancestors of the Jews ate and drank in the wilderness but they died. But the difference with the new Israel is that they will never die and they will possess eternal life. So union with Jesus or the sacramental relationship with Jesus or the communion with him in his last supper will reward the individual with eternal life.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: 'They shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." (Jn 6:44-51)

Father takes the initiative. Son does not do anything except to accept whomsoever the father sends. Those people who come to Jesus are taught by the father. The disciples are not Jesus’ choice but that of the father. Father chooses the disciples and he sends them to him and he teaches them before sending them to Jesus. But they have not seen the father.

Belief in Jesus is essential. Only those who believe are given eternal life and they are raised fro the dead. Once again, eternal life and the life of resurrection are gifts. These are not rewards for what they have done or what they have achieved but purely for their belief in Jesus.

Jesus is the bread from heaven. The manna that was eaten by the ancestors did not give eternal life. It was only temporary. In contrast to manna the bread from heaven, that is Jesus, is lasting and life giving. Whoever believes in Jesus and participates in Jesus has eternal life. Physical Jesus (body of Jesus) and his earthly life are life giving.