John 6:52-59: a reflection

52The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. 54He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will also live because of me. 58This is the bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

As Jesus continues to teach that he is the bread of life, he speaks words that scandalize his hearers: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don't have life in yourselves. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Jesus offers not merely teaching to be admired, but himself, his own life, to be received and fed upon as the bread that gives eternal life. To feed on him is to have his life within, to abide in him and he in us, to be raised up at the last day. He gives himself as our true nourishment and life.

Notice what Jesus offers: himself, to be fed upon as the bread of life. He does not offer only his teaching or his example, but himself, his own flesh and blood, his life, to be received and fed upon. The one who feeds on him has eternal life, lives in him and he in them, and will be raised up at the last day. Christ is not merely to be admired from a distance, but received, fed upon, taken in as the bread that gives life. He offers his own life as our nourishment, so that feeding on him, we live because of him, as he lives because of the Father.

That is worth resting in, for it means Christ gives us himself as our life and nourishment. We can try to live on other things, feeding our souls on what cannot give life; but Christ offers himself as the bread of life, to be fed upon, so that we have his life within us. To feed on Christ, receiving him as our true nourishment, is to have eternal life and to be raised up at the last day. Do not try to feed your soul on what cannot give life; feed on Christ, the bread of life, receiving him as your true nourishment. Feed on Christ, the bread of life, receiving him as your soul's true nourishment, so that you have his life within you and will be raised up at the last day, as he said, he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life; for Christ gives us himself as our life, and feeding on him, we live because of him.

Lord Jesus, as you continue to teach that you are the bread of life, you speak words that scandalize your hearers: unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don't have life in yourselves; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. You offer not merely teaching to be admired, but yourself, your own life, to be received and fed upon as the bread that gives eternal life. To feed on you is to have your life within, to abide in you and you in me, to be raised up at the last day. Show me what you offer: yourself, to be fed upon as the bread of life. You do not offer only your teaching or your example, but yourself, your own life, to be received and fed upon. The one who feeds on you has eternal life, lives in you and you in them, and will be raised up at the last day. You are not merely to be admired from a distance, but received, taken in as the bread that gives life. Let me rest in that, for it means you give me yourself as my life and nourishment. I can try to live on other things, feeding my soul on what cannot give life; but you offer yourself as the bread of life, so that I have your life within me. Keep me from trying to feed my soul on what cannot give life; help me feed on you, Lord, the bread of life, receiving you as my true nourishment, so that I have your life within me and will be raised up at the last day.