by Rev. Canon David B. Tabo-oy
v35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
v47Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. v48I am the bread of life. v49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. v50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. v51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
(Read: John 6:35, 41-51)
Bread has become one of the common symbols of humankind, especially in the western world. There are all kinds of expressions and metaphors using bread that describe our lives. “How do you make your bread?” would refer to your line of work. “Preaching is my bread and butter” means my calling and source of income. We are encouraged to know “which side our bread is buttered on,” and to “cast our bread upon the waters.” For the three consecutive Sundays we have been hearing about this life sustaining thing read from the 6th chapter of the gospel according to Saint John. Perhaps, if the earthly ministry of Jesus took place in this region, he would have used rice in the miraculous feeding and in his teaching about himself. Rice is the staple food in this part of the world.
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This Sunday’s Gospel reading (Proper 14) begins with Jesus’ proclamation: “I am the bread of life.” Earlier in this chapter of John’s Gospel which was read the other Sunday, is the story that has come to be known as the feeding of the five thousand, wherein many hungry people are fed on very little bread. The focus of this feeding story has traditionally been the miracle of the 5,000 people fed with a meager supply of food. There is little attention given to the bread itself and what it might signify.
Jesus’ words about the bread of life rang true with his hearers. The image reminded them of the ancient prophets who used the “bread of life” to mean the word, the wisdom, that comes from God to humanity. The Wisdom tradition of the Hebrew Bible says this in Proverbs: “Come, eat of my bread; drink of the wine I have mixed.” [Proverbs 9:5] The book of Ecclesiasticus describes what Wisdom will do for the one who fears God: “She will feed him with the bread of understanding and give him the water of wisdom to drink.” [Ecclesiasticus, or Sirach 15:3]
Jesus said, “whoever eats of this bread will live forever” (v.51). God provided physical sustenance for the chosen people in the Old Testament. In the New Testament and the “now testament” (present day) God provides spiritual sustenance for all people as the Living Bread.
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Jesus, knowing the history of God providing bread for the Hebrew people, now claims he is the living bread from heaven and the source of eternal life. Jesus’ declaration proved too much for some of his followers. They could not believe such a claim and started to drift away. They were no longer willing and prepared to walk with him. But Jesus did not take back anything he had said nor try to make his teaching more acceptable. Later in this chapter Jesus turned to his disciples and said: “Will you also walk away?” (John 6:61). This was a moment of crisis, of standing up and being counted. What Christ was demanding of them was not understanding, but faith in himself. There was no way they could avoid making a choice of being for or against Jesus. “Lord, where else shall we go? You have the message of eternal life and we believe.” (v.68).
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“I am the living bread that came down from heaven,” says Jesus, then and now. “Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
In the words of institution in the Holy Eucharist the Celebrant say, “On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanksto you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
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This bread is central to our life together. The bread that we take, bless, break, and give to one another in this amazing meal we share each Sunday is food indeed, strong food, life-giving food, bread that not only sustains, but saves and gifts those who receive it with “life everlasting.” This bread may be unleavened, pressed and stamped into wafers, or it may be fresh bread, hot and fragrant from the oven, with the aroma filling the sanctuary itself, welcoming, inviting the hungry into our midst. Regardless of how it looks, tastes, or smells, this bread is the vehicle that brings Christ into the very midst of our lives. It is a true feast.
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The Catechism in The Book of Common Prayer has an interesting section on “The Holy Eucharist.” It says, “The Holy Eucharist is called the Lord’s Supper, and Holy Communion; it is also known as the Divine Liturgy, the Mass, and the Great Offering.” It continues: “The benefits we receive are the forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our union with Christ and one another, and the foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life.” (ECP-BCP p.275).
So, what do we mean by eternal life, life everlasting? The Catechism tells us, “By everlasting life, we mean a new existence, in which we are united with all the people of God, in the joy of fully knowing and loving God and each other.” (p.736, ECP-BCP)). Do you hear anything about “pie in the sky when you die” in that definition? No, it says “a new existence,” which certainly could include the time after our death, but it isn’t limited to a post-mortal time frame. It speaks more of a state of being than a particular time or place.
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“Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” This is the living and life-giving bread we partake in the Holy Eucharist – the sacrament established by our Lord himself. So, we make the choice to come to the table. We make it over and over, week after week, but how often do we think about the implications of this meal? The Catechism continues with the question, “What is required of us when we come to the Eucharist?” and answers, “It is required that we should examine our lives, repent of our sins, and be in love and charity with all people.”
The essence of both Psalm 34 and St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (4:25-5:2: God has done great things for you, and now you are to respond by allowing God to change your life. Words to the wise. The two references are remarkably alike, filled with behaviors we would like to embody, but so often we fall short. Listen, from Psalm 34:11-14.
You must do these things to enjoy life and have many happy days.
You must not say evil things, and you must not tell lies.
Stop doing evil and do good.
Look for peace and work for it.(New Century Version)
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven,” says Jesus, then and now. “Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Let us pray.
Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always
those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without
you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 14 Collect, BCP)***
