Flesh, Blood, and Spirit
AM Psalm 107:33-43, 108:1-6(7-13) • PM Psalm 33
Jer. 23:9-15 • Rom. 9:1-18 • John 6:60-71
Prior to today’s reading, Jesus made some bewildering statements, such as this one: “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). Who says things like this? Today's reading of the gospel is a continuation of this conversation. Jesus and his disciples are having what my dad would call “a come to Jesus” moment. Jesus challenges his disciples, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?...Does it offend you?...It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
John tells us that it was hard for anyone not to take the phrase “eating flesh” and “drinking blood” anything but literally. Many could not get past this. In today's reading, John states, “Because of this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.” Then Jesus asks the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
The last few verses reminded me of K. Killian Noe's, Finding Your Way Home. Killian Noe is a co-founder and program director of Samaritan Inns, an organization that serves addicted and homeless men and women. In her book Noe writes, “Jesus made it clear there are two cultures. The dominant, addictive culture and the culture of the reign of God—the way of love—is the narrow way that fewer people choose but leads to true life.” As an experience we share with the disciples, “we don't always desire the alternative culture over the dominate culture; we don't always want to take the alternative route, the way of love.” Hopefully, we all come around to choosing love as Simon Peter did when he said, “We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Written by Tara Elzer
Tara is a server of sherry and other fine libations, the second Sunday of each month at St. Paul’s. A service that sadly has been temporarily paused but will hopefully resume soon.