You Are What You Eat: John 6:51-58 - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

[Jesus said,] ⁵¹ “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
  ⁵² The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; ⁵⁵ for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” (NRSV)

World Communion Table by wplynn.  Creative Commons Image on flickr

Today’s Gospel may be one of those stories that it’s best not to hear on a full stomach.  The five thousand people Jesus had fed are still around, but not for much longer—because Jesus says this:

“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you”

I can’t imagine the crowd being anything but outraged by Jesus’ words, and for good reason: the Law of Moses strictly forbids eating or drinking blood.  For starters, the blood of animals could carry deadly diseases.  More importantly: in ancient Judaism, the shedding of blood atoned for sin.  A sacrifice of blood makes a person right with God.  So by taking Jesus’ words at face value, we must become vampires and cannibals.  In the end, Jesus’ words add up to a miserable way to gain followers.

But Jesus’ isn’t speaking these words to become popular.  Jesus was sent to proclaim the truth—and he’s not mincing words…

Jesus was sent to this earth to personally become a sacrifice of atonement for all human sin.  Jesus’ personally bears the cost of all human sin—and gives us the benefits of his sacrifice.  Yet Jesus takes it even further…  The very life of Jesus is in his flesh and blood—and by eating and drinking his flesh and blood, you are receiving his life into your own body.  Think about that: Jesus isn’t merely a Savior walking beside you through life.  He lives within you and through you.  Simply put: you are what you eat.

It’s not news to anyone that proper nutrition is essential to good health.  A healthy diet and exercise make all the difference.  Many of us also take medicine to maintain our health.  Some medicine, we take by mouth; some we receive directly into our bloodstream.  It all means the difference between life and death. 

Only trouble is, I doubt most of us don’t understand our Christian faith in such a way.  Being a Christian is all about we do and what we believe.  It’s about having Jesus walking right there beside you, like an invisible companion.

When we come to our Lord’s Table, are we more focused upon the bread and wine we’re eating and drinking rather than the body and blood Jesus is giving? 

As we race through the days, I know I’m driven more by the desire to get what I want, rather than receive what Jesus gives.  Eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Jesus doesn’t hold the urgency that so many other things do.  I’d much rather eat and drink towards my own happiness.  It’s in my nature to resist change in my diet of life.

Yet Jesus’ flesh and blood are no small matters.  Jesus is giving us what is vital for life—regardless of whether we’re receiving him at the table, on our knees in prayer, or in the Word. As Paul writes in Ephesians, the days are full of evil—and the time is short.  We don’t have until forever to receive the gifts Jesus gives.  Eating and drinking of Jesus truly is a matter of life and death. 

You are what you eat—and you always will be.  So what if, today, you were to abide in what Jesus’ has been teaching since the five thousand ate their fill—that we seek and desire, above all else, the bread that endures for eternal life? 

Begin by receiving Jesus’ invitation and coming to him today, Jesus will take you on a journey of tasting, seeing, and experiencing firsthand the life of Christ.  You’ll receive the wisdom to understand God’s will; embrace what is vital in light of eternity and forsake all the rest.  You’ll be joined into the song of the Body of Christ; giving thanks to God, sharing his goodness, and resting in the Gospel promises, even as evil rages around us. 

You are what you eat—and Jesus gives you the food and drink you need.  In Christ we receive the bread and the drink that the whole world needs.