"As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me. This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread your ancestors ate; they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live forever."
This verse makes a big transition from Wisdom teaching to Sacramental teaching. "The bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world." This is confronting language. Even today this language has the capacity to shock. Cf. I am light, living water, the way, the truth and the life.
Here is another question: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus has the opportunity to say he has been misunderstood. Does he? No. He goes even deeper into the mystery. "I tell you solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you." Does this sound like a backdown? He continues, "Anyone who does eat my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food..."
"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him..."
And most of all, try and get around this. "As I, who am sent by the living Father myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me."
This verse makes a big transition from Wisdom teaching to Sacramental teaching. "The bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world." This is confronting language. Even today this language has the capacity to shock. Cf. I am light, living water, the way, the truth and the life.
Here is another question: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus has the opportunity to say he has been misunderstood. Does he? No. He goes even deeper into the mystery. "I tell you solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you." Does this sound like a backdown? He continues, "Anyone who does eat my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food..."
"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him..."
And most of all, try and get around this. "As I, who am sent by the living Father myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me."
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