John 6

OK folks! This is going to be a little controversial and no doubt confusing. But it is Biblical. You can find it in John's Gospel.

John Chapter 6 has been the source of much debate and confusion over the years. Jesus said something that not only baffled His audience at the time; but he re-iterated what He said to make sure it is understood.

I speak of course of the part in that Chapter where Jesus says He is "the Bread of life" and later when He says that unless people eat His flesh or drink His blood they will not have life.

As you can imagine, this was very upsetting to His listeners; even His followers and disciples.

I guess they said to each other, "What is He on about? How can we eat His flesh and drink His blood? This is cannibalism surely. This is too much for us. We don't want to follow this guy any longer!"

Some of them got up and left. So what did Jesus do?

He didn't say, "Hey ... wait a minute. You didn't understand what I meant. This is what I really meant to say ... let me explain!"

No; Jesus let them go. He didn't try to justify Himself or what He had just said. It was as if He dissolved the unspoken contract between them. They could not accept a certain clause so He let them go.

Then He turned to His disciples and asked, "How about you? Do you want to go as well?"

As ever, Peter was first to answer, "To whom shall we go?" he asked. "We're in this for the duration, all the way, to the end". Or words to that effect, signifying the he trusted Jesus without question; albeit no doubt he had many questions in his mind. 

Peter accepted Christ's words without question and stepped out in blind Faith and dared to believe.

So what are we to make of all this after all these years? Did Jesus mean what He said literally or was it all symbolism and imagery using common day articles of the time like bread and wine to signify the sacrifice He is to endure for us? His flesh would be torn by the beating and the nailing to the Cross and His blood would be spilled for us. Was it all symbolism?

Catholics believe that the total substance of bread and wine are changed into the substance of the body and blood of Christ at the moment of consecration during Mass. 

That is to say, the bread and wine that Catholics take at Communion are no longer such but they are the body and blood of Christ. 

I discussed this with a priest some time ago and he explained that this is Catholic dogma and that Catholics are "invited" to believe it is so. He admitted that some do not believe so and believe it was all symbolism.

So, where do we stand all these years after Jesus proclaimed clearly this saying?

Quite frankly, I'm with Peter on this.

I don't believe there is much to be gained in debating this ad-infinitum. The fact remains that it is recorded in the Bible that Jesus said this emphatically, and He repeated it at the Last Supper.

So I am minded to accept it for what it is. Something that Jesus said and we're to believe it as best we humanly can.

It's obvious that many will find this difficult to understand, but then, Jesus does not ask us to understand Him. He asks us to trust Him without any evidence whatsoever.

By the way: you may wish to visit this link and see what happened to a priest who had difficulties in believing. CLICK HERE.