eating jesus
August 19, 2018
John 6:51-58
As many of you know, the first Wednesday evening study I led when I began serving as your Senior Pastor lasted for eight weeks. The study, something I created and based largely on the incredible work of Dr. Norman Wirzba, a professor at Duke Divinity School, is called Food & Faith. Now, those who came to the study can attest to the fact that I absolutely love this topic and its theological implications. The funny thing is, though, it wasn’t even on my radar when I entered Divinity school. I had heard something about it but dismissed it like it was irrelevant to me and my life. Now I don’t know about any of you, but I am always amazed at how impactful the things we tend to dismiss at first actually become in our lives, and when I reflect on my three years in seminary, I know with absolute certainty the two most significant things that happened to me – The topic of Food & Faith (which we will discuss in a minute) and Dr. Frank Tupper, whom you have heard me speak about before.
Dr. Tupper simply, or maybe it’s not all that simple, did what the greatest teachers always do… cared more about his students’ ability to learn than he did about himself. That is what great teachers do. That is their focus and when you are fortunate to be one of their students their impact on your life lasts until the end of time. Those of us who were in this very place last Thursday afternoon witnessed this firsthand as two of Bill Marlowe’s students stood and spoke about his lifelong impact on them. One passionately played the piano and another directed the large gathering in singing the Hallelujah Chorus. To do what they did provides powerful testimony to what it means to be a great teacher.
Now this topic of Food & Faith hit me upside the head and woke me up to the realization that I, along with the super majority of people living in this country, was an ignorant eater. And for me to say that out loud is saying something because I loathe the idea of being ignorant at anything, and that is why I use the phrase “hit upside the head.” Here’s the thing though, when I was confronted with the simple question of being able to accurately and specifically tell someone where the food that I was consuming came from, my ignorance could no longer be denied. Of course, I could tell you the restaurant, or the grocery store, but that question from a theological standpoint, doesn’t want to know about the financial transaction I entered into. And when the financial aspect was taken away I had nothing… or better yet, I had nothing to offer at the time.
Now, even though the entire Food & Faith topic speaks to me, there is one phrase that I use in week five of this study that always gets the most reactions. Maybe it’s important to know that Week Five of the study I create is called Eucharistic eating, but that didn’t help me to realize this phrase would conjure up the reactions it did. Even today I’m not exactly sure what my use of the phrase EATING JESUS, in my lesson on Eucharistic eating, stirs such noticeable reactions. I feel certain that our tendency to be such a literal people explains part of those responses to EATING JESUS, but then I read scripture like we have today and I realize reactions like I have experienced to my use of that phrase have been gong on for quite some time.
Now, I know none of us were actually there when 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.” Yet amazingly, the reaction of his audience is quite similar to the peoples’ reaction all four times I have taught the study on Food & Faith. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” sounds a lot like, “what are you talking about… EATING JESUS?” doesn’t it?
The thing is… I get it. Jesus’ words here are initially shocking, especially considering the fact that most of us hear literally and if we weren’t shocked by a literal interpretation of “unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood you have no life” then I would be worried. The question, then, is whether or not we might be open to going beyond such a literal hearing so that we can begin asking some questions. Questions that might take us to places we have never been before. Questions that might open our minds to a deeper, broader and more expansive understanding of Jesus’ teaching found in this text. Questions that might at first feel scary but could actually serve to liberate and transform us into the followers of The Way we strive to be.
No matter what, I want to encourage each of you to think about the questions you yourself might ask when reading or hearing this story. I encourage each of you to do that because I believe in the asking of questions, especially when confronted with stories like the one today. I also encourage you to ask questions because I’m not real sure the church has historically been good at doing that, and I believe it is critical to any exploration of faith. Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions because I believe the whole community can benefit when its members are willing to probe… are willing to explore… are willing to discover.
Regarding this text, someone here might ask if Jesus is teaching about the Last Supper. A great question I believe, as Jesus is talking about the elements of Communion. The interesting thing though is that this Gospel, John’s Gospel doesn’t actually describe the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. Not in today’s reading… not anywhere in the entire Gospel. Now, I don’t know about you, but I find this quite fascinating because whenever I hear bread and wine in a religious context, my mind initially takes me to Communion. So, what am I to do if Jesus’ teaching about bread and wine in this story is not entirely about his Last Supper with his disciples? Well, if I am willing to pursue a more expansive understanding, then my eyes just might start to open to a whole new way of relating to all of creation. A way that teaches me about how interconnected everything is to everything else. A way that teaches me about abiding Love, and how that abiding Love can transform me.
By calling Jesus the bread of life, and then by instructing people to chomp and chew (trogon) on this bread, John’s gospel is introducing people to a kind of eating in which abiding is possible, even transformative. By calling Jesus the bread of life and instructing us to chomp and chew, we are being introduced to a new type of eating. Instead of eating so that the other is absorbed into me so that I can live, this new type of eating not only absorbs the other, but more importantly it remembers and hosts the other.
In this second kind of eating we invite and welcome the other into our imagination, and in the process become transformed from within.
This second form of eating (feeding on Jesus and being transformed) challenges us to relate to others in a new way. Rather than absorbing the other to suit our personal needs and satisfactions, eaters of Jesus are invited to extend his ministries of attention and welcome, feeding, forgiving, healing and reconciliation. As a result of this type of eating, we become participants in his life and he becomes a participant in our life. To eat in this way is to enact meaningful relationships whose purpose is life forever. Its these meaningful relationships that allow people to share in the DIVINE TRINITARIAN LIFE that creates, sustains, and fulfills creation.
.
Eating this “bread of life” is to call on Jesus and invite him to transform what we are doing together. Eating this “bread of life” is to become a host to God’s ongoing presence in the world. Eating this “bread of life” is to choose relationship building, not destruction. Eating this “bread of life” is to choose to serve others over serving self. Eating this “bread of life” is to join in the story of creation and live forever. Eating this “bread of life” invites us to give our lives to each other, to turn ourselves into food for others because this is how we nurture and strengthen all life.
So, my brothers and sisters, may we EAT JESUS. May we eat this “bread of life” and in so doing may our lives be transformed into lives of self-offering instead of self-giving. Lives that abide in him and him in us so that we will live forever.
Amen!
John 6:51-58
As many of you know, the first Wednesday evening study I led when I began serving as your Senior Pastor lasted for eight weeks. The study, something I created and based largely on the incredible work of Dr. Norman Wirzba, a professor at Duke Divinity School, is called Food & Faith. Now, those who came to the study can attest to the fact that I absolutely love this topic and its theological implications. The funny thing is, though, it wasn’t even on my radar when I entered Divinity school. I had heard something about it but dismissed it like it was irrelevant to me and my life. Now I don’t know about any of you, but I am always amazed at how impactful the things we tend to dismiss at first actually become in our lives, and when I reflect on my three years in seminary, I know with absolute certainty the two most significant things that happened to me – The topic of Food & Faith (which we will discuss in a minute) and Dr. Frank Tupper, whom you have heard me speak about before.
Dr. Tupper simply, or maybe it’s not all that simple, did what the greatest teachers always do… cared more about his students’ ability to learn than he did about himself. That is what great teachers do. That is their focus and when you are fortunate to be one of their students their impact on your life lasts until the end of time. Those of us who were in this very place last Thursday afternoon witnessed this firsthand as two of Bill Marlowe’s students stood and spoke about his lifelong impact on them. One passionately played the piano and another directed the large gathering in singing the Hallelujah Chorus. To do what they did provides powerful testimony to what it means to be a great teacher.
Now this topic of Food & Faith hit me upside the head and woke me up to the realization that I, along with the super majority of people living in this country, was an ignorant eater. And for me to say that out loud is saying something because I loathe the idea of being ignorant at anything, and that is why I use the phrase “hit upside the head.” Here’s the thing though, when I was confronted with the simple question of being able to accurately and specifically tell someone where the food that I was consuming came from, my ignorance could no longer be denied. Of course, I could tell you the restaurant, or the grocery store, but that question from a theological standpoint, doesn’t want to know about the financial transaction I entered into. And when the financial aspect was taken away I had nothing… or better yet, I had nothing to offer at the time.
Now, even though the entire Food & Faith topic speaks to me, there is one phrase that I use in week five of this study that always gets the most reactions. Maybe it’s important to know that Week Five of the study I create is called Eucharistic eating, but that didn’t help me to realize this phrase would conjure up the reactions it did. Even today I’m not exactly sure what my use of the phrase EATING JESUS, in my lesson on Eucharistic eating, stirs such noticeable reactions. I feel certain that our tendency to be such a literal people explains part of those responses to EATING JESUS, but then I read scripture like we have today and I realize reactions like I have experienced to my use of that phrase have been gong on for quite some time.
Now, I know none of us were actually there when 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.” Yet amazingly, the reaction of his audience is quite similar to the peoples’ reaction all four times I have taught the study on Food & Faith. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” sounds a lot like, “what are you talking about… EATING JESUS?” doesn’t it?
The thing is… I get it. Jesus’ words here are initially shocking, especially considering the fact that most of us hear literally and if we weren’t shocked by a literal interpretation of “unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood you have no life” then I would be worried. The question, then, is whether or not we might be open to going beyond such a literal hearing so that we can begin asking some questions. Questions that might take us to places we have never been before. Questions that might open our minds to a deeper, broader and more expansive understanding of Jesus’ teaching found in this text. Questions that might at first feel scary but could actually serve to liberate and transform us into the followers of The Way we strive to be.
No matter what, I want to encourage each of you to think about the questions you yourself might ask when reading or hearing this story. I encourage each of you to do that because I believe in the asking of questions, especially when confronted with stories like the one today. I also encourage you to ask questions because I’m not real sure the church has historically been good at doing that, and I believe it is critical to any exploration of faith. Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions because I believe the whole community can benefit when its members are willing to probe… are willing to explore… are willing to discover.
Regarding this text, someone here might ask if Jesus is teaching about the Last Supper. A great question I believe, as Jesus is talking about the elements of Communion. The interesting thing though is that this Gospel, John’s Gospel doesn’t actually describe the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. Not in today’s reading… not anywhere in the entire Gospel. Now, I don’t know about you, but I find this quite fascinating because whenever I hear bread and wine in a religious context, my mind initially takes me to Communion. So, what am I to do if Jesus’ teaching about bread and wine in this story is not entirely about his Last Supper with his disciples? Well, if I am willing to pursue a more expansive understanding, then my eyes just might start to open to a whole new way of relating to all of creation. A way that teaches me about how interconnected everything is to everything else. A way that teaches me about abiding Love, and how that abiding Love can transform me.
By calling Jesus the bread of life, and then by instructing people to chomp and chew (trogon) on this bread, John’s gospel is introducing people to a kind of eating in which abiding is possible, even transformative. By calling Jesus the bread of life and instructing us to chomp and chew, we are being introduced to a new type of eating. Instead of eating so that the other is absorbed into me so that I can live, this new type of eating not only absorbs the other, but more importantly it remembers and hosts the other.
In this second kind of eating we invite and welcome the other into our imagination, and in the process become transformed from within.
This second form of eating (feeding on Jesus and being transformed) challenges us to relate to others in a new way. Rather than absorbing the other to suit our personal needs and satisfactions, eaters of Jesus are invited to extend his ministries of attention and welcome, feeding, forgiving, healing and reconciliation. As a result of this type of eating, we become participants in his life and he becomes a participant in our life. To eat in this way is to enact meaningful relationships whose purpose is life forever. Its these meaningful relationships that allow people to share in the DIVINE TRINITARIAN LIFE that creates, sustains, and fulfills creation.
.
Eating this “bread of life” is to call on Jesus and invite him to transform what we are doing together. Eating this “bread of life” is to become a host to God’s ongoing presence in the world. Eating this “bread of life” is to choose relationship building, not destruction. Eating this “bread of life” is to choose to serve others over serving self. Eating this “bread of life” is to join in the story of creation and live forever. Eating this “bread of life” invites us to give our lives to each other, to turn ourselves into food for others because this is how we nurture and strengthen all life.
So, my brothers and sisters, may we EAT JESUS. May we eat this “bread of life” and in so doing may our lives be transformed into lives of self-offering instead of self-giving. Lives that abide in him and him in us so that we will live forever.
Amen!
