|
This Sunday morning's--August 20, 2006--Gospel reading was from St. John 6. The subject I had never heard taught or preached, indeed, never heard referred to in a Worship setting. No wonder. What are we Protestants going to do with such Eucharistic passages as Jesus referring to our having to eat his flesh and drink his blood to have Life. Jesus says, "... the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (v. 51, ESV). And, the text continues:
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever" (vv. 52-58, ESV).
I am touched deeply, this day, by this passage. This passage speaks to me of the essence of the Christian faith, of my faith in Christ. Jesus says, "I give myself to you, all of me." Is it not palpable, intimate, this placing food and drink into my mouth, assimilating it? Does it not become one with me? Am I not to receive it as a gift? Then, is not Jesus saying that I am to receive as a gift his whole being, thereby becoming one with him?
Then, I must reply, likewise, by giving myself. For, how can he become one with me, unless I give myself to become one with him? And, I must do this daily, maybe many times daily. The passage says to me that I do not eat once of the flesh and drink once of the blood. No, I keep eating and keep drinking. I keep becoming one with Christ, Christ keeps becoming one with me.
This eating and drinking of Christ is Eucharistic. While I do not drink and eat of Jesus literally, I do really. Being one with Jesus Christ, I am the Eucharist. I partake of Christ. Christ partakes of me. Our partaking is a single partaking. This is the essence of the Christian life. Without this Reality in my life, I would not find in Christianity sufficient cause to call myself a Christian. I call myself a Christian only because of this Intimacy with the Living, Mystical Christ. This is Love. This is the only thing worth giving my life to live and die for. This deserves my all.
Reflection
What is the essence of Christianity to you? Explain.
Do you enjoy intimacy with Christ? Explain.
*Written August 20, PM, Lee, FL.
|
