Choosing to Eat

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" - John 6:53

In Church during the Eucharist (Communion), watching members move orderly forward, kneel, and partake of the bread and wine, a thought again comes to mind.

Being in Christ is more than listening to a sermon and pondering truth, there comes a time for commitment - a choice to eat and make it mine.

- fritz

Swinging Pendulums

"Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." - Jesus (Matthew 19:27b-30)

Jesus daily encountered a literalist mindset. When he told the crowd he was the real bread from heaven, that they had to eat his body and drink his blood, they went wild thinking he was implementing a new form of cannibalism. The context of his statement clearly showed otherwise.¹

We, in our culture, have swung the other way to the point we don't take anything he says literally.

Jesus taught there is an actual, touchable, noticeable change coming to this world - what he called "the regeneration". Those who "spiritualize" this miss the point of why we remain here in this life; why we continue to have struggles and work through our problems.

Jesus is taking real human beings as leadership material and engaging them in an apprenticeship program. We who follow Christ were chosen to have real responsibilities in that coming renewal. All the apostles knew this and believed it literally.

"It is a faithful saying: ... If we suffer, we shall also reign with him..." - 2nd Timothy 2:11a, 12b

Don't spiritualize it to the point of irrelevance; live like it, expect it. Appreciate the privilege!

- fritz

^{1 - John 6:30-60}

Offence not always the wrong course of action...

These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? ....And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. - John 6:59-60, 65-66 (KJV)

Many church going Christians have expressed concern about being too open and too bold about their faith saying they don't want to be responsible for driving people away from Christ.

While we should not be obnoxious, the fear of something we say or do driving people away from Christ is, perhaps, unfounded. Someone taking offence at something we say or do may not mean we did something wrong; perhaps it means we did something exactly right.

We could be left being more concerned than Jesus about who came to him and who didn't. We shouldn't hide our light under a bushel (Matthew 5:15) because someone may get angry and refuse to come to it.

Sometimes our stated concern about not wanting to push someone away from Christ is really a concern about them pushing away from us and the possible consequences to ourselves rather than to the cause of Christ.

- Fritz.

Hung up on the small stuff

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst....And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. - John 6:35, 40-41 (KJV)

Jesus' hearers got all bent out of shape about Jesus saying he was the Bread of Heaven (like the Mana in the Old Testament) and one should "eat his flesh" and "drink his blood", never noticing or addressing the fact that Jesus said on the last day, he would be the one to raise the dead!

Which is most important to notice - a metaphor about bread and water, or realizing who's voice you will hear on that last day?

Belief can be hard work!

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. - John 6:27-29 (KJV)

Most of us understand work (labor), we go to work every day and work most of the day; day in and day out. I make it my daily choice to go to work and I stay through sometimes difficult experiences - Why? Personally, I like the paycheck.

Jesus, using the metaphor of work, points out what we should do in our Faith saying, "Don't work for perishable food, but for eternal food".

The Natural question they asked: What is this work? Answer: Belief on Jesus and His word.

Jesus said the results (paycheck?) would be something that endured forever. That end result he is saying to "work" for doesn't start at death it starts now and extends through death and beyond. It is the gift of God, that "living water" Jesus told the woman at the well (John 3), and that "living bread" Jesus tells these.

Could believing be hard work?

Sure it can! When tragedy strikes and the heavens seem like brass, you bet it's work! The Bible tells us all things work together to the good of those who love God and called to His purposes(Romans 8:28). We have to choose to believe that like we have to choose to go to work when we don't feel like it, or like we choose to not quit our jobs when things don't go our way.

When prayers don't see an immediate result, sure it's work! Jesus says that God answers prayer (Mark 11:24) but it is hard "work" to believe that sometimes.

Paul uses the metaphor of sowing and reaping saying we reap if we don't faint ahead of time (Galatians 6:9). As the old song says, Sowing with weeping, reaping with joy.

When events don't go like it seems they should, or the way we just knew was right turns out to be wrong it's work to hold steady and believe God is actively in control, is ultimately bringing this world to a wonderful conclusion, and shall personally guide our steps; ever notice what Jesus said to Pontious Pilot when death was staring him in the face?

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above... - John 19:11 (KJV)

Yes I know salvation is a gift and not by "works", but Jesus is using the analogy here and so will I - We go to work every day for perishable food, let's go to "work" each day for the imperishable food of wonderful and eternal life in Christ by choosing to believe his word, trust his promises, and lean on His grace. Periodically we get a spiritual paycheck along the way that reminds us it is all worthwhile.

- Fritz.