Sunday, August 11, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
John 6:35, 41–51

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 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.” (NRSV)

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Reflection

I have sometimes been asked, “Which of the two sacraments is your favorite?” For me, it is communion. I like the way we gather in community and express our connection to Jesus together through the bread and wine (or juice for most of us Presbyterians).

Our Catholic siblings believe that the bread, or the “host,” is literally the flesh of Jesus. This belief is rooted in the doctrine of transubstantiation, which holds that during Mass, the bread and wine are transformed into the actual body and blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, even though they retain the appearances of bread and wine. We Protestants believe that the bread and wine are symbolic and a remembrance of Jesus.

Whether literally the flesh of Jesus or a symbolic memorial of Jesus, we are connected with Jesus when we celebrate communion.

In verse 35, Jesus proclaims that he is the bread of life. The crowds he was preaching to had a difficult time understanding this. Wait a minute, they are saying, we know who you are. We know who your mother and father are. How on earth can you tell us and expect us to believe that bread is from God and that you are the bread that will give us life?

Like them, do we have limiting preconceptions that prevent us from truly seeing Jesus as our spiritual food? Communion reminds us that faith is both a gift and a choice. God gives us the gift and draws us toward Christ; however, we must respond in belief. We must embrace the belief that Jesus gave his flesh for the life of the world.

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Prayer
Holy God, thank you for the gift you gave us in Jesus. Thank you for bread. And thank you for communion where we embrace the life you are calling us to through Jesus. Amen.

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Written by Anthony Hipp, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church  

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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