Q. But what's the third thing you had in mind?
A. Well after He continued to insist on His disciples eating His flesh and drinking His blood, they objected in hushed tones - what St. John captures as "...his disciples murmured at it..." (Jn 6:61) And Jesus, well aware of the difficulty his listeners had at accepting His words as literally true proceeds to ask them "Do you take offense at this?"
Q. Let me cut you short there and ask you your opinion: why did the Jews object to Jesus words? I find it curious. Why this disgruntled reaction to these words and not a whimper when He spoke of Himself as the door or as the true vine?
A. Instead of my opinion may I vouch what the Church herself proposes since the first century?
Q. Sure!
A. The difference was that in the discourse on eating His flesh and drinking His blood, the Jews there understood Him literally. In the other cases they didn't. In the other cases they understood Him metaphorically. And from the sacred texts, from what the Apostles themselves later taught, from what the earliest Christians wrote outside of Sacred Scripture about how they lived their Christian faith, this is the unanimous position.
But also if you think about it just for a moment: why would the Jews object if He meant to eat His flesh and drink His blood in a metaphorical sense?
Q. Apostles taught, early Christians wrote outside Scripture? I'll hold you to that in a bit. First let me take you back to your third point... You mentioned Jesus did three things when the Jews reacted with shock and incredulity. You mentioned the first two. What's the third?
A. Oh yes!
So after the Christ insists on His listeners eating His flesh and drinking His blood, the Jews just can't take it any more. This guy, it seemed, had been walking a bit too long in the sun. He's lost it! Jesus stands His ground: "Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? ... there are some of you that do not believe." (Jn 6:61-62, 64)
The Jews are unconvinced. There is no way this guy can give us his body and blood! But Jesus did not budge. And slowly His listeners realised they had to make a decision. And decide they did: "After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him." (Jn 6:66)
To be continued...
Happy Sunday! 🎉
30th October 2016