Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60–71 

 

 In the beginning of chapter 6 of St. John's Gospel, we read of the feeding of the five thousand in the wilderness. Following that, the people who were fed wished to take Jesus by force and make Him king.  Later the same people had followed Him to Capernaum, where He has been teaching about the true bread of life.  Yesterday we read that the religious leaders and their allies therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.  

 

  Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.   We've been reading throughout the chapter of Christ's discourse regarding the true bread from heaven which grants eternal life.  He has been disputing with those who oppose Him in the synagogue at Capernaum.   Here the Gospel records that even Christ's disciples took His teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and many walked with Him no more.  My study Bible comments that to this day, there are still those who reject Christ's own words concerning the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood, and thus do not walk in His teaching.  It notes that because of the difficulty of grasping the depth of this Mystery, many attempt either to define its nature rationally or to explain away Christ's words altogether, giving them a purely metaphorical meaning.  My study Bible concludes that either extreme is dubious.  It tells us that to reject this sacramental teaching is to reject the witness of the Scriptures, as well as the unanimous teaching of the Church throughout History.  

 

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here is the appearance of St. Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, as it is given to us in St. John's Gospel.  As in the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus has taught in the discourse preceding St. Peter's confession, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me" (in Saturday's reading).  This teaching is in alignment with Christ's response to St. Peter's confession in the Synoptic Gospels, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17).  St. Peter's answer here, in fact, emphasizes Christ's entire discourse referring to Himself as the bread from heaven, and that which gives everlasting life.  For His response is the answer that defines Christianity itself.  My study Bible states that St. Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, prevents the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  Such a position excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  Also, St. Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, my study Bible says, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," from the Greek, and is equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."

 

Jesus' uniqueness, as my study Bible notes, is of paramount importance in terms of St. Peter's confession, but also concerning the entire trajectory of Christ's teachings about His Body and Blood in chapter 6 of St. John's Gospel.   In yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus taught, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."  This statement simply begs us to ask the question, who else but the unique Son of God could make such a claim?  Had Jesus been a human being like the rest of us, and not the incarnate Son of God, how could it be possible to be granted eternal life?  For it is the Incarnation itself that makes this possible, that human flesh touched by divinity becomes that which heals and offers this everlasting life -- life abundantly -- to us.  As He makes clear about the Eucharist throughout this chapter, it is through our participation in Christ's life that this is made possible for us.  Thus we may abide in Him and He in us ("He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" - John 6:56).  All of this fits cohesively with Christ's teaching, "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6), for His identity is uniquely suited for this possibility.  There could be no Eucharist without Christ, and without Him there would be no comparable Crucifixion as an act of giving one's flesh for the life of the world ("I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" - John 6:51).  The entire sixth chapter of St. John's Gospel has given us reason and rhyme and meaning and explicit statements regarding the intention of the Eucharist, how it will come about, and what it is for.  For all the dimensions of healing, restoration, and substantive growth, and all the ways in which we may benefit from it through faith tell the whole history of the Church, whose fullness continues to unfold.  Let us hold tightly this understanding in our hearts, and ponder this gift from the Giver, savoring the promise only His very uniqueness can give.  For only He is the Son of God, made incarnate in our world, for the life of the world.  

 

 

 

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And he said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it had been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  

 

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60–71 

 

This week we have been reading chapter 6 of John's Gospel, in which the eucharistic concepts of Christ as the bread of heaven, and also the sacrifice He will make on the Cross have been introduced.  Yesterday's text told us that the Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

  Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And he said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it had been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  My study Bible comments here that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and many walked with Him no more.  To this day, there are still those who reject Christ's own words concerning this sacramental eating of His Body and drinking His Blood, and so do not walk in His teaching.  My study Bible further notes that because of the difficulty of grasping the depth of this Mystery, many attempt to define its nature in a rational way, or to explain away His words completely, giving them simply a metaphorical meaning.  But either extreme is dubious.  To reject this sacramental teaching is to reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church through its history.  

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here is St. Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ as it appears in John's Gospel, within the context of other disciples turning away because of His hard saying on His Body and Blood (see above).  Let us note also the injection here of the note of betrayal, even among Christ's most intimate set of disciples, the twelve.  

For the first time in John's Gospel, the note of betrayal to come is mentioned.  Here, after a long discourse on Himself as the bread of life, and the bread which came down from heaven, Jesus finally interjects the truth about how His Crucifixion will come about -- the means by which He will give His flesh for the life of the world (see yesterday's reading, above).  Perhaps it is most noteworthy that just as other disciples desert Him for his hard saying about His Body and Blood, so it is at this time that Peter's faith is not simply crystalized, but the confession of faith (on behalf of the twelve as well) is made -- that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.  John's emphasis is important and interesting.  Not only is Jesus the Son of the living God, with its emphasis on the power of life itself, but Peter's confession is also one about the very words Jesus offers to them and to the world.  His are the words of eternal life.  In the following chapter of John's Gospel, the temple officers are sent to arrest Jesus, but are unable to do so.  When asked by the religious authorities why they have failed, the officers reply, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  As this Gospel begins with the teaching that Jesus is Logos, the Word, so we understand that in His very words is the power of eternal life also.  As Jesus says, "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak" (John 12:49-50).  The power in His very words is the power of eternal life, rooted in the Source of all, God the Father.  Let us note once again that all things are determined through our response to these words of eternal life:  just as other disciples turn away, so Peter makes his confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ.  And just as this confession is heard on behalf of the twelve, so Jesus introduces the fact of betrayal among them, calling the one who will betray him a devil, indicating that in that betrayal is the power of the spiritual forces that oppose Him.  As we go through Lent, we head toward Holy Week and the story of the Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection of our Lord.  As Jesus informs the disciples about the betrayal to come (which they no doubt scarcely can comprehend), let us take into account what we know about that betrayal, that it is through Christ's death that the devil and death itself will be defeated, for all of us.  So let us also ponder that no circumstance can keep us from the love of God, nor from God's work in us and in the world.  Our present lectionary readings also give us selections from St. Paul's letter to the Romans.  Let us read his words:  "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . .  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39).  Neither will betrayal by a devil; for with God not only are all things possible, but for God's purposes all things may be used (see Romans 8:28).  When we see tribulation in our own times and in our lives, let us remember that God has a place and a way for us with which to meet all things.  We can say with St. Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you also want to go away?

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  

 

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60-71 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus spoke of Himself as the bread of heaven, the religious leaders in the synagogue quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

  Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  My study Bible comments that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and so many walked with Him no more.  It comments that still to this day, many reject Christ's words concerning the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood, and so do not walk in this teaching.  It says that because of the difficulty of grasping the depth of this Mystery, many seek to define its nature rationally, or to explain His words by casting them as metaphor.  But either extreme is risky; to reject the sacramental nature of it is to reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church throughout history.  

 

 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here is the power of confession, at a time when others fall away.  In John's Gospel, Peter's confession comes in response to Jesus' question, "Do you also want to go away?"  He asks a question in return, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" and expresses the remarkable finding of faith:  "You have the words of eternal life."  Note that Peter speaks for all of the apostles here, and in His confession, "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  My study Bible comments that to name Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God distinguishes Christianity from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  It adds that this position excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."

 

Let us note the unusual turning of the hearts of people given to us in today's text.   As Jesus reveals that "the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life," there are many who fall away, because they cannot accept the "hard saying."    We are told that many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.   Jesus has His own pronouncement on this:  "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."   So we are to notice this spiritual connection between the Father, the words of Christ, and faith.  There are those who cannot "walk" with Him any longer past this point.  But then Jesus turns to the twelve:  "Do you also want to go away?"  And Peter responds with his confession, and evidence not of turning away, but the opposite; that is, a deepening of faith, a deeper grasp of the reality of Christ.  In an echo of Jesus' own teaching that His words are spirit and they are life, Peter says, "You have the words of eternal life."  And this in turn leads to his confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.  As we noted above, Peter's statements here are made on behalf of all the twelve, as he speaks in the plural "we."  Of course, the text also notes that Jesus is aware one of them will betray Him, as are the hearers of the Gospel.  So couched in today's reading, and in the context of the whole of chapter 6, are important indicators of the movement of faith in the hearts of people.  Some move away.  Some have never believed, but have instead demanded a sign in order to be convinced.  These are the ones who wanted to make Him king after they were fed in the wilderness, but He taught them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes...."  Some have simply complained against Him and criticized Him (the religious leaders in the synagogue),  Now in today's reading, there are many disciples who no longer "walk" with Him, because they simply cannot hear His words, they cannot grasp His teaching on His Body and Blood.  Jesus speaks of those given Him by the Father, clearly indicating that those who cannot continue this journey of faith any further (or perhaps we could also say 'any deeper') are not included among them.  So, our faith doesn't come simply because others believe, nor is it based solely on signs, nor some form of intellectual acceptance.  But there is a powerful key in His teaching that His words "are spirit and they are life," that Peter says He has the "words of eternal life," and that He is the "Son of the living God."  For spirit and life are intertwined here, necessary for faith and the deepening of that faith, the continuing journey the disciples are on.  They are intertwined also with the "living God" who is the One who gives all to Christ who are truly is -- and those who cannot go further in faith are not among them.  For we have this working of spiritual reality among us, and the action of Father, Son, and Spirit cannot be excluded from this understanding and connection.  For faith and community go hand in hand, and there is the power of spirit and life to be grasped in faith.  We know that the disciples who continued Him did not understand all that He taught, but faith in Christ is more than intellectual understanding.  It is trust in Him, and the compehension that despite mystery, His words are "spirit and life."  For most of the world's denominations, today is the feast day of the Annunciation, the time when Mary was told by the angel that she would give birth to a Son.  If we look carefully at Luke 1:26-38, we can see some similar elements there that we pick up in today's reading.  There is the spiritual action of the angel Gabriel, sent by God to Mary with an announcement, special words that also convey spirit and life, teaching her that she is blessed among women, and that "the Lord is with you."  Mary doubts, asking, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  But the angel replies, again bringing in the power of the Holy Spirit working among human beings, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."  Gabriel also teaches about the child coming to her elderly cousin Elizabeth, and adds, "For with God nothing will be impossible."  Mary responds with faith, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."  She responds to the words of spirit and life, and her faith will sustain her through all the rest that is to come, even the pain of losing her Son in such a way as will come.  In John's Gospel, we have yet another reference to Christ's words of spirit and life, and what an impact they make, when the temple officers, sent to arrest Jesus, are unable to do so.  When they are subsequently questioned about this, they simply reply, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  (John 7:45-47).  Even they were able to hear and grasp what most of the leaders could not, responding to the "spirit and life" in Christ's words.  Let us consider today the Annunciation and Mary's faith, and that deepening journey of faith that is asked of us when we are invited by God to know the Christ.  For this is indeed a continuing walk, a path that threads throughout our lives and their difficulties and joys.  It will try our faith, our trust, and we will come to new roadblocks that seem to defy all logic and meaning, asking us to grasp yet more deeply the spirit and life in His word and teaching, and find what they mean to us.  For this is the journey we see in the Gospels, and it is also ours.  In Greek, the Annunciation is called "Evangelismos/Ευαγγελισμος" -- the same word that means gospel, literally "good news."  Let us take heed how we hear, and grasp hold of the spirit and life in His words as we go forward in this journey and walk with Him and all the rest who've come thus far.

 

 

 

 

 

The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60–71 

 

 

Yesterday we read that the leaders of the synagogue in Capernaum quarreled among themselves regarding Jesus' teaching, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.   My study Bible comments that even Christ's disciples took His teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and many walked with Him no more.  There are still those, it says, who reject Christ's words concerning the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood.  This is a highly difficult Mystery to grasp, and many have attempted to define it rationally or to explain it away as purely metaphorical.  (See yesterday's commentary in which we discussed what the sense of "Mystical" means.)   My study Bible comments that either extreme is dubious; to reject Christ's sacramental teaching is to reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church throughout history.  

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.   Here in John's Gospel, we have Peter's confession in the light of the words and teachings of Christ:  "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."   My study Bible comments that Peter's understanding that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  

In today's reading, Jesus repeats His teaching from Saturday's reading ("No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him"), saying, "Therefore I have said no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."   But coupled with this teaching is a new element, which we might say in some sense characterizes John's Gospel, and that is the life of the Spirit.   In Matthew's Gospel, when Peter makes His confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus tells him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (see Matthew 16:16-18).   This therefore underscores Jesus' repeated teachings in our recent readings that no one can come to Him unless drawn by the Father; we are only capable of knowing Christ through a desire for God in the heart.  But here, the vivifying, living reality of the Spirit is also given to us in both St. Peter's words and in Christ's teachings.  Jesus says, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."  And St. Peter affirms the human perspective that grasps for such a living reality where it is met:  "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."  So, in a sense, there is a theophany, or revelation of God -- Father, Son, and Spirit -- in today's reading.   Here in John's Gospel, as contrasted with Matthew, Peter's confession of faith includes this working of the Spirit, in the "words of eternal life" which Jesus says are "spirit" and "life."  Therefore,  Father, Son, and Spirit are inseparable also from Peter's confession of faith.   Perhaps it is that John's Gospel is the last of the Gospels to be written, and reflects the illumined understanding in the experiences of the early Church, and the unfolding of the work of the Spirit that informs it.  It is distinguished through Christ's words and teachings, and through Peter's confession, that the role of the Spirit is also inseparable from how we experience faith and how we grow in that faith, and this is the experience of the early Church as reflected here.  The Father draws us and makes possible our capacity to know Christ as Son, and His words are spirit and life.  And we, like Peter, are also drawn by His words, for nobody else has the words of eternal life.  We can look around and ask ourselves, where else shall we go?  Who else has the words of eternal life?  In the literature of the world, we can search and find, no matter the beauty, or the inspiration, or the sublime quality we find elsewhere, none has had the impact of Christ's words -- so that even those who quote wisdom often don't realize they are quoting the teachings of Christ.   Jesus brings together Father, Son, and Spirit -- and together they are met in us, with us.  For we, like Peter, are given these words of eternal life, and Father, Son, and Spirit work in us to help us to come to faith and to grow in that faith through time and through their communion.  Let us accept the power of His words, the light and the life that are in them, and understand.

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they hard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.   And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60–71 

 

Yesterday we read that those in the synagogue at Capernaum therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These sayings He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they hard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.   And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.   My study Bible comments that the text tells us that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and many walked with Him no more.  It notes that to this day, there are still those who reject Christ's own words concerning the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood, and thus do not walk in His teaching.  There is a great difficulty in grasping the depth of this Mystery -- and perhaps even the notion of Mystery itself.  Many attempt either to define its nature rationally or, on the other hand, to explain away Christ's words altogether, and give them only a metaphorical meaning.  But my study Bible comments that either extreme is dubious; to reject this sacramental teaching is to reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church throughout history.  In the Orthodox churches, Christ's words regarding His Body and Blood have always been accepted as true, as Justin Martyr writes, "that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from Him is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus."  This is a mystical truth; like so much of Scripture itself, it cannot be explained away only as symbolism nor taken in terms of literal earthly understanding.

 

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here is Peter's confession of faith in John's Gospel.  There are two important parts to it:  that Jesus has the words of eternal life, and that, as spokesman for all the disciples, Peter says, "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  My study Bible remarks that Peter's answer prevents the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality, as it names Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God.  This excludes compromise with other religious systems; this can only be achieved by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3, Matthew 16:17), not human reason.  

Simon Peter replies to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."   And so it might be with us, who live and believe so many centuries later.  Where else will we go?  Who else has these words of eternal life?  Where else do we hear the word that makes our heart burn as with a flame except in these Gospels, the word of Christ, as His words did to the disciples on the road to Emmaus?   (See Luke 24:32.)   Jesus says, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."  When we step into Scripture, and especially into the words of Christ, we step into a place which the Spirit must help us to understand; and yet, it is the Spirit that gives life, as we say in the Creed ("the Lord, the Holy Spirit, the giver of life").  Even when it is hard to have faith in the face of what we experience in life, even when it is hard to believe given our limited understanding, these words of eternal life grasp us in places we didn't know we had, deep inside our hearts, in our souls.  And the words of St. Peter remain true, there is nothing that equals the power and effect on the heart of what we read in Scripture.   We have repeatedly quoted from St. Augustine's commentary on this chapter, and let us do so again.  He writes that Christ teaches us that even the act of believing is a gift and not a matter of merit.  Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God'."  St. Augustine points out that this is more literally read, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me drags him," and this is quite true, to "drag" or pull is the meaning of the word in Greek, a compelling drawing power.  It means to attract, in the sense that a magnet attracts and draws iron alloys to itself.  St. Augustine writes, "This violence happens to the heart, not to the flesh. So why be surprised? Believe, and you come; love, and you are dragged. Do not regard this violence as harsh and irksome; on the contrary, it is sweet and pleasant. It is the very pleasantness of the thing that drags you to it."  And so, the words of life contain Father, Son, and Spirit, and we respond in our heart and soul.  Whether or not we fully understand, there is a part of us that responds with a kind of flame inside of us, and we are taken along on this journey of faith.  It is not Christ who must conform to us, but ultimately we who conform to Christ, we who are conquered by love and the power of love -- and that is really the power in the words of eternal life.  That is why we put our trust in Him, especially when there is nowhere else to place it.  This is Peter's faith, and we may have the grace to find it in us, in the heart that responds to His word.  We should not think we are so different from the disciples nor that we live in such a different time:  there was a dizzying array of belief systems and philosophies in the ancient world into which Christ came.  But there remains only One with the words of eternal life that touch hearts around the world.

 

 

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60–71 

 

Yesterday we read that the leaders in the synagogue quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

  Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  My study bible points out that even Christ's disciples took His teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and many walked with Him no more.  It states that to this day, there are still those who reject Christ's own words concerning the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood, and therefore do not walk in His teaching.  There is a great difficulty in grasping the depth of this Mystery, and so there have been many attempts to rationally define its nature, or to explain away His words as purely metaphor.  But my study bible says that either extreme is dubious.  When one rejects a sacramental teaching, it becomes, in effect, a rejection of the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church throughout history.  

But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.   It is an interesting way in which this confession of faith by Peter is spoken in this particular Gospel.  Peter's words single out Christ for His compelling testimony which can't be found elsewhere.  In John's Gospel, this remarkable confession on Peter's part also singles out the betrayal that will come.  

If Jesus has the words of eternal life, where else shall we go, after all?  Peter's comment reminds of the story in Luke of the disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).  After sitting down to eat with the stranger they meet, we're told:  Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.  So Christ was known to them, as is often pointed out, in the breaking of the bread.  But my notice is directed to the words the disciples say to one another, once they realize and He's vanished from them:  "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"   This is, to my mind, an echo of Peter's words in today's reading:  "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."  Who else can create that energy in the heart?  Who else has living words that reach down deep into a place for which we have no plumb line?  Who else has the words of eternal life that reflect and touch us and highlight what we need, and tomorrow will spark another thought that helps us through, and thirty years from now, and even two millennia after they were first spoken?  Who else has such words that are a burning fire that doesn't consume but enlivens our lives when nothing else does?  There is just one place, one Person, to whom we can go.  We may not know it, and take a lifetime's journey wandering to find some peace, some place where we can rest and trust, but all so that we come back home and realize that what we needed was always there, but we had to find it.   This was my journey:  I studied and looked and explored and all that work led me right back home, to the place of the words of eternal life -- but more importantly, to the One who has those words, in whom I could ultimately really trust when all else failed.  It's not that I left home behind, but I needed to find out for myself.  Perhaps, a little like the wandering Israelites, I needed to work through my confusion and misreading and misunderstanding to come back to where the treasure was hiding all along.   So Peter's words are the words of the disciples going toward Emmaus who think they've lost their Master, and they are the words of the Prodigal, too (Luke 15:11-32).  We return to the One who has the words of eternal life, who is the very living Word.  We return to the place where the One who emptied Himself to us abides in us, and we in Him.  It is those living words, the words of eternal life, which have no end and never cease to give, where we find we hunger and thirst no more -- or perhaps that they always have more to give us to meet our need.  To whom shall we go?  For here with Him is truly home.

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."   From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

- John 6:60-71

On Thursday we read that Jesus taught, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."   Yesterday's reading taught us that after this the leadership quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."   From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.   The mystical reality of the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ is indeed a difficult teaching to grasp!  But nevertheless, this is the teaching that we are given.  Even His disciples took it as a hard saying, and many walked with Him no more.   Among those who read this blog, there may be many who reject the Mystery of this sacrament.  Over time, there have been attempts to rationally define its nature, or on the other hand to give Jesus' words a purely metaphorical meaning.  But given the repetition and explicit implication of Jesus' teaching throughout this chapter of John, both become remote.  In the witness of the Scriptures there is a different indication, and also the teaching of the Church throughout its history.   From the earliest times of the Church, the Greek word eucharist ("thanks") served as the root which referred both to the Liturgy and sacrament of Communion.   We note also Jesus' repetition of the teaching that "no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."   Father, Son, and Spirit work together within us and in our lives of faith -- and that includes the Mystery of the Eucharist.

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  This is the great moment of the confession of faith, in which Peter clearly speaks for all the Twelve.   Peter's statement, as Jesus says in Matthew's reporting of this confession, comes via revelation through faith. ("Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven," Matthew 16:17; see also 1 Corinthians 12:3.)  To confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God is to affirm His uniqueness as Messiah and Son.  We also note the presence of the one who will betray Him here, whom in John's telling, Jesus openly points out was chosen by Him, and is a devil.  The note of betrayal from within is another sign of the difficulties and struggles for this faith.  By the time of the writing of this Gospel, persecution was fierce.

The mysteries of faith involve deep struggles.  One may find oneself content in the spiritual life, but the events of life come into play and ask for some sort of reconciliation in our own spiritual understanding.  These may be grand, worldly events.  Oftentimes they are personal events and obstacles to the things we thought were good or that we wanted for ourselves or someone else.  But the examples we have of faith are right before us, with perhaps the greatest obstacle and struggles imaginable.  Jesus says, right after Peter's confession of faith as many disciples turn away, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  This indication of betrayal, I would imagine, is rather devastating to hear.  How is it possible that the One who knows hearts and minds and thoughts of others has chosen one who will betray Him?  How is it possible that Jesus is truly "the Christ, the Son of the living God" -- and yet will be betrayed?  How is it possible that with God's power, this mission will seemingly not succeed?  All the events of the Passion are yet to come, but clearly there are signs that the authorities are not only skeptical but wary of Jesus.  Considering the expectations of the Messiah, that Messiah would be a worldly king leading Israel into all good things, this is a perplexing and devastating crisis indeed.  But "expectations" are often the key to overcoming crises in our lives, and that goes in particular for spiritual crises.  What is it we base our understanding on?  Are we of limited experience and knowledge when it comes to the things of Mystery?  Quite obviously, we are.  This central mystery of the rejection of Christ becomes the scandal of the early Church:  the "stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles"  (Corinthians 1:23).   But in each crisis there are seeds of growth, new opening and new understanding.  It is we who need to shift and change expectations, to open up to new possibilities that we hadn't understood nor considered.  Later on in John's Gospel, Jesus will teach, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain" (12:24).  There is a reason why expectations fall apart and die.  When we turn to our faith, and particularly to the Mystery that is always going to be present in our faith, we will find answers that only suggest themselves because our own limited understanding has come somehow crashing down.  Life, and particularly the life of faith, is always a journey.  Christ beckons us forward with a struggle, not a simple and easy path that conforms to all our worldly expectations of what life should be about.  He asks of us growth, endurance, persistence, and wakefulness.  That is, eyes wide open to the here and now, remembering that we are to be His good servants, always ready for His knock.  In the life of faith, we are conformed to an image He creates, not the one we make of ourselves.  It is Christ who has the words of eternal life.  Therein is Mystery, and the mystical life.  Let us remember, and continue on the road He sets for us.

The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

- John 6:60-71

In recent readings in John's Gospel, the current theme began after Jesus fed 5,000 in the wilderness.  The people wanted to make Him King by force, but He escaped them, eventually coming to Capernaum.  The people followed Him there.  He spoke in the synagogue about the food which endures to everlasting life.  He taught them that He is that bread of life. The religious leadership quarreled among themselves, asking, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Jesus taught, "The bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."  In yesterday's reading, He said to them, "Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.   Jesus' difficult sayings have an effect, and He loses disciples:  many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Even His disciples feel this is a hard saying, impossible to understand.  The sacrament of the Eucharist, of the Body and Blood of Christ remains a profound Mystery that is still disputed in different ways, be it with rational explanations for the saying or making His teachings purely metaphorical.  The ancient early Church had instituted the Eucharist right away; by the time of the mid-second century Church writings show that it was a core of worship.  It was considered a sacrament and a Mystery, and remains so.  Throughout history, it is part of the witness of Scripture and the unanimous teaching of the Church.

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here is Simon Peter's answer to the ultimate question about Christ's identity.  There is nowhere else to turn, nowhere else to go: He is the one whose words have eternal life.  This is the answer of faith, and the confession of faith.  In the Gospels, it is Peter who speaks for all the disciples.  It is Jesus who brings up -- here at this juncture of a crucial question of faith -- the one who will betray Him, the one without such faith, even one chosen by Himself.

Here we come to a crux in Jesus' teaching, a turning point.  His saying is hard, how are they to understand it?  The sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, of the Eucharist, is still a hard saying, so to speak.  It remains a disputed Mystery.  But perhaps that is just the point.  Faith is not concerned only with the purely rational, but rather with information from Sources far beyond what our understanding of the rational, and of facts at hand, can explain away.  Faith, we remember, really means that we put our trust in something -- or rather in Someone.  And faith works at such a depth in us that it becomes not about choosing which brand of soap we want to use based on "information" we have about its ingredients, but rather about trust, a deeper level of knowledge or information that can't come through purely intellectual understanding.  It involves the heart, the center of who we are.  Moreover it involves our capacity for relationship with Persons who are not 'only' human beings who live on our level of comprehension, but of Divine Persons.  God's full substance or essence isn't comprehensible to us.  We can't understand what it is to be the Son or the Father or the Holy Spirit in the same way we can understand, for instance, who our brother is, or our spouse.  (And here's a mystery about what it really means to be a person:  if you think carefully, you will find that you don't fully know the depth of another person either, no matter how deeply you know them.  As persons, we're not completely quantifiable.  This is part of the nature of personhood which makes us something "like" God and created in God's image.)  Just as we choose to put faith in or trust in certain people, so we have faith in Christ and faith in what He teaches.  Here are His words about eating His flesh and drinking His blood.  We know how He will give His flesh for the life of the world.  We know of His voluntary death on the Cross, and we know of His Resurrection.  But the depth of these mysteries, the mystical reality of the work of God, isn't something we can know fully and rationally.  It isn't something we can prove in a lab -- and it's not something whose meanings and myriad values in our own lives, touching on all kinds of circumstances in which we may find ourselves, we are ever going to exhaust.  This is the nature of Mystery:  it continues to unfold on depths we hadn't suspected even existed.  Even within ourselves and in our own experience of our faith, we won't exhaust the possibilities, for instance, of just how the Cross may uplift us or give us life when we experience something of "death."  Mystery is a crucially important reality to accept even though we can't fully understand it.  There are simply things that any educated and intelligent person of faith must accept to which the answer really is, "I don't know."  It's an important answer that acknowledges not only the limits of our knowledge, but in fact the only answer that acknowledges the fullness of the things we don't know.  It is the only truly wise answer to the fullness of life and existence.  But in faith, we find we're on a voyage of discovery.  It is an internal journey that will involve all the things we experience outside of ourselves as well.  In this Mystery of sacrament we find a depth of relatedness that touches on all things in ourselves:  past, present, and future.  We may find ourselves reviewing old hurts in light of the Cross, and resolving conflicts we hadn't managed to deal with that are years old.  We may find ourselves with the courage to face something we've hidden from ourselves or others.  That is just the nature of Mystery:  it keeps giving what we don't know; it is inexhaustible in its Truth.  Let us accept His words of spirit and life without limiting them.  Let us know and experience the truth of faith, the perception of something so deep within us we don't really know its Source.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who  they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve,and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

- John 6:60-71

As a prologue to today's reading, we need to understand the events of the verses earlier in this chapter of John's Gospel.  First we begin with the feeding in the wilderness (in this case, on the mountaintop) of five thousand men -- and more women and children -- in the reading of this past Friday.   After being fed by Jesus, the crowd wanted to make Him king, but He eluded them.  When they finally caught up with Him, He taught:  "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  When He was asked, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  In Tuesday's reading, Jesus taught, "I am the bread of life" which is the heart of chapter 6.  He continued, "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."  Yesterday, we read that the Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"   As we noted in yesterday's commentary, we can just imagine the impact of Jesus' words on the crowds, and particularly the Jewish religious leadership.  Here, my study bible points out that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His body and Blood as a hard saying, and many of them departed from Him (see verse 66).  It notes, "The Lord Jesus is aware of the thoughts of men."

When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  I think it's important that Jesus turns here to the work of the Spirit, and tells them (and us) that His words are spirit and life.  He's making it clear what His teaching is about, its mystical significance -- and that this is the root of life, the life He is speaking of.

For Jesus knew from the beginning who  they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."   This is, in a sense, another revelation of Trinity, because we have come full circle, again, in Jesus' teaching.  It is the Spirit who gives life; the words He speaks are spirit.  And yet, it is the Father who brings those who will have faith to Jesus.  Father, Son and Spirit, at work with human beings, make this a full circle in Jesus' teaching.  The Spirit gives life, and His words are spirit; but ultimately, Jesus says, faith is granted by the Father at work in us as well.

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve,and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  My study bible suggests that to reject Jesus' teaching on the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood is to walk with Him no more.  Peter's confession, it notes, is a pivotal moment in the life of Peter and the disciples on behalf of whom Peter is speaking here.  But for the first time, a note of betrayal signs itself here among those chosen by Christ -- and also the teaching that Jesus already knows this.

For the first time, we get a sense of disciples falling away, of those who cannot accept Christ's teachings.  First, we get a sense that not everyone will follow Jesus in the ways Jesus desires because the crowd that was fed cannot accept this sign as it was given.  That is, they want to make Him king, and He is not in the world to become king, a political messiah.  Here, His teachings are "too hard" for some of His followers.  They cannot receive the words given in spirit, these teachings about the root of life itself, the life given to us in abundance.  And finally, Jesus openly declares that one of the chosen Twelve "is a devil."   The Greek word for "devil" here comes from a word that is used to mean to backbite or slander, to accuse with malicious intent.  We are reminded of the words from Revelation:  "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie" (22:14-15).   There are some interesting comments by Church Fathers about Jesus' words here.  St. John Chrysostom writes, "See the wisdom of Christ. He neither exposes the traitor nor allows him to remain hidden. In this way, [Judas] is not so publicly humiliated that he becomes more contentious, but Christ also does not embolden him by allowing him to think that his wicked deeds are proceeding undetected" (Homilies on the Gospel of John 47.4.41).  Cyril of Alexandria suggests that by this statement Jesus rouses all the disciples to vigilance and more steadfast faith...  "without saying whom, Jesus brought them all to the contest. And so, with each one dreading the loss of his own soul, Jesus invites them to more careful circumspection" (Commentary on the Gospel of John 4.4.42).  Finally, St. Augustine tells us that those who are evil will use even good things for evil purposes, while the good will use anything -- even evil things --  for good purposes.  "Yet our Lord made a good use of [Judas'] wickedness, allowing himself to be betrayed so that he might redeem us.… If God employs the evil works of the devil himself for good, whatever the evil person does by making bad use of God’s good gifts only hurts himself. It in no way contradicts the goodness of God"  (Tractates on the Gospel of John 27.10.44).   As Jesus has been introducing us to the mysteries of life, to the life He offers us with love, we are also reminded that we don't live in a perfect world.  Each one of us, I daresay, has things to contend with that are difficult, and perhaps seemingly insurmountable.  But the Fathers I've cited above give us a better understanding of just how this life works; there is more to the story.  And so, even the way things will unfold is also a part of that life in abundance, that more that Jesus is offering us.  A life of faith isn't necessarily easy, nor is it simple.  It takes into account the things that are of this world.  But it offers us a way to go forward in that life, a deeper life of faith ahead, and perhaps like the disciples, more vigilance.  Let us consider all the things the fullness of Christ's life opens to us, and His words that are spirit and life.

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?" What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

- John 6:60-71

In recent readings, we began with the sign of the feeding of five thousand men on the mountaintop. After this, the crowd wishes to make Him king, so He eluded them and went back up on the mountaintop. His disciples set sail across the Sea of Galilee for Capernaum. In the night, the wind blew fiercely and the sea was so rough the disciples feared they would drown. He came to them walking on the water, saying, "It is I; do not be afraid." Later at Capernaum, the crowds wondered how He arrived there. He told them they wished to make Him king not because they saw a sign, but because they were filled. He told them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life." This work of God is faith; He told them: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." They asked for a sign, and spoke of the manna given by Moses to their ancestors. Jesus said, "My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." He said, "I am the bread of life." He was criticized by those who knew His father and mother. He told them, "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me . . . he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life." He told them, "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." In yesterday's reading, we read that many argued over these sayings. Jesus taught, "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats 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 he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?" What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe." John's Gospel teaches us, importantly, that this saying was so hard that many of His disciples could not accept it. Jesus refers them to His Ascension -- and we get a mention of the Spirit, completing reference to the Trinity in these teachings. What is essential is this perspective that He teaches. Where does life come from? What gives us "life in abundance" and "life everlasting?" As we have pointed out from an earlier note in these passages, it is necessary that we perceive His words here not from a worldly perspective, but a spiritual one. His words point us to mystical presence, mystical reality. His own words, He says, are spirit and life. It is this "ingredient" -- added to our worldly life of the flesh -- that enlivens, that gives us this life in its true abundance.

For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Again, the Gospel tells us that Jesus is the knower-of-hearts. He knows who will fall away from Him, who will betray Him. Repeatedly, in these passages especially, He has referred to the Father as the One who brings all to Him, whoever is His and should not be lost. The inference is that these who fall away are not a part of this mystical relationship.

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Here is Peter's confession of faith as it is reported to us in this Gospel. Peter speaks for all of the Apostles in his response to Jesus: "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." In these words, Peter tells us that he has truly heard; the spirit in him responds to the spirit and truth of the words, the life in them. My study bible says, "This confession of faith is a pivotal moment in the life of Peter and the disciples on behalf of whom he spoke."

Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve. It's a powerful moment, in this Gospel, to realize just how pivotal this moment is, as my study bible indicates. There are those disciples, "many" of them, we are told, who fall away upon this "hard" saying of the eating of flesh and blood. Yet, Peter's confession, made on behalf of the Twelve, crystalizes the loyalty of the Apostles. And, at the same time, this note: one of them "is a devil." Christ's truth is working as a sword; those who cannot accept fall away, while those who can and do accept go further and deeper into this "work" of faith. And there is one, He knows, who will also betray -- who cannot go the full distance that will be asked of His closest followers.

Let us focus on Jesus' "knowing" of these people in the Gospel story. We can ask ourselves, "how" does He know? But this will not profit us much. It's a mystery, and belongs to that realm of mystery of the reality of spirit. The mystery of the Divine Beings, the Trinity, is really not ours to know; as Jesus says earlier in this chapter, "Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father." This is part of the heavenly reality He also spoke of to Nicodemus. But yet, Jesus has told us many times in these recent passages, as well as in today's, no one comes to Him except it is given from the Father. Therefore, while we cannot understand the heavenly reality, we do have Father, Son and Spirit which are a part of us, which are at work in us, in whom we abide, and who abide in us. Jesus' "knowing" of His disciples and His apostles comes from this mystery, and we must never forget this depth of connection. The entire discourse on the "bread of life" -- the Eucharistic significance of Jesus' "hard saying" here -- leads us toward a deeper and deeper recognition of the fullness of this relationship, of this mutual "abiding." Even as we are in this world, we, too, have a spiritual reality that dwells in and lives in us, as it is also present to us in His word. The Spirit gives life, He tells us in today's passage. It gives life to us, life in abundance, in so many ways. It gives us the power to perceive the life in these words, to hear and to understand, to live them in our lives, and to continually unfold that life, meaning and truth to us. Let us remember that this work of faith and grace may also separate us from some things and even people in our lives. But we may all come to abide in Him, in the fullness of the Holy Trinity, even among a great cloud of witnesses. In His "knowing" He also may link us all together, and bring us life in so many ways. He will certainly bring us choices.