Have you ever read something that is as familiar to you as your own address, but suddenly you realized that it's been a long time since you thought about what it means? I had that experience with my Bible reading earlier this week. What this post contains is a record of how I struggled to reach new understanding about an overly familiar passage. It is not meant as definite teaching or firmly established theology. I offer it as an exploration. Please read it as such and feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments.
Each morning, I try to read the scriptures for the Daily Office. If I can't read all of them, I try to read at least the psalms and the gospel. This week, my readings have included these verses:
"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.”The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” John 6:48-58
God alone knows how many times I've read and heard and sung "I am the bread of life" during my lifetime. This time when I read it, I pulled up short and thought, Huh?! What did Jesus mean when he said to eat his body and drink his blood? What does that mean really?
Yes, of course, I know that it refers to communion. Many Christians view communion as simply a reminder of Christ's sacrifice, which saves us. Others have a more sacramental theology and believe either that the bread and wine actually do become his body and blood, or that they are transformed to contain his Real Presence in a mysterious way. That last view of Eucharist is the one I hold. I feel the Real Presence of Christ when I partake of the consecrated Eucharist, and I believe that taking the sacraments has power to transform us at a deep level we don't fully understand.
But the passage has to mean something more than just the physical action of taking communion. I don't believe that we have a faith based on magical superstition, so I don't think Jesus was saying, "Go get your morsel of bread and your sip of wine, and you will live forever." I think this was one of those complex teachings that is symbolic on multiple levels.
So I sat there wondering for a while, and as I thought about the passage, I remembered other verses, other passages.
"One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matt. 4:4"I have food to eat that you do not know about. . . . My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work." John 4: 32, 24
Jesus offered us his body and his blood to sustain us, to give us communion with him, to bring us life. According to the two passages I just cited, the things that most sustained Jesus were the word of God and the act of doing God's work and bringing about his kingdom.
Is it possible then that when Jesus instituted communion, he meant it not just to be a reminder of or even a re-enactment of his sacrifice? Perhaps it is that and something more. Perhaps the Eucharist is also an ongoing invitation to partake of the "bread" that sustained Jesus—doing the work of God's kingdom, as laid out in his word. These musings led me to another passage:
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation— I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:11-18
This passage and others like in the Old Testament tell me that God has little tolerance for the performance of religious rites just for the sake of doing ritual. When he invites us to communion, he isn't just asking us to partake of a liturgical meal and then go on our merry way. He wants the other kind of communion--an act of sharing thoughts and feelings with another person. He wants to abide in us so that we think his thoughts and carry out his deeds.
At least, that's how I'm understanding the Bible this week. How about you?
* HT to Margaret at Leave It Lay Where Jesus Flang It. This post helped shape my thoughts this week.
17 comments:
Ruth - there is so much here. This is unbelievable, such wisdom and depth in this post. Thank you.
As someone who approaches her faith with a focus on the incarnational aspects, I think about this a lot.
Being Catholic on top of it all, there are many opportunities to watch the Eucharist become the subject of idolatry and/or superstition.
In fact this very thought has been on my heart for weeks due to an unpublished post on my parish blog. More about that another time.
Your post is really about the metanoia, the deep transformation that we don't understand, that must be part of the transcendence.
It is not what we "get" when we take the bread, it is about what we become, what we give.
Thank you Ruth.
I only had time to skim this post - I will read it more carefully later. I do know that communion gives me an intense connection to the peace that is Jesus.
Really, I came by to tell you that I finally did the Ipod meme you posted back in June - it was great fun. :)
FranIAm makes a lot of sense on this topic. I think it is symbolic of transformation and transcendence. "Take what I'm teaching you. Take what I'm offering you."
I think this is fairly consistent with Joseph Campbell's explanation also.
~*
I think you're right on in your explanation of communion..it isn't simply the act of taking bread and wine. This was a thought provoking post and I'll probably be thinking about it all day.
I'm also curious to find out more about what the Daily Office is and where to read it?
You are hitting on one of my favorite topics...the hows and whys of "the Eucharist as a puzzle, with me occupying a unique piece that changes from week to week."
Now, as a kid, all I could ever think of was cannibalism, of course, but I have gotten a little older and wiser.
I think it helps to remember that people of Christ's day, no matter what their religion, were very comfortable with "sacrifices" as a regular activity. Whether you were Jewish, a Baal-worshiper, or were partial to sun and moon gods, it was just common as dirt to offer sacrifices.
For us, the concept is a little more foreign, I know I personally don't have an altar in my backyard for that purpose.
What makes up the metanoia for me is the idea that, when I come to the altar, I'm bringing the best of me I have to give as my contribution after having asked forgiveness of my sins; Christ is offering the very living essence of himself to us. We are bringing the good stuff to the table, not the leftovers, and amazing things come together as a result of that.
Ruth, I think you have reached well to the core of the meaning here. I would have to think long and hard to say anything profound, but I think this makes sense. We are, in the Eucharist, to take on the mind of Christ so to speak. Given the statement and his religious rituals, literalism seems inappropriate here, but he was in the last supper suggesting a real means of our "meeting" as one. It's too much mystery I guess, and that is fine. Thanks for the reflection.
I, too, skimmed this this morning....
Now, my take.
I think communion was meant to mirror the pascal lamb of Passover, and help seal the image of Jesus as Messiah in people's minds.
I think MAYBE it was a marketing thing.....LOL
Now...having said all that, I do still believe that through Christ I am saved by grace.
And I've gone around and around the whole ball of wax theologically to get back to a simple matter of faith.
(Like I can believe in dinosaurs AND that God is creator.....same issue, to me...)
Good post!
Is it possible then that when Jesus instituted communion, he meant it not just to be a reminder of or even a re-enactment of his sacrifice? Perhaps it is that and something more. Perhaps the Eucharist is also an ongoing invitation to partake of the "bread" that sustained Jesus—doing the work of God's kingdom, as laid out in his word.
I agree. And I think not just about doing Kingdom work as individuals, but as community. About the one bread drawing us together into the Bread of life. About the sharing of Christ's body together transforming us into the Body of Christ.
Still, though, still thinking about this...
Thoughtful post, Ruth. I was raised a Quaker with no ritual and then became a Methodist and the rituals encouraged and strengthened my Faith. Communion is a lovely mystery and I agree that it can be transformational. Lol, Christy, it is also a marketing thing. We are, after all, spirits in physical form and we need our 'bread'.
An excellent post, Ruth. What flabbergasts me is to think that you have lived 50 years and attended Wheaton College and are active in the Episcopal Church and have never before thought, "What did Jesus really mean when He said eat My body and drink My blood?"
Some say taking the communion elements is a memorial with no sacramental value. (He did say, "Do this in remembrance of me" and Paul said, "As often as you do this, you do show forth the Lord's death 'til He come.") Some say it is the actual body and blood of Christ. Some say it only represents the actual body and blood of Christ. Christ said, "If you do not eat My body and drink My blood, you have no part in Me."
I say (well, actually, I say a lot of things) you are what you eat. Food becomes muscles, sinew, flesh, bones, thoughts, actions. And if we have no part in Him, then He has no part in us. As we become part of Him by partaking, He becomes part of us. I hope this is not heresy.
All in all, a most thought-provoking post.
LOL, Bob. Of course, I've wondered what it meant before. That was how I moved from a memorial view of communion to believing in the Real Presence. This was a case of asking myself the question again, looking for deeper or additional meanings.
And I don't think your third paragraph is heresy at all. It's very much like the idea of metanoia or change that I and others talked about in this post.
I so much appreciate the thought you (and all the others) put into responding to my musings.
Being a Missouri Synod Lutheran, I believe that the Eucharist and the wine ARE the living body and blood of Christ.
Very interesting post. As usual! :-)
XOXOXOX
Deep post. As a Missouri Synod Lutheran, former Baptist......I simply partake and pray God to do whatever He wishes with the bread and wine once I've partaken of it. Its impossible for me to think any further than that, or it gets into speculation and opinion.
Reminded me of the scene in 'Chariots of Fire' where an Indian gentleman tries to strike up friendly conversation with the missionary by saying something like "I have a friend who drinks blood." In response to the horrified stare he adds something like "Blood of Christ. Every Sunday. Like you." I do appreciate the way you have extrapolated from communion to action and to community. Thanks.
I agree with you that doing the works which the Lord set forth is of utmost importance, but what I've come to notice is that no matter how good our intentions these works are fruitless. It is not by works that we enter the kingdom of heaven but by the grace of God. Therefor if I say I have done works of my own that are worthy to be the bread of life, I made of no benefit the Grace of God. Where if I say it is he that is in me that has done these works then I am rightous. Thus I take not my works as the body and blood of Christ but indeed a substance which is his body and his blood that I might say it is not of me that has done these things but of he who is in me. For how does one know the will of God unless he is in me? An example of this is when Abraham took his son to sacrifice unto the Lord. If it were your own works such a thing would appear an abomination unto the Lord and even unto man. Try it once - take your son or daughter to sacrifice unto the Lord and see what the response of man is to your calling. But if the Lord is in you then you know the will of God. When Christ said I am the mana that came down from heaven, He meant exactly that. And when he gave it to his disciples he said to them do this as often as ye do in remembrance of me. This commandment is key to the body and blood. For when they ate it in the desert they did not do it in remembrance of him and did therefor die. For only when He enters in are you saved. This also is repeated by paul who told the Jews that because you have eaten the body and the blood in an unworthy manner some of you are sick and dying. This does not happen in todays churches because the body and blood of Christ Jesus is not unleavened bread and grape juice, but is Mana and Wine. This practice was taken from the churches after the disciples were killed and in the place of the true body and blood of christ a substitute was given which made the body and blood of no power or significance and thus the true power of the church was removed from the people. This is why the world is in the state it is in and the churches are loosing their authority among the people.
It is very interesting for me to read that post. Thank you for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to them. I definitely want to read more on that blog soon.
Ruth, I will be exploring your blog more, but found it thru Google because I am trying to write an article for my blog and for my catholic friend, about the Eucharist. I am Pentecostal. I am more confused than ever and have alread written 10 pages! But one thing I have a gut feeling about...that there is more than I understand !! There is some beauty that I haven't hit upon! Therefore I will keep studying and reading the Bible, making notes and reading articles like yours! May God bless you!And may He reveal Himself to us seekers, more and more as the DAY approaches.
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