Take and Eat, this is My Body: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sermon by Emmanuel Suntheni OSB – Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B
Sermon and Christian Act In The Word
Theme: Divine Nourishment: Take and Eat, this is My Body! Drink, this is my Blood!
Point of reflection: To what extent is my life influenced by Jesus Christ and his teaching? Am I nourished by him? Today’s Scriptural readings elucidate what the reception of Jesus as the bread of life means, and what are its effects. The book of Proverbs paves the way for this revelation by disclosing that God’s wisdom is offered to all willing to partake of it. Paul looks at the life of his community in a hostile world, and teaches that to live wisely they must maintain their union with God. This can be achieved through prayer, and, above all, by allowing the Spirit to work in their midst. The Gospel of John gives a decisive and profound explanation of the difficult statements on consuming Jesus’ body and blood. To eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood implies union with him in the Eucharist.
First Reading: Proverbs 9:1–6
Psalm: Psalm 34:2–7
Second Reading: Ephesians 5:15–20
Gospel: John 6:51–58
Sermon (Reflection): The previous Sunday’s Gospel identified Jesus and his salvific work as the nourishment for eternal life which is the Eternal Bread of Life. Today, this theme receives further elaboration, focusing on the nature and the manner of reception of this divine nourishment: Take and Eat, Take and Drink, this is my Body and Blood.
Today’s Gospel picks up where the last Sunday’s reading ended. It begins with the restatement of Jesus’ affirmations that He is the bread of life, that eating of this bread leads to eternal life, and that this bread is his flesh offered for the life of the world. Many of those who heard him doubted the truthfulness of these claims as they saw Jesus as an ordinary man. This led to an inevitable conflict. Jesus’ continuing insistence on eating of His body, to which He adds drinking of his blood, caused a great scandal. If it was today that it is you and I listening to Jesus face to face and is saying eat my body and drink my blood, would you believe Him? It sounds scandalous, no wonder many Jews never believed him as they considered blood as sacred. How can you eat the human body?
Nonetheless, Jesus’ language is entirely symbolic, as He himself explains. Eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood means entering into a union with him on the deepest level possible. St John describes this deep union through the word “abide”. Abiding implies more than a mere association; it suggests becoming one with another being. Jesus abides in the Father, he “lives because of the Father”. Abiding with Jesus, who abides with the Father, establishes a direct connection between the believer and God. This, in turn, means that eternal life, which God alone possesses, can pass through Jesus to the believer. Jesus’ logic in this argument is straightforward. A deep union with him through “eating his body and drinking his blood” is necessary, because eternal life passes on from God to himself, and through him to those who abide in him. Jesus Christ channels God’s eternal life to the believer, of whom today, it is you and I.
The phrase “eating Jesus’s flesh and drinking his blood” is symbolic and metaphorical. There are two ways to understand this mysterious statement. Firstly, it is a Eucharistic metaphor.
In this sense, it means that those who unite themselves to Jesus in the act of sharing of the Eucharistic meal, enter into a deep union with him, and are filled with the divine life.
Secondly, it is a metaphor for Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. Earlier in the discourse, Jesus stated that the bread of life is his flesh given for the life of the world. These words unmistakably point to His cross. Similarly, the image of blood cannot be disassociated from Jesus’ bloodshed during the passion. The body and blood imagery shows Jesus as the sacrificial victim, the Paschal Lamb, whose death brings life and redemption. But what can eating and drinking mean in the context? In the biblical language, “to eat” means making something a part of oneself. One can think of Ezekiel who was given a scroll to eat, before he could speak out the words inscribed on it (Cf. Ezekiel 2:8-10). Thus, biblically, eating leads to becoming like that which one consumes. Eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood means becoming like him in his self-sacrifice. In this sense, abiding in Jesus is not about a passive reception of his presence, but about adopting the manner of his life – offering oneself, one’s own body and blood, for the sake of others.
To consume Jesus, means to be and to act like him in word and deed, thus, our Christian calling.
In today’s first reading, we find a detailed and graphic description of Lady Wisdom’s sumptuous banquet set in her house. [However, in numerous biblical texts wisdom is personified as a woman. Known as “Lady Wisdom”, this figure is no ordinary human being. She is a cosmic being, an associate of God, with many of God’s own qualities and characteristics (Cf. Wisdom 7:22-30). She is also a cosmic architect who was present with God at creation and played an active role in bringing everything into order (Cf. Proverbs 8:22-31)] Meat, a luxury in the ancient world, together with spiced wine, normally reserved for the aristocracy, is prepared. Wisdom’s maidservants are sent out with invitations to “the simple”, to partake in this luxurious feast. The scene is entirely symbolic. Lady Wisdom’s house is the universe. The choicest food and drink symbolise sophisticated and profound knowledge of God and his ways.
The consumption of Lady Wisdom’s bread and wine symbolises the reception and assimilation of her knowledge and instructions. Those invited to the banquet, the simple and ignorant, need guidance for they do not know how to live well. Nourished by Lady Wisdom, they will grow mature and capable of adhering to God’s ways. By “eating and drinking”, that is by internalising her teachings and making it part of their very self, the person is equipped to understand and live in harmony with God’s unique design.
In the second Scriptural reading, the author of Ephesians continues to provide guidelines on how Christian principles should be upheld faithfully and fruitfully. He also appeals to wisdom. The wise know how to conduct themselves amidst an evil world, which was the author’s general perception of the Greco-Roman society of the day. But who or what guides the wise? Some ancient societies practised ritual drinking. Excessive consumption of alcohol was intended to induce a state of ecstasy and lead to contact with the supernatural world. In such a state, visions and divine instructions could be received. However, Paul denies that alcohol can facilitate such communication. Excessive drinking, no matter for what purpose, is simply debauchery. The apostle points to prayer as the means to put a person in contact with God. Hence, the author urges singing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, and thanksgiving chants, all in the name of Jesus Christ. Above all, living wisely requires the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The author uses the image of “being filled with the Spirit”. This image, related to nourishment, suggests the work of the Spirit in the person’s heart. A Spirit-filled believer enters into union with God and Christ, and is guided along the path of wisdom.
Christian Act in Word of God “Take and Eat, Take and Drink, this is my Body and Blood”
The type of nourishment we need to receive as Christians is Jesus Christ himself, present in the Eucharist. There is nothing that scares us more than death. Fear of death makes many of us look for security in gathering ever more possessions, looking for ever new healing remedies for our bodies, or resorting to magic and divination. Yet, Jesus assures us that those of us who are joined to him in the Eucharist will never taste eternal death.
He is the bread of life, who nourishes our souls for life beyond death.
This means that even as our bodies waste away nothing can destroy us, and nothing can wrestle us from the loving arms of God, extended to us through Jesus in the Eucharist.
Receiving the divine nourishment is all about receiving Jesus Christ. The passage from Ephesians suggests, that such reception of Jesus, becomes easier when we are a part of a praying community, which also sustains and nourishes our faith. Ultimately it is our very own choice, for or against Jesus that determines whether we are nourished by the divine wisdom, or whether we become empty, hungry and lost. Whenever making this choice, let the words of Jesus: “whoever eats this bread will live forever”, resound in our ears.
Jesus came into this world to enlighten our minds, so that we might be able to distinguish right from wrong, and good from bad. He brought with him God’s wisdom, which the first reading described as Lady Wisdom. Many think of Jesus as Lady Wisdom incarnated in human form. To be wise as Christians, means to follow the divine wisdom present in Jesus. That wisdom was already present in the revelation contained in the Old Testament and came to its full expression in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must be guided by him, and adhere to him. When we are confronted with difficult choices and decisions, we must always make them in the light of our faith, and in line with our commitment to Jesus.
Action: I will take and eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for nourishment.
Prayer: Dear Lord, you have offered yourself to us in the form of wisdom and bread, to enlighten us, and to nourish us in this life, and beyond this life. May the wisdom from above, and your presence in the Eucharist, make us your faithful servants and true followers, Almighty God give us strength and love that every day we should praise you and love the people we meet every day, grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever, Amen.
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