The Flesh And Blood Of Jesus (John 6:54) Reflection & Meditation
When we read the word of God we should be able to discern from choosing the literal meaning and or the hidden meaning. Some scriptures can be taken literally. Others have to be taken on the hidden meaning. Still others should be understood on both levels.
The scripture in John 6:54 has to be understood and accepted at both levels. A deeper study will reveal the the hidden meaning of this scripture is in fact a precondition for the literal meaning.
The fact that many disciples left Jesus (John 6:66) is indicative of the fact that he literally meant that his flesh and blood had to be eaten and drunk to attain eternal life. The apostles stayed back because they had realized that there was no better option than Jesus.
The phrase 'flesh and blood' is used in the bible to symbolically mean 'human nature'. Jesus uses this phrase in Matthew 16:17 to indicate that the revelation to Peter is given by God and not by someone who is of human nature.
In Galatians 5:16-21 St. Paul uses the words 'spirit' and 'flesh' to distinguish between 'divine nature' and 'human nature'.
In 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 St. Paul speaks about a precondition that has to be fulfilled before literally eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus.
The precondition is that our 'flesh and blood' or 'human nature' has to imitate the 'flesh and blood' or 'human nature' of Jesus. Let us keep in mind that the nature of Jesus is divine even though he is in human form. This is not a one time phenomenon but a continuous effort. To understand how this happens we need to understand how human nature is formed or changes.
Based on the inputs from our surroundings our mind generates related thoughts. Our thoughts define our nature. The human mind and therefore the human nature is greatly influenced by the words we hear. This influence can be good or evil (negative or positive).
The word of God inspires us by revealing the nature or 'flesh and blood' of Jesus. When we fill our minds with the word of God we are continually making efforts to imitate the nature of Jesus and thus satisfy the precondition to literally eat his flesh and drink his blood at the Eucharistic table.
This post provides detailed explanation of the literal and symbolic meaning of eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Jesus. Good for reflection and meditation on the mystery of the Eucharist.
This post provides detailed explanation of the literal and symbolic meaning of eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Jesus. Good for reflection and meditation on the mystery of the Eucharist.
