Sermonic Reflection: John 6:51-58 "Eat Like A Pig!"

51 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." 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 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. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 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."

How do we partake of Christ? If Christ were a meal would he be eaten delicately so as not to get messy or appear gluttonous? Or would we approach Christ as a lion approaches a wounded gazelle?

In this passage Jesus talks about himself as a meal - "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." Then he proceeds to tell the people that the only way for them to have life would be by consuming his flesh and drinking his blood.

Yummy!

Jesus, of course, is not promoting cannibalism (as many of the Jews thought). Many believe he was speaking sacramentally; perhaps that's true. I believe he was speaking of himself as the logos (the word); this theme domains in the Gospel of John. So if you consume Christ as the Word, then you will have life.

In fact, he even tells us how we should feast in him. He uses two Greek words which mean "to eat," phago and trogo. Phago suggests eating in a general sense; trogo is the type of eating that wild animals do. It is gnawing, unmannerly consumption. It is the kind of eating you teach your kids NOT to do, yet Jesus says consume me like this!

This is why I believe Jesus is referring to his flesh and blood as the word, because he wants us to approach his word with a hearty, almost starving, appetite; the same way a pig approaches a feeding trough. This way we will begin to be formed by the word. Or as the old saying goes... "You are what you eat."

The Greek word trogo suggests that we shouldn't approach the word like a dainty snack; but with reckless, animal-like, resolve. This type of word consumption brings life. It creates powerful disciples who hear and obey Christ because they are constantly gnawing on the word of Christ.

This is a stark contrast to Christianity in America. Perhaps the reason christianity in America is often lifeless, dull, and compromising is because there is little to no word consumption.

Many do not seek to be transformed by feasting on the word, so instead they just snack here and there. Try that with a regular diet, especially when you still lead an active life. In little to no time you will be fatigued and defeated. In the same way, if we don't feast on Christ we will be ill-prepared to face and overcome the world. And you certainly will not live the life that Christ offers.

So Christ offers us an opportunity for spiritual gluttony; this gluttony, however, leads to life, not death. It's an offer that you cannot afford to refuse.

So let's eat!