Loving God, in the Sacraments you have left us visible reminders of your salvation. Today, as we receive the bread and the wine from your own hand, fill us also with your Spirit and your love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Well, we have it again today: This reading from John that sounds so strange to us, and maybe even disgusting, as Jesus talks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. The reference to Communion is unmistakable. Yet, we're not into cannibalism. We don't want to literally eat somebody's flesh and drink their blood (at least I'm presuming that's the case!). So what are we to make of these statements from the gospel of John that say, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (Jn. 6:53)?

One way to think about all of this talk about flesh and blood is that it means that something or someone is real. A ghost does not have flesh and blood, but a human being does. At the end of the gospel of Luke, when Jesus appears to his disciples after he has risen from the dead, he makes a point of getting them to touch him so they can see that he has real flesh. Jesus says, "Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (Lk. 24:39). And so when the bread and the wine are referred to as Jesus' flesh and blood, it is another way of saying that Jesus is really present in the bread and the wine. When we receive the bread and the wine, we are receiving Jesus, and when Christ lives within us, we have life.

There is an interesting image that is used by Walter Wangerin, Jr. ("Modern Hexameron -- De Aranea" in Ragman and Other Cries of Faith) in order to reflect upon what it means for Jesus to be the living bread that comes down from heaven in order to give life to the world. The image that he uses is that of a mother spider. Wangerin begins by pointing out that most mother spiders are not too pleasant. They eat any visitors to their web (spiders or otherwise), and they leave their children to fend for themselves before they've even hatched. However, he says that there is one kind of spider that is different from all the others.

This particular spider does not leave before her children hatch, but stays, and carries them on her back, and even feeds them. She is also uniquely self-giving among spiders when it comes to scarcity of food. For this particular spider, if there is no food for her children, is able to make herself die in order to give food to her children. Although there are more details about how this happens that might make some a little queasy, essentially the baby spiders are given life through eating their mother's meat. She gives herself for the life of her children.

And Jesus gives himself for the life of the world, and instructs us to eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have life. In fact, there are quite a few promises to be found in today's gospel, all connected with receiving the body and blood of Christ. We are promised life and eternal life and resurrection. We are promised that we will abide in Jesus, and he in us - in other words, we will live according to his mind and teaching and he will live in this world through us.

Now of course there are many who have read this passage over the years and have started to treat the Sacrament as if it's magic. They have presumed that receiving Communion will automatically give them all of these things, regardless of how they live their lives. However, the gospel of John makes it clear that eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ is not his only command, but believing in Jesus is also of primary importance. As well, the gospel of John does not speak only of believing, but is even more explicit by saying that those who believe in Jesus Christ will imitate his life and teaching (Jn. 14:12, 15).

Martin Luther picked up on these teachings when he asked in The Small Catechism, "How can eating and drinking do all this?" (And by "all this" he meant giving us the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.) Luther answers by saying that eating and drinking alone do not give us these things, but it is the eating and drinking together with our faith that the words "given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins" are actually true. He concludes "whoever believes these words has exactly what they say, forgiveness of sins" (Part V:3).

No, the sacrament is not magic. Rather, it is a gift of God that communicates and gives God's grace to us. It is Jesus, giving himself for us, and filling us with the power of his endless life. Its power is not only the forgiveness of sins, but a means of refreshing and strengthening our faith. I don't know how many of you have ever tried reading Martin Luther's Large Catechism, and particularly the section where he writes about the Lord's Supper. When you read it, you get a real sense of what a priceless treasure we have been given in the sacrament. Luther just can't understand why people wouldn't want to receive this treasure. He writes,

The Lord's Supper is given as a daily food and sustenance so that our faith may refresh and strengthen itself and not weaken in the struggle but grow continually stronger. For the new life should be one that continually develops and progresses. (Book of Concord, Tappert, 1989, p. 449:24)

He is concerned "that so great a treasure, which is daily administered and distributed among Christians, may not be heedlessly passed by" (p. 451:39). In Luther's estimation, all Christians need this strengthening as often as possible, and yet never under compulsion, or because they feel like they have to.

Rather, Luther would like to see people come to the table out of a hunger and thirst for the real presence of Christ, and out of obedience to the command of Christ to "do this" in remembrance of him. Luther's concern was not keeping people away from the table, which seems to be the emphasis in some churches, but rather that all should come and be renewed. The only exception Luther writes about is "those who are shameless and unruly" and don't want God's forgiveness or to change their sinful ways (p. 453:58). Luther counseled people not to wait until they feel worthy, for none of us are ever worthy to receive this treasure from God's hand.

There are also some interesting words in Luther's Large Catechism about the Lord's Supper and young people. One comment I have to throw in simply because I find it humourous. Luther writes about teaching young people about the sacraments and about the Ten Commandments, the Creed and the Lord's Prayer from an early age. The reason he gives is "so that they will receive them with joy and earnestness, practice them from their youth, and become accustomed to them. For it is clearly useless to try to change old people" (p. 456:85-86). Those are Luther's words, not mine!

Luther goes on to remind Christian parents that it is their duty to teach their children the things they ought to know. He concludes with a most interesting statement about the place of children in the church.

Since they are baptized and received into the Christian church, they should also enjoy this fellowship of the sacrament so that they may serve us and be useful. For they must all help us to believe, to love, to pray, and to fight the devil (p. 456:87).

Imagine: Children as an integral part of the Christian community, receiving forgiveness, life and salvation at the Lord's Table, and helping us to believe, to love, to pray, and to fight the devil! And in the 16th Century, no less!

Of course, children are one group that has been excluded from the Lord's Table over the years, quite often simply because of tradition, and not for any biblical or confessional reasons. That's why this aspect of what Martin Luther has written is so interesting. However, his overall concern is that as many as possible will come to realize what a priceless treasure we have been given through Jesus Christ.

I mentioned earlier how "flesh and blood" can mean that someone is real - really there. In fact, in the words that we use in the liturgy we expect that Jesus is really here. In fact, God is here - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We acknowledge this when we sing as part of the Great Thanksgiving, "Holy, Holy, Holy." In Isaiah, this is the response only when God is present (Isa. 6:1-3). Then we sing "Hosanna!" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" These are the words that welcome Jesus in the gospels (Mt. 21:9). We expect Christ to be really present in the bread and the wine, and to fill us with his presence as we go from this place.

Finally, in the various prayers that we pray following Communion, we are reminding ourselves of what is to happen as a result of sharing in this heavenly food. We are to be filled with the power of his endless life, living in Christ as he lives within us. We are to be strengthened in faith and in love for one another. We are to be filled with the spirit of God's love and united in doing God's will. We are to receive Jesus with thanksgiving, and to conform our lives to his.

Today, as we receive this gift of life from God's own hand, may the presence and power of Christ be made known within us and among us, filling us with the life of Christ, and empowering us to share this treasure with others. Amen.

Proper 15(B) John 6:51-58
August 20, 2006
St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore
? 2006 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved