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I think most people would agree with me that Jesus\u2019 followers considered him a good teacher. Jesus could relate to an array of people: rich, poor, fisherman, tax collectors, sinners, and strangers alike.<\/p>\n
Secondly, Jesus taught using a plethora of means including sermons, parables, and miracles to name a few. A quality in any good teacher is consistency in content along with the ability to clarify their subject\u00a0content should disputes arise. In the bread of life discourse in John 6, Jesus presented both his teaching consistently and clearly.<\/p>\n
Within a span of 24 verses [John 6:35-59] Jesus mentions point blank at least 6 times he is the bread of life. In verse 35, Jesus states, \u201cI am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.\u201d Verses 38, 48, 53-58 also support the Nazarene\u2019s intrepid claim.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s all Greek to Me<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n There are a variety of Greek words for the English verb \u201cto eat\u201d. Jesus says in John 6:54, \u201che who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day.\u201d The Greek word that the Evangelist uses in this verse is\u00a0tr\u014dg\u014d<\/em>.\u00a0Tr\u014dg\u014d\u00a0<\/em>translates as \u201cchew\u201d or \u201cgnaw\u201d. Why would John use such a fleshy and literal word for eat in this context? This translation only makes sense if we accept that Jesus literally meant that he is the bread of life. John even goes on to use\u00a0tr\u014dg\u014d\u00a0<\/em>in verses 56, 57, and 58\u2013 a grand total of four times!<\/p>\n Loss of Followers<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The evangelist writes in John 6:66 that many people who followed Jesus from the start of his ministry left him never to return. They were scandalized by the teaching of Jesus as the bread of life. I thought long and hard on this point. Why would many of Jesus\u2019 followers leave him if he only spoke symbolically that he was the bread of life?<\/p>\n Well, if Jesus truly did intend for his claim that he is the \u201cbread of life\u201d to be interpreted figuratively, I doubt many followers would have left him that day. I mean think about it! People tend to become disenchanted with a leader when his or her message becomes too scandalous to bear. I doubt a man speaking figuratively, and poetically, would gather such scandal. Jesus repeatedly claimed, \u201cI am the bread of life\u201d. He\u00a0never<\/u>\u00a0qualified that assertion to be taken figuratively. Such difficult news may have been too much for these fair-weather followers to swallow.<\/p>\n Most Holy Eucharist<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, \u201cThe Eucharist is \u201cthe source and summit of the Christian life\u201d (CCC 1324). It is a non-negotiable belief. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Saint John knew of the importance of this sacrament and he stressed it frequently in Jesus\u2019 Bread of Life Discourse. Through my Catholic faith, I accept Jesus\u2019 claim that he is the bread of life. I ponder this question of Jesus frequently:\u00a0Will you also go away?<\/strong>\u00a0I ultimately hope that my answer is consistent with Peter\u2019s response, \u201cLord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God\u201d (John 6:67-69).<\/strong><\/p>\n Matthew Chicoine<\/strong>\u00a0loves the Catholic Church, comics books, and finding truth in literature. He blogs at The Simple Catholic.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From a young age, I always saw the world through a scientific lens. I needed to understand how the world works. When I attended college, that way of thinking applied to research papers and ensuring I had logical and concise … Continue reading