INDINGS II
Proper
14- B - August 9, 2009
John 6: 35, 41-51
(I Kings
19: 4-8; Psalm 34: 1-8; Ephesians 4: 25-5:2)
 By Harry T. Cook
8/10/09
RUBRIC
If you're still hungry, there's more "living bread" coming
"down from heaven" in this set of propers - the third such serving in as many
Sundays. For those persuaded of transubstantiation, this is the relevant text.
For those who are not, metaphorical meaning will need to be sought. One thing
is for certain, though, these eight verses of John 6 establish the centrality
of the eucharistic experience in the life of the church with eating and
drinking being the main acts and actions in the rite.
Some form of the verb "to eat" (Gk. phagein) occurs eight
times in eight verses, the verb "to drink" (Gk. pinō) three times, lest there
be any doubt. Yet just as John, as he did at 3:6 would play with language
(anōthen, meaning either "again" or "from above"), so he would certainly have
been using metaphor here as well. However, one can see how a literal
interpretation of the text would lead to the idea of transubstantiation.
WORKSHOP
Eating the flesh and drinking the blood of gods or their
sons was not considered out of the ordinary in antiquity. It is how one became
more like them, appropriated their strength and powers, identified with them.
It is not to be wondered then that a religion with its roots in antiquity would
have texts that recalled such customs. It would be to wonder at if 21st Century
people actually believed the hosts of communion were, after the priestly
prayer, bread, and the contents of the chalice blood.
The objections of "the Jews" as depicted at 6:53 should come
as no surprise to those who know the history of the competition between
synagogue Judaism and Jesus Judaism toward the end of the First Century C.E. Besides,
the idea of eating the flesh of any one would have been by that time an
abomination to either sect of Jews who no doubt wished to distinguish
themselves from the mystery religions of the Graeco-Roman world.
How fortunate for Christians for whom mass or the eucharist
or communion - whatever the rite may be called - that the more authentic
understanding of the tradition is found in the community gathered about a table
for ordinary food given thanks for and consumed as part of a communal ritual.
The promise that one who eats the bread, whatever it is
actually thought to be, will live forever may draw its meaning from the New
Testament word for "everlasting life" (zōayn aiōnion), which conveys the idea
of depth and breadth rather than length, zōayn referring more to psychic
existence. The food in these texts, then, refers to nutrients for that
existence rather than pure physical existence.
A telling image is provided in the Proverbs reading as the
philosopher depicts wisdom and her house with its table laid for dinner, wine
mixed and at the ready. Making one think of the cry of the mosque's mu'adhhinun,
the text depicts a servant girl going to a high place and calling out to "those
without sense" -- "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity and live, and walk in the way of insight."
Wisdom conveyed over a meal? The very shape and structure of
the eucharist as seen, say, in the Road to Emmaus narrative at Luke 24: 13-35.
The Ephesians reading references the drinking of wine, but
as a substance that can make one drunk. The alternative is to get one's kicks
of out singing psalms and hymns and other songs in the process of giving
thanks. The admonition is to live as wise people "making the most of time."
"Wise" gives one the connection to the Proverbs reading's "wisdom." The prompt
to downplay wine for the sake of community singing suggests that what the community
does should be done for the sake of wise living and for the joy found in it.
HOMILETIC COMMENTARY
The biblical studies class and/or the preacher preparing to
hold forth on this coming Sunday have/has an opportunity with these readings
from Proverbs, Ephesians and John to speak about what it is the local Christian
community does when it gathers and what the possible overarching meaning of it
all might be.
The mu'adhhinun's call from the minaret of the House of
Wisdom is to "those without sense." We might render it: "to those who know what
it is they don't know and would like to know it," suggesting that such a church
or congregation is attentive to the life of the mind and the intellectual
content and challenge of the bible's religious themes.
It is no secret that the mass of people who say they are
Christians are woefully ignorant of the history of their religion and its
texts, never mind the histories of other religions and their texts. The church
in its anxiety to consolidate control has allowed and even encouraged its lay
order to abide in ignorance, the better, perhaps, to maintain that control. The
Reformation was in part about that. Perhaps Wyclif and Coverdale though they
were doing a momentous thing in translating the Hebrew and Greek bibles into
English. The bible may as well be in Urdu for all most English-speaking people
really know about it. The Proverbs text invites a reformation of congregational
life so that members become students and even beginning scholars of the
religion they say is so very important to them.
The Ephesians reading makes a similar point: Don't get so
caught up in the ritual and the drinking of the wine (common to many Jewish
rites and certainly to the Christian eucharist, however conducted) that you
forget the fundamental joy of being together. "Singing songs" and "making melody"
can create strong emotional bonding.
If the points in the three paragraphs immediately above were
to be emphasized, it would help in extracting the metaphorical truths from the
gospel with its flesh-eating and blood drinking language.
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READERS WRITE
Harvey H. Guthrie, Jr.: Fillmore, CA: As to the endless John 6 readings in Year B, my observation
has been that terse, straightforward Mark walks the walk so well that we'd be
finished way before Year C begins if we didn't let John talk the talk for five
weeks!
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