06 John - Stop Looking and Start Cooking

By Richard

In John 6 we have some strong and unusual words from Jesus. He speaks to the crowds about eating and drinking his flesh and blood. He says, “My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink”. Obviously some were really confused as John tells us that many of his disciples found this a “tough teaching to swallow” and deserted Jesus.

But this is the point that Jesus is trying to make. “By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you.” (John 6: 53-58, the Message)

In updated language Jesus is sort of saying this.

When he says eat my flesh! I think he’s saying that we should stop looking at the glossy pictures in recipe books. We should stop simply sniffing heavenly aromas. Jesus is saying we should eat the meal. We should feed on Jesus. We should allow his life and ours to become one. We should welcome Jesus into the very core of our being. His life, like real, food should become the source of energy and nutrition for our very DNA.

When he says drink my blood! I think he’s saying that we should not be like a wine taster that examines the colour and aroma and takes a sip only to spit it out again. Jesus wants us to drink him. He wants to be like wine that warms our heart. He wants to be like alcohol that goes to our head. He wants to make us a little tipsy in our relationship with him. Like wine he wants to give us joy.

He’s saying to us that when we come to read our bible or attend a Mountainview gathering that he doesn’t want us to take a little nibble or a tiny sip that we spit out on the floor during the time of refreshments. He doesn’t want us suffer a spiritual eating disorder. He doesn’t want us to go on a low calorie spiritual diet. He wants us to be big eaters and heavy drinkers when it comes to Jesus. Jesus wants his life to become one with our life, every day of the week, every hour of the day, every minute of the hour, every second of the minute. He wants his life and our life to become one, truly one.