For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. John 6:55-56
Occasionally, God relates to us in ways we misunderstand. In response, we often discredit His message rather than search for the lesson He conveys.
In John, chapter six, Jesus taught about spiritual communion as well as receiving the Eucharistic, but His audience failed to grasp the implication. Immediately, many shallow individuals abandoned God's Son, "On hearing it, many of his disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?' From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." John 6:60 & 66
Disappointed by ignorance, Jesus turned to His twelve closest friends and asked, "Do you want to leave me too?" (vs 67)
St. Peter quickly responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69
Let us briefly consider a portion of the previous passage, "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know..."
Although Peter didn't always understand, yet he stated four profound truths in this situation:
1. Despite our natural limitations and our biased objections, God's Word is the origin of all life, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind." John 1:1-4
2. God expects us to believe His Word, even in spite of our limited awareness, “'Everything is possible for one who believes.' Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'” Mark 9:23-24
3. From primitive faith, profound understanding grows, "By FAITH we UNDERSTAND that the universe was created by the WORD OF GOD, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." Hebrews 11:3
4. Impervious to our misunderstanding or our disagreement, God's Word is the only recourse humanity has for obtaining Real Life, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me!" John 14:6
