DAY 140

SEEK LIFE PART TWO

1 Chronicles 10, 11 & 12 and John 6:45-71

You may recall when we first began reading the Bible how we read Deuteronomy; the second telling of the Law. 1 & 2 Chronicles is in some ways the second telling of the history of the Kings of Israel and Judah. Just as the Law is important for us to get sorted out in our minds, the history of the kingdom is equally important. We will move onto the prophets and they will be speaking God’s Word to the kings in the middle of the nations challenging situations; to have those situations clear in our minds will help us when we get to those prophetic words. It is also helpful to understand how powerful a narrative this history is in the minds of the Jewish people of the Jesus’ day – a narrative that He will spend considerable time getting them to reconsider.

Today we have read again how Saul kills himself, how the Philistines take his body and display it, how his body is recovered, and how David (who has been anointed for awhile by Samuel) comes officially to the throne. You have heard this story before, but we get some additional details. Just one example is how Joab became David’s general; he is the commander who captured Jerusalem for David – a very impressive feat.

I mentioned that Jesus has his work cut out for Him in regards to getting the people to understand that the goal of religious life in Judaism is not about a new earthly kingdom – rather the Kingdom of God is about life…real life.

In the New Testament today we continue on in the story of Jesus speaking with people about “real life.” Jesus says He is the Bread of Life: “Unless you eat His flesh and drink His blood you shall not have life within you.” We read about this yesterday, but we also in this blog looked at Luke’s version of the Last Supper as recently as May 2^nd. In the May 2^nd blog I spent some time talking about the ancient idea of deeply “remembering.” The Greeks called it anamnesis. Here in John, Jesus is talking similarly about Communion. The setting is different. He is in a synagogue in Capernaum, but the point is the similar. Unless you deeply believe in Jesus as the Son of Man, unless you deeply take Him into yourself, unless you become one as He and the Father are one…then you won’t have life…real and eternal life.

The Jews of Jesus day just could not process this idea. They may think He is speaking of cannibalism, I am not sure. Let me tell you what I am sure of: I am sure they think that if Jesus is the Messiah, that He has it all wrong because He is not talking about establishing the new Israelite nation. Before we get to critical of the people of Jesus day (20/20 hind sight) let’s look at what we don’t “get” in our own day. Today, especially in the West, we have reduced this teaching of Jesus down to “getting into heaven.” We are trapped by our own paradigms.

Jesus means much more. Jesus means real, full-on, life. Life that is so above the petty and no-so-petty worries of our world, that we transcend the issues which so often weigh us down. I am NOT talking about somehow floating above the difficulties in our lives to the point that we seem almost oblivious. No, I am talking about having our feet so firmly planted in the reality of God come to earth in Jesus Christ, that we are able to not just see, but live our lives, day in and day out, in this reality of Christ in us.

Today we celebrated Holy Communion. I stood before the altar at the Cathedral with the choir singing, with incense, with vestments…with all the pageantry of the service. I looked down as I said the Communion Prayer and gazed at the host and the cup. I saw the simple bread and wine. I thought, I prayed, Lord come into us, renew us, strengthen us, transport us, empower us…to live as your people…to shine your light in the world.

It is clear to me that the only way I can do this “living” and this “shining of His light” is if I get more firmly rooted in Him. My feet need to be even more firmly planted. While I don’t “have it all figured out,” I do love Peter’s words today; they ring true for me.

Peter’s words come after many in the Gospel abandoned Jesus because of this confusing teaching about eating flesh and drinking blood. After their departure Jesus turns to the disciples and asks them if they are leaving too? Peter who we at times pick on and who I think doesn’t understand what Jesus is talking about either says the best possible answer. “To whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Isn’t that quite frankly the simplest answer? When we look at all Jesus has said and done, don’t we know that “He is Lord and He has the words of life.” Why would we go anywhere else – seek Life…seek Him.