“You have the words of eternal life.” That’s quite a powerful admission that we hear St. Peter make in today’s gospel. In the midst of his bumblings and failures, he also sometimes got it right. The same man who was left almost speechless on Mount Tabor when he and two other disciples were privileged to get a glimpse of Jesus in all his heavenly glory, the same man who denied knowing Jesus when Jesus was in a trial for his life – not once but three times – that same man was also able to recognize who Jesus was and the power of his words. You will recall another occasion when Peter boldly proclaimed, “You are Christ, the son of the living God,” when Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was. It must have been the Holy Spirit who inspired Peter. And, it’s a great encouragement to us as well as an important lesson in humility before God.
Over the past five Sundays, we have heard passages from the Gospel of John’s Bread of Life Discourse that followed right after Jesus fed the 5,000. We’ve heard Jesus declare that he is the true bread from heaven, greater than the manna that God had given the Israelites as he led them through the desert to the Promised Land. Jesus went on to assert that he is “the bread of life,” and “whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” He says it again in other words: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” And then, he adds, “And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” He even requires that the faithful partake of this sacred gift. “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day,” we have heard Jesus proclaim.
As we hear in today’s gospel passage, those who had been following Jesus found all of this difficult to accept. In fact, as we hear at the beginning of today’s Gospel, “many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, ‘This saying is hard; who can accept it?’” You will notice that Jesus doesn’t back off after his disciples complain. He doesn’t say, “sorry, I misspoke. I really didn’t mean it.” No, instead, he goes on to explain what he meant when he said “I will raise him on the last day” as he begins to reveal the resurrection of the dead – another new teaching. “What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” we hear him declare. “As a result of this,” we hear the Gospel account continue today, “many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him.”
Yes, our Lord’s teachings are quite challenging and he calls us to believe in him, even when we do not fully understand. Who here really understands the great mystery of transubstantiation – the transforming of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ? Who here really grasps the resurrection of the dead and the promise of eternal life in heaven? These are, indeed, divine mysteries beyond our full understanding.
But, we can believe in Jesus, and his heavenly Father who sent him, because God has shown, through the ages, that he is faithful to his people and to his word. To ancient Israel, God promised that he would take care of those who put their faith him. In today’s first reading, we hear the great prophet Joshua, the successor of Moses, call his people to do just that. Before he does this, however, you will notice that Joshua recounts the great deeds of God who has taken his people from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land where they are living in prosperity. And then, Joshua proclaims that he and his household will serve the Lord, not the false gods of the peoples who surround them. The rest of the people also affirm: “We also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
We come today to the conclusion of the Gospel of John’s Bread of Life discourse that we’ve heard from over the past few weeks. In these Gospel passages, we have heard about Jesus feeding the 5,000 as a sign of the Eucharist and the heavenly banquet. We have heard Jesus, the Son of God, promise infinite joy in eternal life to those who put their faith in him. Following God’s way has been a challenge through the ages and continues to be a challenge to every one of us today. But, it is the only way to everlasting happiness. And, we have the privilege of learning about God’s way every time we read the Sacred Scriptures, and every time we hear God’s Word proclaimed and explained at Mass.
And, we have the Eucharist, the true Body and Blood of Christ, to nourish us as we follow God’s way. It is not the way of this world, but God’s way.
In today’s Gospel, we hear our Lord ask the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” He asks us the same question today. How are we going to answer? I pray that, like Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit and with deep humility before God, we will all proclaim, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life!”