Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Me and We

II.

God

A. Response to some tough teaching

1) He talked about eating his flesh.

Drinking his blood.

* Not physical, but spiritual.

* When we eat, we become one???

It is well to bear in mind, in connection with the discourse, that modern man is more acquainted with the metaphor of eating and drinking than we sometimes allow; we “devour” books, “drink in” a lecture, “swallow” a story (if we swallow an insult we forbear to reply!); we may “ruminate” on an idea or poem (ruminate = chew the cud), we “chew over” a matter, we “stomach” something said, or find ourselves unable to do so (cf.

John 6:60, neb), and sometimes we have to eat our own words!

I have heard fond grandmothers declare they could “eat up” their grandchildren (i.e., love them to death!), whereas to bite someone’s head off conveys a different notion!

Further examples of these metaphors will come to mind.

It is, however, significant that the profound saying in the heart of the so-called sacramental discourse, i.e., v 57, interprets the language of eating the Son of God in terms of ultimate koinonia such as exists between the Father and the Son.

Léon-Dufour therefore appears to have ground for his affirmation that chap.

6 deals not successively with faith and the Eucharist, but simultaneously with both (“Pain de vie,” 489).

They were “Scandalized”

They “heard” but didn’t accept…yet, the implied meeting of ‘hear’ is to obey.

B. Flesh and Spirit

* We may choose flesh (We can do it on our own.

We can aquire it on our own.

The people were following Jesus because of the physical benefits (feeding…healing…) Self-Referenced

* Spirit recognizes that there is more to life.

There’s the More Than which is what we really seek.

In this, the flesh is useless.

It is the spirit (Words of Jesus) which bring (give) life.

* a deeper shade of Grace when we give ourselves over…no matter what.

P. J. Temple comments: “Those who wanted a temporal king who would give them food for the body turned their backs on the King’s Son when he promised a banquet truly royal for the soul” (“The Eucharist in John 6,” 451)

C. Options

1) Many Turned Back

They couldn’t take it.

They couldn’t accept what Jesus had to say.

2) A few turned to

Peter, speaking for the disciples, knew there was no other option.

Jesus was it.

III.

You and Us

A. The difficulty when someone walks away.

B. Faith that keeps us growing and moving.

Offense among them over Jesus’ teaching demonstrated yet again that faith in Jesus must involve more than an initially positive response to Him; it must continually open itself to fuller revelations of truth and deeper invitations to trust.

There always seems to be opportunity, tragic as it is, of turning back and no longer following Him (6:66).

*******

If we aren’t challenged…we aren’t listening to Jesus.

B. Faith that keeps us growing and moving.