Psalm 102, 108
Jeremiah 23: 9-15
Romans 9: 1-18
John 6: 60-71
Jesus told his followers he was the bread that came down from heaven, that he was sent by the Father to offer unending life. The nationalistic God described in today’s Psalms and Jeremiah readings exhibits uncontrolled anger and vengeance. He is a God who sees our shortcomings and desires retribution. By contrast, the Father of Jesus is forgiving and offers joy and eternal life. It was with much confusion that the crowd reacted to the bread metaphor, something familiar and comprehensible to modern Christians, and told Jesus his teaching was unclear. Many were angered and stopped following after him because he said he had come down from heaven. They knew his parents and they knew where he grew up. The disciples did not understand, but they believed
Jesus when he told them that spirit, not flesh gives life. Jesus offered a spiritual message of salvation, which was grounded in the real world for real people, with hope for the next. He did not pander to the crowd; he did not speak down to them. He offered a message that required only belief for spiritual rebirth. He spoke with authority and appealed to those burdened with guilt. His plea was for real religion, a plea to the spirit within, a plea for a relationship with the Father of all. He is a Father who unfailingly loves us, who wants us to recognize his love, and by acknowledging Him as Father of all, acknowledge all in the world as neighbors to be loved, even as He loves us.
Mark Ramey, Sr.