“Difficult to Swallow”
John 6:56-69
Rev. Sandy Johnson
August 23, 2015
It was spring of 1846 when a group of eight families left Springfield, Illinois on a trek to begin a new life and settle in the west, in California. They were eager and excited at the new prospects that this move had for them. I imagine them as eager as the Israelites leaving Egypt and seeking “a land flowing with milk and honey,[1]” one they had only dreamed about. These thirty-two settlers, ranging in age from infant to elderly, were led by a businessman named James Reed. Reed was hopeful to not only prosper financially in California, but also hoped the new climate would help his wife’s health. The wagon train captain who led the anticipated four-month trek, was George Donner, a sixty-year-old farmer.
These “emigrants traveled to the Mississippi River and joined other adventurers as their wagon train eventually spanned two miles. They arrived at Fort Bridger, Wyoming and 89 of the travelers decided to try a new route, through the Sierra Nevada’s, that they had heard would bring them to California, a full 2 weeks sooner, than if they took the established route, which was estimated to be 300 miles farther.
“The new route to California was laid out by an unscrupulous trail guide named Lansford Hastings. Hastings was not at Fort Bridger at the time they arrived. He was leading an earlier wagon train along his new route. He left word for this party to follow the trail, promising that he would mark the trail for them.[2]”
“Reassured, the group left Fort Bridge and headed for Weber Canyon, where Hastings claimed there was an easy passage through the rugged Wasatch Mountains. When they reached the head of the canyon, they found a note from Hastings attached to a forked stick.
“Hastings warned the Donner party that the route ahead was more difficult than he had thought. He asked them to make camp there and wait until he could return to show them a better way. Hastings’ note troubled the emigrants. To return to Fort Bridger to pick up the established route would have meant wasting several days. They decided to wait for Hastings. After eight days, when Hastings had still not arrived, the emigrants sent a messenger up the canyon to find the guide.
“The messenger returned several days later with instructions from Hastings to follow another trail, and the emigrants complied. The alternate route, however, turned out to be even worse than the Weber Canyon road, and the emigrants had to carve a fresh road through thick trees and across a boulder-strewn ground.
“The Donner party finally made it through the mountain pass and arrived at the Great Salt Lake. Hastings’ route had cost them 18 valuable days. Unfortunately, their difficulties were only beginning. The “shortcut” to California had cost them many wasted days, and the Donner party crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains late in the season. Then on October 28, a heavy snowfall blocked the high mountain passes, trapping the emigrants in a frozen wilderness.[3]”
The snow fall was a full month early and with the drifts exceeding six feet they were trapped, unable to proceed and powerless to retreat. They set up camp and erected make-shift cabins and attempted to make the meager supplies last through the winter. The snow continued to fall eventually reaching a depth of nearly 20 feet. The hungry pioneers “slaughtered the oxen they had brought with them from the east. When this meat was consumed, they relied on the animal’s tough hides. But it was not enough. Starvation began to take its toll. With no other remedy at hand, the survivors resorted to cannibalism.
It was Christmas day when they first ate one of the pioneers who had perished. They labeled each body so that the next of kin would be sure not to eat one of their own. Had they not done this they would have all surely perished. It wasn’t until late February when rescuers followed a trail left by a few of their group, who walked out in blizzard conditions, to seek help. Of the 89 who began the trek only forty-eight made it safely to California.
It’s hard for us to even imagine having to resort to cannibalism isn’t it? Even saying the word brings up horrible thoughts. I was going to say it leaves a bad taste in your mouth! We will never understand what it must have been like to be a part of the Donner Party. As horrific as cannibalism is, the Christians in the second century were accused of being just that! Cannibals. Here they were following Christ and believing that he was the Son of God, that he came to earth to save us and was now sitting at God’s right hand. They were following what they knew in their hearts to be true and they were accused of a scandalous crime. Those accused were deemed to be a threat to human society[4]. Our scripture today doesn’t hide the fact that taken out of context and without the understanding of the symbolism of the Eucharist, we all could be accused of cannibalism. Yes, this teaching is difficult, it is hard to swallow, pun intended!
Jesus was preaching to a crowd of religious people. He wasn’t out in public, but speaking at the synagogue at Capernaum. He knew his audience were people who believed in God and he understood their faith practices. He attempted to let them know that He was not there “to destroy their faith, but to fill it more full of divine truth.”[5]
Jesus tells the audience that God had sent him to earth and he was here to nourish God’s people. Not only nourish for a day at a time like the Manna had done, but those who eat the bread of heaven will live forever. If we back up a little bit and read earlier in chapter 6 we can better understand their response in verse 60 when they say that the “teaching is difficult.” Verse 53 – 55 says:
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.
This was unbelievable talk, right?! But Jesus also knew the heart of the Jewish man. He knew that in Jewish culture, blood stands for the life. “It is easy to understand why. As the blood flows from a wound, life ebbs away; and to the Jew, the blood belonged to God. That is why to this day a true Jew will never eat any meat which has not been completely drained of blood.”
“Now Jesus is saying – “You must drink my blood – you must take my life into the very centre [sic] of your being – and that life of mine is the life which belongs to God.” When Jesus said we must drink his blood, he meant that we must take his life into the very core of our hearts.[6]”
Think of it this way. Imagine the book shelf in your home. Think of all the books on the shelves that you haven’t yet read. I have stacks actually at home. Until we take a book off the shelf and open it and begin reading, the story remains external to us. But once we open the book and read the story we become enthralled and fascinated as the story draws us in. The story becomes a part of us as we remember the characters, the story line and then perhaps share the story with others. “Once the book was outside” of us and “now it is inside and we can feed upon it. It is that way with any great experience in life. It remains external until we take it within ourselves. And so it is with Jesus.[7]”
As long as he is in that book on the shelf, he will be external to us. Once we feast on him and draw him into our very beings, it is then that we are enriched with the strength and vitality he longs to give us. “Jesus said that we must drink his blood. He is saying: “You must stop thinking of me as a subject for theological debate; you must take me into you, and you must come into me; and then you will have real life.” That is abiding in Christ, “abide in me, and I in them.[8]”
When Christ tells us that we must eat him and that we will live, he is saying that we must “feed our hearts and souls and minds on his humanity, and to revitalize our lives with his life until we are filled with the life of God.[9]” This difficult teaching caused many to fall away. It was more than they could stomach. They couldn’t allow themselves to believe that they must somehow eat Christ’s body and drink his blood. Jesus, disappointed I am sure, turned then to his inner circle, his twelve disciples and asked them if they too wish to leave his side. Jesus’ fair weather followers escaped before things got too stormy. Anyone who decided to stay would have to remember that there is always a Cross. The road doesn’t end at a Rainbow, but on the hillside at Golgatha.
Thankfully Simon Peter asserted himself and rather than wholeheartedly agree, he says in effect, “we have nowhere else to go, we will stay with you.” But then he strengthens his resolve and says that they do believe and know that Jesus is the Holy One of God.
About the time we think we have it made, the road is clear and smooth sailing ahead, Jesus pushes us to more, he presses us to grow, and grow some more. He never leaves us as we are, but insists on making us better. It’s as if he is saying, “You have come this far, come a little farther. You have committed this much, commit a little more. You love these people, now open your arms to those people over there. You have compassion for the one hurting person in front of you, now broaden that compassion to all hurting people in God’s world. Jesus is continually trying to remold us into his likeness.[10]”
Jesus knew his teachings would be difficult to swallow. “He never promised us an easy time. He promised us his presence.”
Let us pray:
Gracious God, when we find ourselves straying away from Christ, remind us of this teaching, remind us that we must devour Christ, we must consume him and draw him deep inside of us as we would a cool drink of water. Give us the courage to do so each and every day. Fill our lives to overflowing with the Spirit of Christ. We pray this all in Jesus Holy name. Amen.
[1] Exodus 3:8b
[2] http://www.history.com/topics/donner-party Accessed August 21, 2015
[3] http://www.history.com/topics/donner-party Accessed August 21, 2015
[4] McGowan, Andrew. “Eating People: Accusations of Cannibalism Against Christians in the Second Century.” Journal of Early Christian Studies. Page 416.
[5] http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/3012/sermon-options-august-23-2015 Accessed August 1, 2015.
[6] Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of John, Volume 1, Revised Edition. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia. 1975. Page 224.
[7] Ibid
[8] John 6:56
[9] Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of John, Volume 1, Revised Edition. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia. 1975. Page 225.
[10] http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/3012/sermon-options-august-23-2015 Accessed August 1, 2015.
