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Food and Drink
It is a hard teaching, Jesus offering Himself as food and drink. Why? Let us look to the Old Testament for some clues.
- First, in the covenant with God, bread and wine were the original sacrificial gifts. These were items of food needed everyday to maintain life. You can draw the connection – what keeps you alive is precious, therefore it is a worthy sacrifice of thanks to God.
- Second, Melchizedek comes to meet Abram with on offering of bread and wine which prefigures the Eucharist.
- Third, the manna in the desert, reminding us that we do not live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of God.
- Fourth, the multiplication of loaves when Jesus feeds the five thousand indicating the abundance of this Bread of Life.
- And fifth, the cup of wine, this is my blood, poured out for you and many for the forgiveness of sins.
All of this led up to the Old Covenant Passover. Jesus now takes us to the New Passover, the offering of His body and blood. Food that is meant for eternal life with the Father. When Jesus commands us to take His Body and Blood we are to realize that we take the very life of Jesus within us. Jesus desires that intimate relationship with us. Amazing!
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen