August 3, 2021
Tuesday’s Thoughts on Scripture comes from John 6:42: [The Jews] were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (NRSV)
Oh how hard it is to be seen as an adult among those we grew up with. They remember all the worst of our upbringing - our not so good grades, our arguments with our parents, our temper tantrums and all those other not so stellar memories.
Now, I do not mean to insinuate that Jesus had any of those type moments, but the Jews did know his human family. They were not scholars, priests, teachers, or people of wealth. Instead, they were common laborers, even peasants. God as his father was not even a consideration as Jesus tried to talk with the Jews about having come down from heaven. That was something the Jews simply could not understand. They could not see past what their eyes witnessed.
This summer, as we have been focusing on the journey and story of the Israelites, the lectionary focus has been on Jesus as the Bread of Life. How can we really understand what that means?! All I know is to accept in faith and trust that the bread and wine of Holy Communion, Christ’s Body and Blood, are transformative means to receive and be assured of God’s love and forgiveness.
In the end, we can ask if partaking Christ’s meal can overcome by grace anything in or of our past? I certainly believe it can..and somehow does. And for that, I give thanks and praise to God.
Blessings. And prayers.
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