"I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." (John 6:48-58)
Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Japanese writer, trying to write a critical analysis on the history of world culture, came to an interesting conclusion. He says that if we are to compare world culture, civilization, and reality to what we drink, there is a "Coffee Culture' and "Tea Culture.'
Korea used to drink lots of tea until coffee was introduced. Now coffee is widely consumed in Korea. Which type of culture do you think you are? I used to belong to the "Coffee Culture,' but after I met my wife, I started to lean toward the "Tea Culture.'
The tea drinkers drink tea in a meditative and savoring manner in order to be in relaxation and be at ease. Therefore, the "Tea Culture' invites a time to reflect on the past moments of gratitude, regrets and so on. It evokes solidarity, meditation and humility.
On the contrary, people drink coffee to chase away sleep. Therefore, the "Coffee Culture' is for stimulation, not for calm reflection. I agree with the writer's conclusion that the two cultures are radically different.
If I am to apply this to Christianity, drinking tea would be good for giving thanks for God's mercy over the week, which can make the tea taste better. Drink tea with praise, mediation and prayer. On the other hand, we need to cultivate another culture. Since we will have to work tomorrow, drinking good coffee can help us stay awake and focused on work with renewed resolution.
I thought about what it means to worship. We can drink tea reflecting on the passing week thinking, "It was good to be with God throughout the week,' and drink a cup of coffee saying, "I will live faithfully with what God entrusts into my life.'
There are some symbolic words God gives to us in addition to tea and coffee: "You may enjoy drinking tea and coffee. However, there is another drink you are not to forget: wine." We should drink wine with bread. Bread and wine is the traditional food and drink for the Jews. For us today, they symbolize the blood of Jesus shed for redeeming us from our sins, and his flesh, for our life.
In the passage from the book of John, Jesus talks about another kind or manna, or a new dimension of it. The people under Moses who were living in the wilderness ate manna and became hungry again. Moses struck the rock, and the water God had prepared gushed out. They drank and quenched their thirst, yet they became thirsty again.
Jesus says that people had to eat and drink over and over, even after eating and drinking what God had provided. Therefore, on this earth, there is no food or drink that satisfies eternal hunger or thirst.
Food can make us feel full temporarily, but not eternally. Likewise, drink can relieve us for a while, but not eternally. One can rise from the dead and live a little more but not in eternity. Nothing within the world is eternal. The only things that last forever are in God's kingdom. There, we can find the bread and water of eternal life.
How do we get to that kingdom? It's through the word of Jesus. Jesus says, "If you believe in me, you will enter God's kingdom. If you believe in me, you would be full now and remain that way eternally.'
That's the core of our Gospel reading. Jesus' coming was so that we might have eternal life. He came to give not only earthly blessings, but also the heavenly ones as well. God's blessing comes in a package that contains earthly and heavenly things.
As much as we need earthly things to sustain us, we also need heavenly things for us to sustain life. Jesus said that He was the bread of life from heaven. To this the Jews asked, "How do we eat your flesh and blood?'
Jesus' reply to this question was the communion we share. In the bread and cup, there is the bread and the wine of life through Jesus Christ. Consider and take the communion and God's word as the daily bread of God. With this in mind, pray to God. That's how we participate in the promise of eternal life.
Let me invite you to this communion today with reverence. Not only today, but every day, let's receive this blissful gift and participate in the Eucharist. Jesus, the bread of life, transforms our world contaminated by hatred, tension, and distrust into love and reconciliation through His blood and flesh. He has the ability to change our thoughts and our hearts.
I pray that all of you who participate in this communion today be transformed into the citizens of God's kingdom. That is what's required of you from God.
May the peace of God that passes all understanding keeps your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.
Reverend and Doctor Jin O Jeong is an assistant pastor for the Korean congregation at Zion Lutheran Church, Belleville, IL. He graduated from Luther University and received a Ph.D from Yonsei University. He was also a Research Fellow at Hebrew University and Visiting Scholar at Yale Divinity School. Tel: 618-920-9311 Email : jjeong@zionbelleville.org
