“‘永活的父怎样差我来，我又因父活着；照样，吃我肉的人也要因我活着。’” - 约 6:57
众人来见耶稣，要问衪一些问题。耶稣便告诉他们，祂是生命的粮，凡吃祂肉的人必永远活着！这种教导实在不可思议，这种教导可不是每一个听见的人都能够接受的。你岂能怪他们呢？若有师傅说凡吃衪肉的人必会活着，实在相当不同寻常。众人听了后，有些人便离开了，他们说他们无法接受这种教导。
然而，这个我们无法凭理性来解释的奥秘，就是圣餐礼的中心。我们象征性地吃我们主耶稣基督的身体并喝衪的血，因为我们接受衪是神所差遣来赐我们救恩和永生的。耶稣知道，有些人不能接受这个说法，但衪并不为此担忧。衪应许圣灵赐生命，而衪所说的话“就是灵，就是生命”（约翰福音 6:63）。
即便在今天，耶稣这番话也是令人费解的。唯有以信心为前题，这番话才真正有意义，就像西门彼得凭信心说：“主啊，你有永生之道，我们还归从谁呢？我们已经信了，又知道你是神的圣者。”
祷告
主耶稣，你的话语“就是灵，就是生命。”当有人不能接受你的话语时，求你帮助我们不害怕，不担忧，叫我们能够全然信靠你的话、被你喂养、得到唯有你才能赐下的永生。阿们。
约翰福音 6:52-69
52因此，犹太人彼此争论说：“这个人怎能把他的肉给我们吃呢？”
53耶稣说：“我实实在在地告诉你们：你们若不吃人子的肉，不喝人子的血，就没有生命在你们里面。
54吃我肉、喝我血的人就有永生，在末日我要叫他复活。
55我的肉真是可吃的，我的血真是可喝的。
56吃我肉、喝我血的人常在我里面，我也常在他里面。
57永活的父怎样差我来，我又因父活着，照样，吃我肉的人也要因我活着。
58这就是从天上降下来的粮。吃这粮的人就永远活着，不像你们的祖宗吃过吗哪还是死了。”
59这些话是耶稣在迦百农会堂里教训人说的。
60他的门徒中有好些人听见了，就说：“这话甚难，谁能听呢？”
61耶稣心里知道门徒为这话议论，就对他们说：“这话是叫你们厌弃吗？
62倘或你们看见人子升到他原来所在之处，怎么样呢？
63叫人活着的乃是灵，肉体是无益的。我对你们所说的话就是灵，就是生命。
64只是你们中间有不信的人。”耶稣从起头就知道谁不信他，谁要卖他。
65耶稣又说：“所以我对你们说过，若不是蒙我父的恩赐，没有人能到我这里来。”
66从此，他门徒中多有退去的，不再和他同行。
67耶稣就对那十二个门徒说：“你们也要去吗？”
68西门彼得回答说：“主啊，你有永生之道，我们还归从谁呢？
69我们已经信了，又知道你是神的圣者。”
The One Who Feeds On Jesus Will Live
"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." - John 6:57
Jesus tells the people who have come to him with questions that he is the bread of life and that whoever feeds on him will live forever! This is a strange teaching, and not all of the people who heard it could accept it. Can you blame them? It is quite unusual for a teacher to say that whoever eats their flesh will live. When they heard this, some people turned away, saying they could not accept this teaching.
Yet this mystery that we cannot explain rationally is at the heart of the sacrament of communion, the Lord's Supper. Symbolically we eat and drink the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord, because we accept that he is the one whom God has given to provide us salvation and eternal life. Jesus knows that some people will find this offensive, but he isn't bothered by that. He promises that the Spirit gives life and that the words he has spoken are "full of the Spirit and life" (John 6:63).
Even today these words are hard to explain. They only make sense in the context of faith when we, like Simon Peter, say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God."
Prayer
Lord Jesus, your words are "full of the Spirit and life." Help us not to be afraid or alarmed when some people find your words offensive, but enable us to trust your word completely, to feed on you, and to receive the eternal life that only you can give. Amen.
