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John 6:48-59
Suggested further reading: Luke 23:39-43
The `eating and drinking' of which Christ speaks do not mean
any literal eating and drinking. Above all, the words were not
spoken with any reference to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
For one thing, a literal `eating and drinking' of Christ's
body and blood would have been an idea utterly revolting to all Jews
and flatly contradictory to an often-repeated precept of their law.
For another thing, to take a literal view of `eating and
drinking' is to interpose a bodily act between the soul of man and
salvation. This is a thing for which there is no precedent in Scripture.
The only things without which we cannot be saved are repentance
and faith.
Last, but not least, to take a literal view of `eating and
drinking' would involve most blasphemous and profane consequences.
It would shut out of heaven the penitent thief. He died long
after these words were spoken, without any literal eating and
drinking. Will any dare to say he had `no life' in him? It would admit
to heaven thousands of ignorant, godless communicants in the
present day. They literally eat and drink, no doubt! But they have no
eternal life and will not be raised to glory at the last day. Let these
reasons be carefully pondered.
The plain truth is, there is a morbid anxiety in fallen man to
put a carnal sense on scriptural expressions, wherever he possibly
can. He struggles hard to make religion a matter of forms and
ceremonies, of doing and performing, of sacraments and ordinances, of
sense and sight. He secretly dislikes that system of Christianity
which makes the state of heart the principal thing and labours to
keep sacraments and ordinances in the second place. Happy is
that Christian who remembers these things and stands on his guard!
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For meditation: Many of the Jews expected acceptance with
God because of their outward ordinances — yet they
perished (1 Cor. 10:1-5).
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