The Gospel for this Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost is from John 6:51-69 and continues the recent discussions from John 6. This is the third consecutive selection where our Lord elaborates on His teaching: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:51 ESV). Some of His hearers at Capernaum are scandalized by this assertion. Some dislike the newness or the uniqueness of His claim. Others at Capernaum are too literalistic or materialistic. They interpret the teaching about feeding on Christ in Word and Sacrament in crude, cannibalistic terms (see Formula of Concord, Epitome, VII.6).
Some people, ancient and modern, have turned away from Jesus because of His unique claims. They have refused to come to Him and feed on Him. They have rejected His abiding presence in both Word and Sacrament. However, we must not be so stubborn. We must accept what He says. We must come in humble faith and feed on Him. As Simon Peter says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life..." (John 6:68 ESV). Only through Christ Himself, present in Word and Sacrament, can we receive the nourishment that we need to live in this world and the next!
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