When Not Eating Is Not an Option

13th Sunday after Pentecost, 8/19/18
John 6:51-58


When Not Eating Is Not an Option
I. When the food is Jesus, the Bread of Life
II. When the blessing is eternal life


Living here in the Dayton area as we do, I’m guessing you’re familiar with our former congressman, Tony Hall. And as soon as I mention his name, you associate him with his personal passion to end world hunger.

An article which appeared over a year ago in the Dayton Daily News informed the public that Hall was now waging his third hunger strike, consuming only liquids for an unspecified number of days, all in an effort to call attention to the fact that our current US budget marginalizes the causes for which he passionate, especially feeding the poor. Apparently, since this was his third round of choosing not to eat, Hall feels it’s an effective way to seek the public’s interest and support. I suppose that’s debatable. What’s impressive from my personal standpoint, is that he has the willpower to choose not to eat. As a person who loves eating, I’m almost certain I would be unable to join him and I’m also certain you wouldn’t want to be around me if I tried. Things could get ugly.

But there are other reasons people choose not to eat. Fasting for a specified time is common in many cultures. It was a practice in both Old and New Testament times among God’s people. It used to be a common practice among Lutherans prior to attending the Lord’s Supper. However, as common as it might have been at one time, I’m guessing few of you have practiced fasting.

But almost all of us have chosen for a time a lifestyle of not eating certain foods. Maybe we have experienced adverse reactions to certain foods. Maybe we’ve decided that certain foods, while we thoroughly enjoy them, simply are packing on the pounds, so we cut them out of our daily diets.

Simply stated, we choose not to eat. And often that’s OK.

But not when it comes to our spiritual lives. Unfortunately, sinful human beings throughout history have been prone to making that very tragic choice. But not without dire warnings—warnings that come from the very mouth of God himself. We hear those warnings in these words of Jesus before us this morning in John 6. In these words Jesus makes it perfectly clear when not eating is not an option. Let’s see what he means.

Part I.

Junk food. Countless reports have labeled the consumption of junk food by Americans as an epidemic. One study stated that 1/3 of our daily food intake is “junk,” meaning it has virtually no food value. In other words, it’s full of things that are not good for us. So why do we consume it? Because it tastes good and it’s easy to purchase and consume. But in spite of our preference for it, it’s still junk food.

When it came to their spiritual eating habits, most of the Jews of Jesus’ days on earth were filling themselves with junk food, even though the term had not yet been invented. What do I mean? Well, especially on this day in their lives, they were looking for miraculous bread from heaven. Earlier in their discussion with Jesus this day, the Jews referred to the fact that God had fed their ancestors bread from heaven every day for 40 years while they wandered in the wilderness. They went on to reply that they would like Jesus, who had just fed 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish, to do the same for them. In fact, having Jesus as their Bread King was their fervent desire.

What the Jews, by and large, were not looking for was a Savior from sin, which is the sole reason Jesus came to this earth. They felt no need for him to sacrifice himself for their sins. And why not? Because they were convinced it wasn’t needed. After all, they were God’s chosen people.

So, the results were predictable when Jesus declared, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. 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.” First, let’s make one thing clear: Jesus is not referring to the Lord’s Supper here. There are at least four reasons for that truth, but I won’t go into them here and now. What he is saying is that they must eat of him. Not eating of him is not an option.

So, what does he mean? To eat of Jesus and drink his blood means to believe him. It means to believe that what Jesus says is the truth. It means to believe that Jesus is the world’s only Savior from sin. It means to believe that he is the eternal Son of God come down from heaven in human flesh and blood. It means to believe that Jesus came to sacrifice himself for the sins of the world. It means to believe that Jesus died, but then rose again from the dead and lives eternally. That’s what it means to eat of Jesus.

But that’s something these people on this particular day in the life of Jesus were not willing to do. In fact, they refused to do it.

If they had refused to eat physically anything else on this day, we wouldn’t be discussing this event today. I doubt that the Holy Spirit would have caused any of the writers of the New Testament even to mention it. But this eating was essential. This eating was critical.

It’s the situation when not eating is not an option. It’s when the food is Jesus, the Bread of Life.

Parents of young children can easily become exasperated when their child refuses to eat the food that the parents placed in front of them. Earthly food. Can you imagine how exasperated our God becomes when he places heavenly food in front of us but we’re less than eager to consume it?

Are you having a hard time imagining any situation in which you knowingly do that? Let me help you. These people to whom Jesus spoke would have gladly devoured what Jesus was serving them, as long as it was what they wanted to hear, as long as he would agree to be the kind of savior they wanted him to be. I’m prone to do the same and so are you. I want Jesus to let me determine what’s best; for me to set the rules, at least in the situation at hand; for Jesus to wave his hand of blessing over the course of action I’ve already decided to take, even though it conflicts with what he’s told me in his word. In other words, I want Jesus to prepare the food I like at the moment, and then I’ll be happy to enjoy eating it. Otherwise, I’ll just push the plate away from me like a spoiled child. Jesus declared, “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.” As the Son of God from heaven, he demands and deserves first place in our hearts and lives. It’s his word above our own word and everyone else’s. Have you always given him that place? I haven’t either. And so he calls on us to eat his flesh and drink his blood—to believe in him for our forgiveness. That’s when not eating is not an option. So what are you waiting for? Eat!

Part II.

Like it or not, we’re not all that different from the Jews in this account when it comes to what we want Jesus to be. Likewise, we’re unexpectedly similar when it comes to what we want this life to be. I want this life to be better right here, right now. Do you share that desire? I’m tired of the daily assaults of evil. I’m sick of hearing what sinful people do to other people. I’ve become deaf when it comes to what our leaders are saying, because I have a hard time trusting anyone anymore. It pains me no end to know that, not only am I afraid what might happen to our children, they’re afraid, too. I want something better. In fact, I want something perfect, here and now. In fact, I want utopia.

So did these Jews who engaged Jesus in conversation on this day in our text. They were far less interested in what Jesus might be able to do for them in the future; they wanted him to use his power to make life here and now filled with endless joy and delight.

Listen to Jesus put a pin in their utopian bubble. “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. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” This life is not “it.” The next life is. Jesus declared that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood has eternal life. Not will have. Has. Eating and drinking Jesus in this context is believing in him. Those who believe that he is the Son of God and the Savior of the world possess eternal life right now. As Christians, it’s your possession right now. Look forward to the day when the Lord Jesus will bring you to it.

In fact, he promises the resurrection of your body on the Last Day. Some day I hope to take the time to count how often the Bible urges us to take our eyes off of this life and look forward to our life with glorified bodies after the resurrection on the Last Day. This life isn’t “it.” The next life after the resurrection is. And that life lasts forever. The only way to attain it is by feeding on Jesus, the Bread of Life.

Want a better life? A perfect life? Then here’s when not eating is not an option—when the blessing is eternal life.

These people to whom Jesus spoke had living bread all around them. But they didn’t pick up what Jesus was putting down. In fact, as we’ll hear next Sunday, the vast majority of them turned and walked away from Jesus. Did they ever return? We don’t know. And it’s all because they felt eating was an option.

Don’t make the same mistake! This eating is not an option. Your eternal life is at stake. Watch out for daily cares and concerns which pull you away from your focus on the Bread of Life. Make plans now to eat this Bread during this week and to be here next Sunday to feast on it again. Invite others to join you. This is the one food you can’t get too much of. It’s Jesus, your Savior who sacrificed himself for you so that you could enjoy eternal heaven with him. This eating is not optional. So let’s eat! In fact, let’s feast on Jesus, the Bread of Life! Amen.