Day 975 - Who Has Heard And Learned?

A reflection of John 6:35-58 for the Men's bible Study, Second Presbyterian Church, August 13, 2015 

Scripture: John 6:35-58 

        The lectionary passage for this past Sunday was John 6:35-51 and that for next Sunday is John 6:51-58. The entire 6th chapter has strong sacramental connection. since many have addressed that perspective, I have concentrated on what may be a more significant message about faith and belief, and how one comes to them. 
       These verses are a climatic revelation about the character of one's calling and the reality that the world is an adverse place for one who has faith. To that end I pose the relevant verses as a reprise at the end of the post.You will see the two passages have three self disclosures by Jesus revealing his divine nature and purpose. The first is an honest and direct statement about his purpose and the meaning of the sign of the bread. Yet the crowd responds much like the crowd we read is a previous post on Mark's account of the events leading to this feeding when Jesus visited Nazareth reported by Mark (Mark 6:1-6).
      
       The passage is constructed to use the first revelation to "set the stage" for the detailed interpretation of it in the next two "self-revelations." First, Jesus rebukes the crowd for misinterpreting the Exodus story concerning Manna. The second and third have such a remarkable parallel that it is difficult to avoid the conclusion this is a purposeful construction that first reveals the actual metaphorically expressed message to closed minds, then repeats it in a way that shocks the listener with an outrageous literal statement implying cannibalism to get their attention.
       The message is hard, as the reaction in v. 52 shows. Can one get past the concrete understanding to grasp the spiritual message? Or is one's mind simply blind to the real message of the sign of bread.  Re-read vv. 28-30 and the the first disclosure.  Ask, "Does the crowd get the message?" 

We will see what John has to say about this question next week, and who gets it, as we conclude the chapter.
      
 First Disclosure:

31Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you bread from Heaven, but it is 32 my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."   34 They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

comment: The crowd has sought and and found Jesus in order to get another meal (John 6:25-26). Jesus realizes the crowd has grasped the literal or concrete message in the sign but missed its spiritual point that is the entire purpose of the sign.

After giving this answer, Jesus repeats the message twice more.  Folllow the second and third repetition below. See if you can determine the significant difference between the second and third repetitions. I have added commentary in italics.

SECOND Repetition: John 6:35-51	Third Repetition: John 51-58
35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.	51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (Spiritual food not physical.)
The world reacts against the light:	The world reacts against the light:
41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”	52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus chastises the listeners: 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.	Jesus warns the listeners : 53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.
"Again, this is who I AM:"	"Again, this is who I AM:"
48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.	58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

A Reprise

36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; 38 for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”  44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.

       So these verses ask a double-pointed question, not only, "Who has heard and learned?" but also "Have I heard and learned?"  What did Mark  and John tell us Jesus said about understanding grace, the Kingdom of God? They said,we depend solely on the grace of the Holy Spirit to open our minds to understand the Kingdom of God. That is found in quiet discernment and prayer, and in heartfelt, candid conversation with those who agree with you and those who see it differently.
       If we pursue Christian social justice, what are we to do when we encounter ears that the Lord does not open. If we take this passage (and Mark) seriously, it is entirely likely that some will not learn even when exposed to the plain truth. 
The alternative for us then seems to be for us to take on the responsibility for bringing justice to people. It falls on the back of those who get the message. 
       Then one must ask exactly what is justice and how do we do it? Is it social change of an institution, attacking person's character, destroying property, (that is, giving into our anger) or is it spiritual change that ameliorates one's perspective so we can focus on the important things of life, the life that Jesus describes in these verses above?
       Perhaps the primary focus for achieving justice ought to be on how effectively we are helping the abused (remember I called Mark's gospel, "The Gospel for the Abused?").  
       
       Certainly some social movements led by Christians and Jews have achieved institutional change. The best example is the one often cited, the civil rights protests in the 1950's-1970's, or even Social Security or the ACA.  People fall through the cracks because laws are compromise.  I have said before, institutional change is not individual change, and the world has its teeth set against hope. The still present de facto segregation and economic disparity should open everyone's eyes to the fact that social advocacy will always achieve an imperfect objective. Who picks up the wounded, grieved and abused folks who fall through the cracks social justice attains?

       There is a line not to be crossed in the march for social justice when it becomes mostly a political exercise with a marginal connection to faith rather than an effort to uplift people. There is a line not to be crossed in the march for justice through advocating individual change when the individual becomes more concerned about those who are abused because helping them appeals to self and status rather than compassion of the heart. 

Have any of us heard and learned?

Amen