When my kids were young and I was home with them
there was a period of time when I baked all of our bread
Yeast bread is not difficult to make
It requires just a few staple ingredients
But it does take time
It is a process that requires revisiting the dough many times
It is a process that cannot be rushed
It is a process that is dependent upon the temperature of the room
It is a process that is physical
When beginning yeast bread, the yeast must be activated
Yeast is an incredible thing
If the water is too hot you can kill it,
too cold it will remain dormant
Once the flour and other ingredients are added, the dough must be kneaded
This was always one of my favorite parts of bread making
Really using the muscles in my hands, arms, and shoulders
Massaging the ingredients together into a satiny, firm, dough
Kneading requires strength and purpose
Integrating all of the parts into the dough
Then the dough must rise in a warm place, around 100 degrees Fahrenheit
It has to sit, rest, and grow in this place
Then, for most recipes, you punch the dough down . . .
All of that rising and growth,
Was gone in an instant with a few pounds of my fist
But the yeast is incredible
It raises the dough once again, growing and rising
When the dough is finally ready to bake, there is no smell quite like fresh baked bread
The warm, grainy smell filled my nostrils, bringing me warmth, fullness and satisfaction
Jesus continues his discourse on the bread of life in the Gospel of John this week
We are quite familiar with this use of words
Words like “eat my flesh” and “drink my blood” are common in Christian communities as we regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper
But to these people, these words were disturbing
The Jewish people abided by strict dietary codes
These words from Jesus would sound abhorrent
Yet we know that Jesus doesn’t often speak literally
He most often speaks in parable and metaphor
So while we hear clear connections to the Lord’s Supper in Jesus’ words today, this Gospel is really a bit more complicated than that
The Greek word that is translated as “eat” can also be interpreted as “chew on”
We often use a similar idiom, “chew on this”
to mean not literally to eat something
but to process it thoughtfully
Interpreting Jesus’ words in this way we hear:
Unless you chew on who I am and how I live
You have no true life within you
Those who really chew on my teaching will have a meaningful life
I will uplift them
I am true
Those who chew on my ways allow me to dwell deep within them
And they dwell deep within me
This indwelling is not only with me and them, but also with God
Because God sent me
So chew on this
And find meaningful life
The people Jesus spoke to were familiar with the process of making bread
Bread is an ordinary thing that they could relate to
Making bread isn’t difficult
But it is a process that requires time
A process that calls you back again and again
A process that invites you to be aware of what’s happening around you
A process that involves your whole self
Chew on this
Dwelling in God and accepting God’s indwelling in us is a process
Like yeast that causes the bread to grow and rise
Indwelling requires warmth and nurture
Indwelling requires rest and patience
Chew on this
Sometimes we get punched down
Deflated
Yet God’s indwelling within us causes us to rise once again
And what about drinking Jesus’ blood?
He instructs the people to drink his blood 4 times within these 7 verses
Bloodlines were a significant and critical life force in ancient times
Bloodlines ensured survival and success
This ideology of ancestry and heritage persists today
Throughout the bible, we hear stories of stress and division over bloodlines
Abraham and Sarah fretted over their inability to produce an heir
Jacob tricked his father, Isaac into blessing him with the family inheritance over his older brother Esau
Newly widowed, Ruth went to great lengths to secure a future for herself and her mother-in-law
Continuing one’s bloodline through heirs was essential to survival
And here Jesus is challenging this ancient foundation of family and society
He declares that his blood is available to all people
His blood brings meaningful life to everyone
This Holy blood runs through the veins of all humankind
Stress and division over bloodline end when we are all one in Jesus’ blood
Everyone is welcome, cared for, and included when we accept unity in Christ
This redefinition of family in Jesus’ blood has special meaning to me
It strips away what I have learned from culture, society –
And even from my own blood-relatives -About who is family to me
This Holy blood has broken open my heart
And persists in flowing throughout my entire being
In a way that leaves me no doubt of the interconnectedness we share with others
In a way that gives me no choice
But to be broken open and shared
By Jesus’ holy definition of family
All together, through flesh and blood,
Jesus is inviting us to embody God,
By living like Jesus
To allow God to fill our flesh and course through our veins
To be united through God
Made whole,
And to receive unimaginable experiences in life and love
We’re given a lot to chew on in today’s Gospel reading
Jesus is challenging and inviting us to grow and change
Jesus is reminding us that Christ abides within us –
and within all others
Jesus knows that living this way is a process, it takes time
It’s difficult to overcome rigid thinking and barriers
that have been perpetuated in society for thousands of years
So, as you go about your week
Chew on this
What process of change is God raising within you?
Feel the pulse of Holy blood coursing through your veins
Embody Jesus the Christ in your everyday life
God is calling you
Rise up
Rise up and follow Jesus
Rise up and unite in God’s Holy blood
Rise up and live fully into this gift
Amen
