meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth Me, the same shall also live by Me[1]. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and died. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever.”
Many of the disciples, hearing these words, did not believe it possible that He could do what He promised; they, therefore, went away[2], saying: “This word is hard[3], and who can hear it?”[4] But Jesus, knowing that they murmured at His teaching, asketh: “Doth this scandalize you? If then[5] you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing[6]. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life [7]. But there are some of you that believe not.”[8] But they were scandalized, and many of them walked no more[9] with Him.
- ↑ Live by Me. Because His Flesh and Blood are inseparably united to Himself, the Son of God. So intimate is the union with Him of those who receive Him that He compares it to the union between the Father and the Son. God the Father has life in Himself, and I, as God, have life from Him.
- ↑ Went away. Our Lord’s promises were by no means favourably received. Not only did the Jews remain incredulous, but even many of His disciples, who had hitherto followed Him, took scandal at His words.
- ↑ This word is hard. Or repulsive.
- ↑ Who can hear it? Or believe it.
- ↑ If then. Our Lord made one more attempt to win them to faith. “Does this offend, or scandalize you?” said He. “But if you see me, the Son of Man, go up to heaven with My glorified Body, will you not then believe that I can give My Body to you to be your Food? Will you even then be so carnally-minded, and receive My words so badly?”
- ↑ Profiteth nothing. Flesh, as flesh, cannot give life ; but you must not think of the dead flesh, for it is a question of the Flesh of the Son of Man, in which dwells the Spirit of God, glorifying it and filling it with divine power. My Flesh, united to the Spirit of God, has life-giving power.
- ↑ Spirit and life. For the Flesh which I mean is penetrated by the Spirit and united to the living Godhead.
- ↑ Believe not. In spite of all the miracles which they have seen.
- ↑ Walked no more. They went back to their ordinary way of living and to their various occupations. Their chief object in following our Lord had been the hope which they built on an earthly Messias, and they cared nothing for our Lord’s spiritual and supernatural promises. From henceforward they formed a part of the unbelieving mass of Jews. However, besides the twelve apostles, there still remained faithful the seventy-two disciples (whose sending forth by our Lord you will hear about in chapter LXI), as well as some other disciples, and the holy women who followed our Lord. Thus were His disciples sifted. Those Whose vocation was real, and whose faith was firm, remained with Jesus; whereas many of the weak and wavering could not stand the test to which their faith was put, and left Him.
