August 23, 2009 - 12th Sunday after Pentecost

Scripture Study
Proper 16, Year B
AUGUST 23, 2009

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Psalm 34:15-22
Ephesians 6:10-20
John 6:56-69


The Collect

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


Old Testament
Joshua 24:1-2a,14-18

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:

"Now therefore revere the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."


The Psalm
Psalm 34:15-22

15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry.

16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears them
and delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and will save those whose spirits are crushed.

19 Many are the troubles of the righteous,
but the LORD will deliver him out of them all.

20 He will keep safe all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

22 The LORD ransoms the life of his servants,
and none will be punished who trust in him.


Ephesians 6:10-20

Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

John 6:56-69
Jesus said, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 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." He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father."

Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

EXEGESIS of the Gospel:

VERSES 56-59: THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN

56Those who eat (Greek: trogon) my flesh and drink my blood abide (Greek: menei –– from meno) in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats (Greek: trogon) me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats (Greek: trogon) this bread will live forever." 59He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.


"Those who eat (trogan) my flesh and drink my blood" (v. 56a). Earlier in this discourse (vv. 50-51), Jesus used the polite Greek word for "eat" –– phage. Now he shifts to a coarser word, trogan –– used for the munching of feed by animals. His use of the word here is shocking –– attention-getting.

"abide (menei) in me, and I in them" (v. 56b). Jesus promises that those who eat and drink abide in him and him in them. This concept of "abiding in" or "dwelling in" (meno) is important in this Gospel:

• Jesus promises the disciples that the Spirit of truth will abide with them and will be in them (14:17).

• He invites the disciples, "Abide in me as I abide in you" –– likening such abiding to the relationship between vine and branches (15:4-7).

• He says, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love" (15:10).

• Jesus expresses the same idea of deep relationship (without using the word, meno) in his High Priestly Prayer, when he prays for the disciples, "that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (17:21).

• Paul expresses the same idea in different words when he talks about Christians being "in Christ" (Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 15:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17, etc.).

"Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father" (v. 57a). The phrase, "living God," is common in both Old and New Testaments, but this is the only occurrence of "living Father."

"so whoever eats me will live because of me" (v. 57b). Jesus establishes the life-giving chain of authority. The "living Father" sent him, and he lives because of the Father. In like manner, the person who eats his body and drinks his blood (believes in him/ accepts him/ participates in the eucharist) will live. As the Father gave Jesus life, so Jesus gives us life. "Christ alone has direct access to the Father. Believers receive life only mediately through Christ" (Morris, 337).

"This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died" (v. 58a). Jesus' listeners first mentioned manna, referring to it as "bread from heaven" given by Moses (v. 31). Jesus corrected them. It was not Moses who gave them bread, but God. Nor was manna the true bread from heaven, but it was only a type (a foreshadowing) of the true bread from heaven. Jesus identified himself as the bread of life (v. 35) and the living bread (v. 51). He has already reminded his listeners that the manna could not be the bread of life, because their ancestors, who ate it, died in the wilderness (v. 49), and he reiterates that thought here. The death that the ancestors died was a physical death, but "there was a late Jewish tradition that the generation in the desert died spiritually as well and would have no place in the world to come" (Brown, 284).

"But the one who eats this bread will live forever" (v. 58b). Jesus is promising eternal life (v. 54), which is a quality of spiritual life that we can enjoy now and forever rather than a continuation into infinity of physical life –– "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (17:3).

"He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum" (v. 59). This is the first of five times that the words, "synagogue" or "synagogues", are used in this Gospel. Here and in 18:20, the mention of the synagogue has a neutral character, but the other three instances speak of those who believe in Jesus being banished from the synagogues (9:22; 12:42; 16:2).

Capernaum is Jesus' hometown as an adult (Matthew 4:13; 9:1; Mark 2:1). It is the home of Peter's mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14) –– and possibly of Peter and Andrew as well. Jesus performed many miracles in Capernaum, including healing the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13) the woman with the hemorrhage, and Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:21-43). But Jesus warned, "And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you" (Matthew 11:23-24).


VERSES 60-65: THIS TEACHING IS DIFFICULT

60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining (Greek: gonguzousin –– grumbling) about it, said to them, "Does this offend you (Greek: humas skandalizei –– cause you to stumble)? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh (Greek: sarx) is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father."


"This teaching is difficult. Who can accept it?" (v. 60). It is not "the Jews" (v. 52) who make this complaint, but Jesus' disciples. They are offended by Jesus' language –– his imagery –– his metaphors. We are reminded of Paul, who spoke of "the offense of the cross" (Galatians 5:11), and who said that "the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" (1 Corinthians 1:18).

"But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining (gonguzousin –– grumbling) about it" (v. 61a). The grumbling of these disciples links them to the Israelites in the wilderness who grumbled because they did not trust the Lord to provide for their needs (Deuteronomy 1:27; Psalm 106:25). Godly people are not exempt from the usual difficulties of life, and sometimes find themselves the objects of persecution. We are always tempted to imagine that God has abandoned us –– that God is not trustworthy.

"Does this offend you?" (humas skandalizei –– cause you to stumble) (v. 61). The Gospel causes people to stumble, in part, because God's ways are not our ways. We would not save the world by weakness but by power. We would not choose to have God's son born in a manger but in a palace. We would not choose a cross, but a sword –– or a classroom–– or a medical lab –– or a wealthy charitable foundation –– or some other instrument that would offer us opportunity to use power and to exercise control.

The Gospel also causes people to stumble because it is costly. When Christ calls us to eat his flesh and to drink his blood, he is inviting us to participate in his death. The Christians who first read this Gospel experienced persecution. They knew martyred Christians, suffered under the threat of martyrdom, and knew Christians who avoided martyrdom by compromising their faith.

The church is always tempted to remove the offense of the Gospel by tailoring its message to fit the world's values. Someone has said that, if we want to know what the church will be saying in a decade, we need only know what the world is saying today. While such cynical judgment is patently unfair to the many Christians who stand, often heroically, as witnesses against their culture, it is all too fair a judgment on other Christians who too readily bless popular trends. When we hear what passes for preaching in some pulpits, we have to wonder how much comes from Galilee and how much from Hollywood. The more prosperous and sophisticated we become, the more we are tempted to love prosperity and sophistication –– and the less we are likely to challenge the culture in which we live.

The Gospel with no offense, however, is like a surgeon with no scalpel –– having no power to heal. Christ, truly revealed, will always be an offense except to the redeemed. The cross will always be an offense, except to the redeemed. The church must always be ready to give offense –– to speak out for Christ and against the destructive beliefs and behaviors that the world finds so attractive.

"Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?" (v. 62). These disciples were offended by Jesus' claim to be the "bread which came down from heaven" (v. 58). Will they also be offended when they see him ascending into heaven? (v. 62). In this Gospel, the process that ends in Jesus' ascension begins with his being "lifted up" on the cross (3:14; 12:42). "That is the supreme scandal. However offensive the linguistic expression 'eating flesh and drinking blood' may be, how much more offensive is the crucifixion of an alleged Messiah! The very idea is outrageous, bordering on blasphemous obscenity, 'a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles' (1 Cor. 1:23)" (Carson, 301).

"It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh (sarx) is useless" (v. 63a). On the one hand, it seems natural that Jesus would say that the sarx is useless. In this Gospel as well as elsewhere in the New Testament, sarx is often used to contrast that which is worldly with that which is Godly (1:13; 3:6; Romans 7:5; 8:3; 13:14; 1 Corinthians 3:1; Galatians 3:3).

But on the other hand, we are surprised to hear Jesus say that sarx is useless. A key theme of this Gospel is that the Word has become sarx and lived among us (1:14). Jesus has just promised that those who eat his sarx and drink his blood abide in him (v. 56). However, "Jesus is not speaking of eucharistic flesh but of flesh as he spoke of it in ch. iii, namely, the natural principle in man which cannot give eternal life. This contrast between flesh and Spirit appears also in Paul, for example, Rom viii, v. 4: '…who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit'" (Brown, 300).

"This confusion (between the negative and positive aspects of the word sarx) can be avoided when it is observed that the evangelist employs 'flesh' positively when it is linked with Jesus and negatively when it is associated with human response to the divine revelation" (Lincoln, 237).

"The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (v. 63b). This mention of spirit "is unquestionably a reference to the Holy Spirit, the Life-giver" (Morris, 340). In this Gospel, Jesus will impart the Holy Spirit to the disciples on the first Easter (20:22), but the Spirit is already active, having come to rest upon Jesus at his baptism (1:32). Jesus' words impart Spirit and life to the disciples (v. 63b).

"But among you there are some who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him" (v. 64). Early critics of Christianity claimed that Jesus' choice of Judas as an apostle proved Jesus' fallibility. This Gospel says that he knew that he would be betrayed, and knew who the betrayer would be (see also 6:71; 13:11, 21). The betrayal is evil, but Jesus will not permit evil to have the final word.

"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father" (v. 65). Jesus has already stated this principle in verses 37 and 44. Faith is a gift of God.


VERSES 66-69: TO WHOM CAN WE GO?

66Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about (Greek: periepatoun –– were walking) with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" 68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."


"Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about (periepatoun –– were walking) with him" (v. 66). The phrase, "were walking," implies following –– discipleship.

The disciples who turned back clearly expected something other than what Jesus offers. They expected a messiah in the image of David –– a great leader to re-establish their glory days. Following the feeding of the five thousand, they tried to make Jesus king, but he refused their overture (v. 15). "What they wanted, (Jesus) would not give; what he offered, they would not receive" (Bruce, 164).

This "large-scale defection marks a watershed.... Chapter 6 ends on a note of failure. As a result, the scope of Jesus' followers is narrowed, so that only a believing remnant remains" (Kostenberger, 218).

"So Jesus asked the twelve" (v. 67a). We don't know how many disciples turned back, but "the twelve" remain. This is one of only four references to "the twelve" in this Gospel (see also 6:70-71; 20:24). This Gospel usually speaks of "the disciples" rather than "the twelve," but speaks of "the twelve" here to distinguish this smaller core group with the larger group of disciples, some of whom were offended by Jesus' teachings and turned away from him.

"Do you also wish to go away?" (v. 67b). The question as formulated in the Greek expects a negative response –– expects the twelve to respond that they do not wish to go away.

As so often happens, Peter emerges as the spokesman for the disciples. "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life" (v. 68). Peter is asking, "Is there a better rabbi? Is there someone at whose feet we can sit who will reveal God's will more faithfully than you?" When Peter asks this question, he makes it obvious that he believes the answer to be "No!" He believes that Jesus has "the words of eternal life."

"Believers are driven, so to say, into the arms of faith. Their acknowledgment of the truth of Jesus' words of eternal life is as much a matter of having no alternative as of positive reasons" (Sloyan, 76).

Scholars generally treat Peter's words here as the Johannine equivalent of Peter's confession of faith (Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-33; Luke 9:18-20), even though Matthew and Mark report Peter making that confession at Caesarea Philippi while John reports it as happening at Capernaum. Another significant difference is that in the accounts of Peter's confession in Matthew and Mark, Peter's confession is followed by Jesus' telling the disciples that he must suffer and die. This is followed by Peter's protest and Jesus' rebuke of Peter (Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33). There is no hint of Peter's protest or Jesus' rebuke in this Johannine account.

"We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God" (v. 69). In the Greek, "we" is emphatic, contrasting the faith of the twelve with the faithless disciples who went away. The title, "The Holy One of God" is found elsewhere only from the mouth of a demon-possessed man –– or, perhaps, from the mouth of the demon (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34). Peter clearly means it as a lofty title here, distinguishing Jesus as a special gift from God.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of Peter's words in this context. Some of the other eleven disciples might have been on the verge of going away with the others. By seizing the initiative and voicing unequivocal faith in Jesus, Peter holds the little group together. Had he failed to speak, things might have gone very differently. The influence of one person is often critical. We should never doubt the importance of our witness, however unimpressive it might seem to us at the time.


THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

In the best sense of the word, Jesus was a radical....
His religion has so long been identified with conservatism...
that it is almost startling sometimes to remember
that all the conservatives of his own times were against him;
that it was the young, free, restless, sanguine,
progressive part of the people
who flocked to him.

Phillips Brooks

* * * * * * * * * *

The essential teachings of Jesus...were literally revolutionary,
and will always remain so if they are taken seriously.

Herbert J. Muller

* * * * * * * * * *

Christ is God
or He is the world's greatest liar and impostor.

Dorothy Day

* * * * * * * * * *

A man who was merely a man
and said the sort of things Jesus said
wouldn't be a great moral teacher.
He'd either be a lunatic ––
on the level with a man who says he's a poached egg ––
or else he'd be the Devil of Hell.
You must make your choice.
Either this man was, and is, the Son of God,
or else a madman or something worse.

C.S. Lewis

* * * * * * * * * *

"Gentle Jesus, meek and mild" is a sniveling modern invention,
with no warrant in the Gospels.

George Bernard Shaw

* * * * * * * * * *

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Barclay, William, The Daily Study Bible, "The Gospel of John," Vol. 1 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1955)

Borchert, Gerald L., New American Commentary: John 1-11, Vol. 25A (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1996)

Bromiley, Geoffrey (General Editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Volume Four: Q-Z - Revised, the article, "Stumbling Block," by G.L. Archer (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988)

Brown, Raymond, The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to John I-XII (Garden City: Doubleday, 1966)

Bruce, F. F., The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983).

Brueggemann, Walter; Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R. and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV––Year B (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1993)

Carson, D. A., The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1991).

Craddock, Fred R.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; and Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year B (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1993)

Gossip, Arthur John and Howard, Wilbert F., The Interpreter's Bible, Volume 8 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1952)

Howard-Brook, Wes, Becoming the Children of God: John's Gospel and Radical Discipleship (New York: Maryknoll, 1994).

Kostenberger, Andreas J., Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: John (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004)

Lincoln, Andrew T., Black's New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to Saint John (London: Continuum, 2005)

Moloney, Francis J., Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of John (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1998)

Morris, Leon, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995).

O'Day, Gail R., The New Interpreter's Bible, Volume IX (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)

Ridderbos, Herman (translated by John Vriend), The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997)

Sloyan, Gerald, "John," Interpretation (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1988)

Smith, D. Moody, Jr., Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: John (Nashville: Abingdon, 1999)

Richard Niell Donovan, SermonWriter.com