“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52)
In the Gospel on Sunday 18 August, Jesus does not answer this question from his followers: instead he emphasises the necessity of physically receiving him, without explaining exactly how he offers himself to us.
In fact, Jesus uses the word “chew” rather than simply “eat” as the passage progresses – to underscore that he expects us to really eat – and he formulates his teaching in the negative to underline that he is not speaking of an optional extra: “if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.” (6:53)
