John 6:50-58 (NRSV)
Read John 6:50-58 on biblegateway.com
Verse 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. Verse 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." Verse 52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Verse 53So 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. Verse 54Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; Verse 55for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Verse 56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Verse 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. Verse 58This 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."
Devotion
We all know that food is the fuel that keeps our bodies functioning. When we feed our bodies good food, we can feel the positive results. But it's so easy to be tempted to fill ourselves with empty calories instead of nutrition, which can't sustain us for long. In our gospel, Jesus reminds us that when we fill ourselves with his body and his blood, we are going to be nourished in a way that sustains us for the journey, not just through our mortal days, but until we are fully united with God for all time. We will be tempted along the way to fill ourselves with spiritual "junk food," but Jesus knows that isn't going to be enough. Only when we live our lives in Christ will we receive "true food and true drink"—the kind that gives us what we really need to face all that is to come.
Prayer
Nurturing God, you give us everything we need to sustain us through the ups and downs of life. We pray that we can be emptied of sin and selfishness, so that we might be filled to overflowing with the love, grace and truth of your Son. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.