14th Sunday after Pentecost
Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; Psalm 34:15-22; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69
The Bread of Life discourse reaches its climax on the 14th Sunday after Pentecost. The Rabbi from Nazareth, from where nothing good can come (John 1:46), has declared himself the bread of life that has come down from heaven (6:51). The bread is his flesh, and whoever eats of it and drinks of his blood, will find life everlasting (51, 54).
At the end of the speech, the would-be followers of Jesus find themselves at a crossroads. What began as a dialogue between the crowd searching for Jesus after the feeding of multitudes (6:22-24) has moved to the local Synagogue (59), the place of worship and learning about God. There, the question that defines this portion of John’s gospel is asked. The teaching is too difficult. Who can hear it (61)? What makes what Jesus says difficult to accept is somewhat open to interpretation. Nonetheless, it is hard enough to cause candidate disciples to turn their backs and no longer go about with him. Who else wishes to go away?
In the book of Joshua, Moses, former second in command, now leader of the 12 tribes of Israel living in Canaan, summons the people for a covenant renewal ceremony. Joshua has fulfilled his call and is about to depart this world. His legacy is an unwavering trust in the God who brought them that far from slavery in ancient Egypt.
The renewal was deemed necessary because the cosmic forces at work to separate us from God and one another are relentless. In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul teaches that this battle “is not against enemies of blood and flesh (6:12).” The theater for this warfare is inside us. The best defense against the bad actors trying to convince us to give away the proclamation of the gospel of peace is faith in Jesus Christ (15).
The Psalmist proclaims:
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken (Psalm 34:17-18, 20; NRSVue).”
Bridging Faith 