Hard words like Jesus speaking about drinking blood was extremely offensive to the people of his day. Leviticus 17 talks about God cutting all connections with people who drank blood, “I will set my face against them and cut them off from the people” Whether it’s animal or human, blood was seen as the spiritual essence of life so this was deeply offensive to the followers. And yet Jesus told them that drinking blood, his blood, was the only way to connect to God. That was such a hard teaching that it alienated many of his followers. We understand that this is a metaphor about the ritual of eating communion together. Or is it? Because this was not about the Last Supper, or about how to share communion, it was about who Jesus was, the Word made flesh.
Add to this the shock of hearing Jesus talk about his being a sacrifice, willing to give up his body and blood, was also a hard word to swallow. Sacrificing one’s own life for the sake of others is pretty high stakes at any time. It’s almost unimaginable in this day and age. And it would have been very distasteful back then.
We are not good at sacrifice. We like to do things that feel right or comfortable or customary. We like to go with the flow, fit in, feel like we belong. We want the latest fashions, or the nicest car, or the softest furniture, the most delicious food. We can’t imagine giving our lives away for someone else’s benefit. Yet that is what Jesus did. He offended people. He shocked people. He went against what the rest of the country thought was proper or appropriate. He used hard words because it wasn’t about winning the popularity contest or gaining friends and influencing people. He used hard words because he was developing a strong, resilient and visionary group of followers who would carry his ideas forward despite all the world would throw at them. Despite how offensive the message was of a state-tortured holy man who had the power to overthrow even death itself. Hard words that would cost him his life.
We are living in hard times that seem to be getting more complicated, rather than less. Afghanistan is once again in turmoil, despite many people of many nations sacrificing their blood and their lives. Haiti is also going through another crisis. The UN announced a code red for humanity, which seems more believable than ever given the state of the fires in BC, melting of glaciers and record-breaking heatwaves here at home. And now we have an election to wade through where words will be used to convince us to vote. Some parties will use emotional words to scare us, others will use logical words to convince us. And words will be used to confuse us and mislead us. This summer we were supposed to be free from all Covid restrictions and were told that events like the Calgary Stampede would be safe. Now we know that rapid testing isn’t foolproof, and cases in Calgary outnumber the cases in other areas of the province. Vaccination rates have plateaued, and words have convinced many of conspiracy theories and promoted vaccine hesitancy.
Too many words. Too many angry opinions and confusing ideas. Too many difficult situations. Too many tragedies. Too many wars.
What do we do at times like these? That’s where Paul’s writing comes in handy. He was writing in hard times to a congregation that was struggling to know who it was and how it would follow Jesus. He talked about how difficult it was when the world was full of strife, dissent, conflict and confusion. He said that it wasn’t about physical wars between nations, but wars about ideas, about values, about passions, and about loyalty to one’s beliefs:
“For our battle ultimately is not against human forces, but against the sovereignties and powers, against the authorities, against the rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
He used a military image because it was a common image that everyone was familiar with.
Today, he could have used football protective gear. Think about all the padding they must wear, the helmet, the shoulder pads, the cleated running shoes! Or the masks and chest pads a catcher wears behind home plate, or the shin pads of the goalie. All those layers of protection are what we are more familiar with. And doesn’t it sound comforting to know that God provides us with protection from the mental, emotional and spiritual challenges we face?
I like Eugene Peterson’s version of this passage:
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, justice, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
We use the Word of God to strengthen ourselves and our community in times of difficulty. We are charged to do that with truth, justice, peace, and faith, and with two primary tools – scripture and prayer. Words for tough times, words for staying strong and resilient and courageous. Now is the time for us to put on the whole uniform of God and use our words to follow the Bread of Life and the Word made flesh, who for us is the Holy One of God.
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