May 11, 2021
Broccoli is good for you. It's a good source of fiber, protein, and contains iron, potassium, calcium as well as vitamins A, C, E, K and B. Needless to say, it would be wise to include broccoli as a regular staple in one's diet. Here's the problem; broccoli doesn't taste good! So, to get people to eat broccoli, there was a very smart mom who had the brilliant idea of covering broccoli in cheese. All of a sudden, broccoli becomes much more palatable, almost enjoyable. However, here's the question, are people eating broccoli because of the health benefits of broccoli or because the broccoli has become the utensil used to deliver the cheese to one's mouth?
What does cheese covered broccoli have to do with
communion? Think of it this way: Jesus is good for you.
Literally life changing. However, Jesus teaches things and
calls his followers to do things that don't "taste good."
What people often do to get others to follow Jesus is to "cover him
and his teachings with cheese"...to make him or his
teachings more palatable. What about you? Do you
really want Jesus or do you prefer the "cheese"?
This is the tension that Jesus creates between himself and the
massive crowd that surrounds him looking for a free meal as
described in John chapter 6. It's in
this moment Jesus not only calls them out, but openly
invites the people to consume him...and only him. This is a
pivotal moment not only for the crowd but for us today. It
challenges us to reevaluate our relationship with Jesus and
determine our willingness to follow him. So what does any of
this have to do with communion!? Make sure and check out part
four of our sermon series, The Gospel of John and find out, we know
that you will find it to be helpful!