Many years ago, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen of the Diocese of Rochester, NY – and host of the television shows The Catholic Hour and Life Worth Living – spoke to the Lutherans of the Upper New York Synod of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA). The title of his talk was, “Kicking and screaming we enter the Kingdom of God.” It turns out that “kicking and screaming” is not too bad a translation of the Greek helkysē, which is often translated as “drawn to,” but which actually has a more forceful and somewhat violent undertone. This drawing is more of a dragging. And the implication of human reluctance in response to God’s call, resonates with me. Especially when taken with another Greek word in this week’s text, egongyzon – which the NRSV translates as “complain.” However, in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in use during Jesus’ incarnate ministry (The Septuagint) and the Hebrew upon which it was based, it is better understood as “murmuring” or “grumbling,” which is the same low-grade protest by the Hebrews against Moses in the wilderness (see Exodus 17:3 and Numbers 11:1). It seems that history is repeating itself.
However, while humanity shows no sign of change or improvement, God’s reaching out through Jesus is now even greater than that shown through Moses. Not only is the bread at hand version 2.0 (the manna in the wilderness kept the people alive until their life’s end, whereas Jesus offers abundant and eternal life), but the deliverer of this bread is beyond comparison to Moses. For Jesus is not merely a prophet, but the Messiah; and not merely the Messiah whom people were expecting (a new Moses or Elijah or King David) but God incarnate (in the flesh!).
It should be noted that when Exodus 33:11 speaks of Moses and God meeting “face to face” it has generally been taken to mean ‘in direct conversation,’ since in verse 20 God tells Moses, “… you cannot see my face, for no one shall see me and live.” And so, Jesus states clearly: “Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God [Jesus]; he has seen the Father (vs. 40).
Yet the parallels between Moses and Jesus, and between the grumblers in the wilderness and those in Jesus’ presence (and those of us who grumble still!) are clear. As once commentator puts it: “God’s provision is constant; so is humanity’s misunderstanding and rejection.”
By the end of today’s text (vs. 51b), Jesus will allude to his crucifixion: “… and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh (sarks).” This is what makes his bread the ultimate life-giving bread. And next week, we shall discover that Jesus provides us food for the journey, through the bread of Holy Communion – and this will cause such extreme offense that it continues to offend some in several branches of the Church even today! Stay tuned…
