“A text without context is a pretext.”

In part 1, I used the example of how context can determine a course of literalism or symbolism. One of Jesus’ statements bewildered some disciples and the sneaky religious leaders:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6: 53, 54

Because of literalism, it caused some disciples to walk away and never follow Him again. It was a difficult saying to understand on the surface.“ Therefore, many of His disciples, when they heard this, said,

“This is a hard (difficult) saying; who can understand it?”

These are the surface readers and those who don’t listen closely. Often, they are lazy and desire quick and plain answers. Especially answers that fit their own way of thinking or beloved traditions. Others want to force the literalism and therefore miss the point that Jesus made regarding the words of God. Who can understand it? It is those who listen closely to context and love Him. His point can easily be lifted out of the symbolism as he explained to the twelve who stuck by him. even though their understanding of His kingdom was still growing.

They comprehended Jesus was comparing bread with words, and His blood with sacrifice. By these two things a person has eternal life and will “be raised up in the last day “(Verse 39, 40, 44). If not, they will not be “raised up at the last day.”

A steady diet of Jesus’ words will give real life-saving faith. Here are the plain words that a majority of the crowd missed:

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Verse 63

God’s Spirit are contained in the words! How can that be? Let’s use a real-life example:To eat breakfast and skip on eating God’s words every day results in deterioration of the soul. A famous evangelist once said, “Little time with God, little faith. Much time with God, much faith.”

If we are not reading and digesting God’s word every day, we will become spiritually skinny, weak, and die. We may be overweight on the outside, but starving on the inside. Remember, you must do the spiritual eating yourself. You can’t have your pastor or anyone else eat for you.

So, turn off those recordings and let God talk to you directly. Also keep in mind, it is not the habit of reading that helps, it is the understanding of God through this exercise and then doing his will (John 4:34). As James said,

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22

Please do not turn daily devotions in a works oriented exercise. If you miss a day or two, it doesn’t mean you are lost. Now how about those who would force literalism into this sermon of Jesus? Yes, it has happened in our world over the ages. Have you heard of transubstantiation? In the Roman Catholic church, during the taking of the Eucharist (Lord’s supper for the Protestants), the priest claims that he turns the bread and the wine into the literal body and blood of Christ even though the bread and the wine remain the same in their appearance. Thereby, the literal body and blood of Jesus are consumed! It totally discounts the point Jesus makes about the context and connection of living by His words.

Therefore, the message of Jesus is turned from an important spiritual lesson regarding eternal life and growing spiritually to a religious ceremony with all its pomp and display. As He said,

“It the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Verse 63

If the audience that day had listened closely, and had only a slight understanding of Jesus and the context of His ministry, they would have known Jesus was using symbolism to make a spiritual point of vital importance. It is a point that separates many church goers into those who are real and growing and those who have the “form of godliness, but deny the power.” 2 Timothy 3:5Tomorrow, we will look at the symbolism contained in parables.