The Eucharist. The Real Deal. Part 5

We continue in John Chapter six. "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." (Jn 6:48-51) Now remember in Jn 6:34-35 The Jews asked Jesus for this bread he had to offer and Jesus told them he was the bread of life. Pay close attention, Jesus defines what the "bread" is in V51 "IS MY FLESH" . Jesus is getting more explicit. Also remember up to this point the Jews understand Jesus metaphorically.
The very next verse "The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'" (Jn 6:52) Karl Keating in his book Catholicism and Fundamentalism says "Hugh Pope, in commenting on this chapter, remarked that at last 'they had understood him literally and were stupefied; but because they had understood him correctly, he repeats his words with extraordinary emphasis, so much so that only now does he introduce the statement about drinking his blood'". In the verses following does Jesus correct the Jews for thinking he is talking literally? No!! Did Jesus say any thing like "No stupid you don't get it. I don't mean my flesh, or my body literally. I am saying this bread is like my flesh." No!! Jesus repeats what he said before, and gets more intense so that the Jews know he is not speaking metaphorically.
"So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed" (Jn 6:53-55) Indeed it is. Notice the double amen also translated depending on which version as truly. This is in no way the language used to be symbolic.
Talk at ya Later