I’m afraid I have an impious reaction to this passage. Jesus would not have passed if modern teachers were marking his speech. Because he is not cooperative, and argues back.
He does not meet the current requirements for neatness and compliance. The content of his discourse, which contain the words of our salvation, are not seen are relevant. You must use the modern forms.
41Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh
How education has fallen. The need to cooperate is now woven into our system from infant school to professional training (where it is called being a good member of a team). You have to be likeable, pleasant, polite, on time, and nice.
Jesus was many thinks, but he was not aiming for likeable. Instead he aimed to annoy the pious, challenge them, for they were confident that their legal model was sufficient for salvation. We see the model here — you cannot be from heaven because you are the son of… (and I will not assume that they meant Joseph the husband of Mary. There is an ancient rumour that Jesus was the son of a Roman soldier).
You see it in the loss of the metaphor — that he is the bread of life. As Moses gave manna to the people of Israel — who could not step on the mountain, because of the terror they had in the presence of God — so Christ gave his body, to be cursed and die, for our sake. He is the sacrifice. He is the one way to reconcile our lives and deeds with the righteous demands of a Holy God, and be able to look at him.
But let’s not pretend that he played nicely in the circle. Let’s not pretend he did not piss people off. And let us not state that we should geld ourselves and become nice in obedience to the world.
For the spirit states that we will become more like Christ. Full balled, strong spined, in control of his desires and emotions, and driving the pious leaders of the spirit of the age into rage attacks.
