Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0385531842&camp=217153&creative=399349\")
<\/strong><\/span><\/em> (you can find these at our old blogspot site). This posts picks up where we left off with chapter four \u201cThe Manna of the Messiah\u201d. \u00a0This chapter is the heart of the book. Brant says at one point that subject of the chapter \u201cled me to study this subject, and ultimately, to write this book\u201d (93).<\/p>\nThe Jewish expectation of a new manna from heaven at the inauguration of the Messianic Age, is the second key to fully grasping the meaning of the Lord\u2019s Supper. Jesus drew on this expectation, according to Brant, to explain the supernatural nature of the Eucharist. Before we get to Jesus let\u2019s briefly review the Jewish expectation.<\/p>\n
The giving of manna is recorded in the Old Testament in the book of Exodus. You will remember that God gave \u201cmanna\u201d, which means, \u201cWhat is it?\u201d, to the Israelites while they wandered in the wilderness until they entered the Promised Land. In fact upon entering the Promised Land the manna stopped falling. Brant uncovers the evidence showing that ancient Jews did not forget the manna. Within the literature of the Second Temple period the manna is referenced many times. Brant highlights three traditions that revolve around the bread from heaven which he believes shed light on Jesus\u2019 thoughts about the Lord\u2019s Supper. The three traditions he lists are: (1) some Jews believed the manna was preexistent, (2) that it was supernatural reality kept in the heavenly temple to feed God\u2019s people, and (3) that at the appearance of the Messiah manna would again fall from heaven to sustain God\u2019s people.<\/p>\n
The relationship between these Jewish traditions and Jesus\u2019 teachings, Brant brings out in clear bold strokes. First, he explains the line in the Lord\u2019s Prayer, \u201cGive us this day our daily bread\u201d in line with the tradition. He believes it is better translated \u201cGive us this day our supernatural<\/em> bread\u201d, translating the difficult Greek word epiousios<\/em> following ancient fathers like Jerome. Here in the context of a prayer for the Kingdom of God to come, Jesus teaches the disciples to pray for the new manna which would accompany its coming. This is quite an interesting interpretation and I\u2019m inclined to be sympathetic to it.<\/p>\nMore significantly is the second touchstone with the teachings of Jesus, the so-called \u201cbread of heaven\u201d sermon recorded in John 6. This passage Brant believes contains Jesus\u2019 most explicit teaching on the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It is fair to say that Brant\u2019s book rests largely on his interpretation of Jesus\u2019 statements here. He in fact quoted the key verses of the passage in the introduction of the book: \u201cunless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you\u201d (John 6:53).<\/p>\n
What is foremost, irrespective of the interpretation of the words in light of the new Manna traditions, is whether this discourse can rightly be seen as Jesus\u2019 \u201cexplicit teaching on the real presence in the Eucharist\u201d and justifiably be referred to as the \u201cEucharist discourse\u201d\u2014both Brant does. He states,<\/p>\n
\u201cIn light of such parallels . . . any attempt to insist that Jesus was not speaking about what he would do at the Last Supper here is a weak case of special pleading\u201d (101).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Wow! That is about as explicit a case one could find of attempting to shout so loud through writing so as to silence potential critics. The problems with his interpretation however are not so easy to silence and to make this kind of statement seems itself an egregious example of \u201cspecial pleading\u201d. As many have pointed out, John is remarkably the only Gospel that contains no Lord\u2019s Supper story. And to top this, John makes no mention of the Lord\u2019s Supper in the context of the discourse in chapter 6. The inexact parallels noted by Brant (in agreement with Jeremias) cannot settle the question.<\/p>\n
The fact is the statements of Jesus in John 6, while perhaps usefully informed by the new manna traditions within Judaism, may very well not<\/em> be about the Eucharist at all. I\u2019m not the only one that thinks this way either. Brant can line up all the Protestants he wants, but his Catholic convictions are evidently refracting his vision so the Eucharist seems obvious in this text.<\/p>\nI will say this though: if I was Catholic and I thought that John 6 was about the Eucharist, Brant\u2019s explanation would be amazing!<\/p>\n
The chapter is interesting indeed. I think the background of the new Manna of Messiah is significant for interpreting Jesus\u2019 teaching. I think it makes good sense of the Lord\u2019s Prayer\u2019s petition about bread. But of the much more consequential point for the book, the interpretation of John 6, I am just not convinced.<\/p>\n
How do you read Jesus\u2019 statements in John 6? <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Awhile back, before the end of the academic semester and a trip to Greece and Turkey,\u00a0 I began a series of posts working my way through Brant Pitre\u2019s really good and accessible book on the Jewish background of the Lord\u2019s Supper called Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":195,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a>Awhile back, before the end of the academic semester and a trip to Greece and Turkey,\u00a0 I began a series of posts working my way through Brant Pitre\u2019s really good and accessible book on the Jewish background of the Lord\u2019s Supper called Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper<\/a>