Read John 6: 56 – 69 

In our churches and worship, we often use everyday things as symbols to help us understand God’s presence and activity in our midst, just as Jesus did in his parables.

Symbols somehow act as a prism through which one ray of light shines, but through which a multiplicity of rays emerge, one thing through which many insights are revealed.

Sometimes, everyday things can bring into focus far more than could be put into words and more than could be captured in a picture.  Sometimes we see the promise of things, even though their promise is still to be fulfilled.

Take for example, a car.  It’s more than just a vehicle!  Cars promise us adventures, holidays, the open road, space, picnics, freedom from home or work, they offer us promise beyond the metal and wheels.  Beyond the car that stands before us is the open road, the highway, the heath, the common, the hedgerows, the mountain, the valley, villages, towns and cities!

Just like our Christian symbols of faith, even a car can focus our attention and take our minds elsewhere to the possibilities that open up and lay beyond it – more clearly and further than our everyday sight.

And Simon Peter saw right through Jesus to the possibility of real life that lay beyond him.

Jesus had focussed Peter’s and the other disciples’ attention; Jesus was the one with the words of eternal life!

Jesus was dusty from the road, weary from the journey and quite conscious of the disciples’ frequent lack of faith.  But Simon Peter saw right through Jesus to all that was possible because of him and through him.  He saw the possibilities that Jesus opened up for his followers.  Jesus was, and still is like a symbol that brings into focus more than we can put into words, more than can be expressed through words alone or be captured in a picture.

Simon Peter saw the promise of Jesus unfolding along a journey with Him.  He saw right through Jesus.  And through him he saw the life-giving healings and life-giving teachings. He’d even participated in the life-giving feedings.  Jesus focussed Simon Peter’s attention and directed him to the heart of reality, beyond everything he had witnessed to the secret of life itself.  Jesus’ words were Spirit and Life.

‘There’s real life for you!’ said Simon Peter.

We often use the power of symbols, like the cross and bread and wine.  We see the object, just as we might see a car, but smell the open road beyond it as it were, see what is symbolised by it.

We too can meet Jesus, we can ‘picture’ His life-giving healings, life-transforming teachings, and life-supporting feedings.  We can ‘hear’ Jesus’ words and be confronted with the possibility and promise of eternal life.

So, to who else would we go when Jesus has the words of eternal life?

In Jesus we see more than a man, we see God incarnate.  God in person and all the promise of a thousand adventures yet unexperienced, and a myriad encounters as yet unknown, on a road unexplored but travelled with Jesus as our companion.

Smell the open road and anticipate the journey.

There you are! There’s real life for you!

Jesus has the words of eternal life!!

Rev Janine