God is born in Bethlehem (the house of bread), wrapped in swaddling clothes (He is fully human), and has been laid in a food trough, a sign that He has been offered up for consumption — and not just any consumption, and not even implying reverent consumption, but animalistic…beastly consumption.
–svidgen, stackexchange comment
Although taken by some (including the above author) to be a literal “Eucharist,” John 6 clearly links this bread as a metaphor to God’s words (v. 58 linked to 63), which is consistent with Mt. 4:4 and Lk. 4:4 that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (it’s not “this do to literally eat me,” but rather “this do in remembrance of me”). John clearly presents his entire book by showing us that Jesus is the Word. Therefore, my very real reliance for life ought not to come from food only, but from truth. This is not something to be taken as a religious rite, but rather a mental and heart “object” to which we must cling and “feed” regularly–daily, hourly, or more! Do we really believe…
