Christians, i know it's symbolic, but...?

Question

doesn't the idea of rituals which symbolize drinking a person's blood and eating their flesh sound a bit sick to you? i mean, would you participate in this practice in any other religion?

Answer 1

I think Jesus had trouble getting the message across to His disciples on a lot of subjects...same way He does with us.  Jesus said we must hate our parents if we are to follow Him.  Jesus didn't literally mean we are to hate our parents but He was able to help us understand the extreme cost of following Him.  It's sort of the same way with communion.   Eating His flesh and drinking His blood are reminders of the price He paid and our participation in His crucifixion.  And I think your question indicates how God really wants us to think about it.  How sickening it is what we did to Jesus on the cross.

I've never thought of communion like this.  It's gonna shed a WHOLE NEW LIGHT Sunday.  I'm very serious.  I appreciate this question.  I might even volunteer to preside over the table and talk about it for a few moments.  Thanks.  

Answer 2

Yes, it is sick and totally senseless.

Answer 3

Even when I was a devout christian I couldn't stand the idea of communion.  Even symbolic cannibalism was detestable to me.

The idea is vulgar.

Answer 4

We are to spiritually eat and drink the blood and body of Jesus. Bread and wine are symbols of this eating and drinking.We partake of these symbols occasionally within the Church. We should partake of this eating and drinking spiritually,.... daily. I like to think of it as having a hunger and thirst for for the Lord.

Answer 5

It's not to symbolize drinking and eating, when you eat the bread and drink the wine/juice, it symbolizes Jesus becoming a part of your immortal soul, the same way the food becomes part of your mortal body

Answer 6

Yes, at the time that Jesus spoke this to the multitude, some said "How can this man give us His flesh to eat and His blood to drink".  So later a rumor developed that the followers of Christ were cannibalistic.  But the Lord spoke in mysteries, because He knew only those who were true seekers of God would understand what He said.  Since God is spirit, He has no flesh and blood.  And since Christ in in heaven and is spirit also, He has no flesh and blood.  So those who are partakers of Christ or "eat His flesh and blood", are those who partake of the spiritual life that is given of God.  Christ often used physical symbolism to help people understand spiritual concepts, because these were things they did everyday.  Since He is the Word of God and called the Bread of Life, believers would come to understand that fellowship with Him would feed and satisfy their spiritual hunger and He would quench their spiritual thirst.  Just as meat and wine would do.

Answer 7

Hello

Not when is the blood and body of the person who gave his life for us. Jesus said "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53).

I will never participate in another religion, there is only one, "Christianity"

He set the example at the last supper.

God bless you.

Answer 8

"Symbolic" Vampirism & Cannibalism!

Answer 9

It is NOT symbolic. It is an outward sign of the real and substantial presence of the Body and Blood of Christ even though the real accidents of bread and wine still remain. All life is about nourishment & food. And spiritually we are fed by the life of God Himself. Life is all there is. Materially we share life with all other creatures. God shares His life with us.

Answer 10

To those who insist it is not the body and blood of Christ then explain why he said it was and if you take the time to read johns gospel chapter 6 you will see that like so many that have answered here already that the jews were puzzled as to how he could do it and many left him because they said it was a hard thing to believe.But Peter and the Apostles decided that if Jesus said it was so then it was and Christ told Peter(Simon Bar Jonah) that GOD had revealed it to him the truth. Nothing symbolic about it and the early Christians were accused of cannibalism and murdered for there beliefs of the communion just as many of you are now saying. Jesus commanded at the last supper that they continue this act in remembrance of the sacrifice he was about to make and that is the way it is like it or not...