How does God work?

People in Jesus' time did that, too. One thing they always wanted to know is how God worked. In this week's Gospel (John 6:51-58), Jesus tells them -- and lets them know their guesses were wrong!

"I am living bread that came down from heaven," Jesus said. "The bread that I give you is myself, and if you eat it, you'll live forever." The people got angry. "How can He give us Himself to eat?" they asked. Jesus answered: "If you don't eat my body and drink my blood, you'll have no life in you."

Like that, the people Jesus met thought they had God figured out. They thought God had a list of rules and laws, and if you didn't break them, you went straight to heaven when you died.

You probably know that the gas in a car doesn't pour out all over the tires to make them roll! The truth is that when gas burns, it makes the power the engine needs to work.

In the Gospel story, Jesus told people the truth. He said He came from heaven and He was like bread -- that people had to "eat and drink" what He taught by believing it. Later, He taught everyone to really eat His body and blood by going to Communion.

Sometimes, when you find out how something really works, it isn't as much fun as your idea. Jesus' followers felt that way. They didn't like Him talking about eating His body! But what Jesus said was the truth: The only way to have life, to get to heaven, was to believe Him. Jesus knew people have lots of ideas, but there's only one way things really work!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me remember how you work! Amen.