You want us to understand Jesus is being literal when He stood before His disciples with the bread and wine; you want us to believe these elements became His Body and His Blood. Ror that to happen, some of His Flesh and some of His Blood would have to leave His Body (still not crucified) and that doesn’t make sense (not that God has to make sense to me). It would be doing something prohibited by the Law - eating human flesh and drinking human blood.
Then there’s the verse where Jesus told His disciples to cut off their hands and poke out their eyes if they cause the disciple to sin. Sounds literal to me. Do you know anyone who has obeyed those commands by the Lord? I hope not. Of course Jesus was illustrating how bad sin is. BTW, I don’t think the eye or hand can cause us to sin; it’s our wicked heart (mind) that causes us to sin.
Christ did speak symbolically about food and each time explained what He meant.
**Joh 4:31 In the mean time, the disciples prayed him, saying: Rabbi, eat.
Joh 4:32 But he said to them: I have meat to eat which you know not.
Joh 4:33 The disciples therefore said one to another: Hath any man brought him to eat?
Joh 4:34 Jesus saith to them: My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, that I may perfect his work.
Mat 16:5 And when his disciples were come over the water, they had forgotten to take bread.
Mat 16:6 Who said to them: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Mat 16:7 But they thought within themselves, saying: Because we have taken no bread.
Mat 16:8 And Jesus knowing it, said: Why do you think within yourselves, O ye of little faith, for that you have no bread?
Mat 16:9 Do you not yet understand, neither do you remember the five loaves among five thousand men, and how many baskets you took up?
Mat 16:10 Nor the seven loaves, among four thousand men, and how many baskets you took up?
Mat 16:11 Why do you not understand that it was not concerning bread I said to you: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
Mat 16:12 Then they understood that he said not that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.**
In John 6, Christ spoke about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. When His disciples found the teaching hard, He did not explain any symbolism.
Joh 6:60 (6:61) Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard; and who can hear it?
Joh 6:61 (6:62) But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you?
When many of His disciples left Him and walked with Him no more, Christ did not stop them and explain any symbolism, He turned to His Apostles and asked them a question.
Joh 6:66 (6:67) After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
Joh 6:67 (6:68) Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?
The Bible has several examples of eating flesh and drinking blood and each time it was symbolically representing ‘assaulting’. We know Christ was not telling His disciples and Apostles to ‘assault’ Him.
**Psa 14:4 Shall not all they know that work iniquity, who devour my people as they eat bread?
Isa 9:18 For wickedness is kindled as a fire, it shall devour the brier and the thorn: and shall kindle in the thicket of the forest, and it shall be wrapped up in smoke ascending on high.
Isa 9:19 By the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land is troubled, and the people shall be as fuel for the fire: no man shall spare his brother.
Isa 9:20 And he shall turn to the right hand, and shall be hungry: and shall eat on the left hand, and shall not be filled: every one shall eat the flesh of his own arm: Manasses Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasses, and they together shall be against Juda.
Isa 49:26 And I will feed thy enemies with their own flesh: and they shall be made drunk with their own blood, as with new wine: and all flesh shall know, that I am the Lord that save thee, and thy Redeemer the Mighty One of Jacob.
Mic 3:3 Who have eaten the flesh of my people, and have flayed their skin off them: and have broken, and chopped their bones as for the kettle, and as flesh in the midst of the pot.
2Sa 23:15 And David longed, and said: O that some man would get me a drink of the water out of the cistern, that is in Bethlehem, by the gate.
2Sa 23:16 And the three valiant men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the cistern of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and brought it to David: but he would not drink, but offered it to the Lord,
2Sa 23:17 Saying: The Lord be merciful to me, that I may not do this: shall I drink the blood of these men that went, and the peril of their lives? therefore he would not drink. These things did these three mighty men.
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And I wondered, when I had seen her, with great admiration.
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest in the beast: These shall hate the harlot and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and shall burn her with fire.**
