Then the Jews started arguing with one another: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they said. Jesus replied: "I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him."
Makes perfect literal sense to me!
So the literalists make us out to be cannibals. What blasphemy!! In fact, the early Christians were persecuted because they were accused of being cannibals.
"If the literal sense makes sense, seek no other sense."Then the Jews started arguing with one another: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they said. Jesus replied: "I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him."
Makes perfect literal sense to me!
You forgot CONTEXT.
I'm going to quote the passage starting a verse before you do.
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
At this point in the narrative, it does indeed appear that JESUS could be talking about a literal EATING of His FLESH and DRINKING of His BLOOD.
But, ... as we continue to read the passage, we see that He has something else in mind.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
As occurs at other times in the narratives of JESUS' life and ministry, when His disciples get time to be alone with Him (i.e. away fron the crowds), they ask Him personally for explanations for some of the things He had just taught.
JESUS is, typically, gracious to explain to His disciples what they don't understand, as He does in the following ...
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
So, ... in the preceding passage JESUS explains that His just previous teachings (about the issue of EATING His FLESH and DRINKING His BLOOD) is spiritual in nature.
He explains to His disciples that the LIFE (everlasting) which He gives is SPIRITUAL ... that He has nothing of eternal value to offer them which is FLESHLY in nature. (Note that this was the subject of His previous discussion with the crowd, as well.)
JESUS further explains that it is the words that He gives to them which yield the SPIRITUAL blessing He offers ... and, as such, ... these words are LIFE to those who accept them.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Even upon hearing JESUS' further explanation, many of His disciples leave off following Him at this point.
Many Jews of that day were looking for a PHYSICAL (i.e. FLESHLY) deliverance (under the leadership of the Messiah) from the overlordship and oppression of Rome and for a re-establishment of the glory of ISRAEL.
However, in this passage, JESUS was successful in communicating to His disciples that this was not what He was offering. What He was offering was SPIRITUAL, not PHYSICAL.
As a result of understanding this communication from JESUS, many of His 'followers' left off following Him.
These were not interested in the SPIRITUAL deliverance that JESUS offered. Their hopes that JESUS would be ISRAEL's PHYSICAL deliverer were dashed, and they left off to continue to look for another (as the JEWS continue to do today).
The (12) disciples whom JESUS had personally selected did not leave Him at this time. Though we get the sense that they did not completely understand where JESUS was coming from at that time, they did understand that He was the One which was promised.
Now, it was just a matter of figuring out what He was promising.
JESUS asks them ... "Will you also leave ME... ?"
Peter answers Him ... "To whom else would we go ? It is only YOU who have the words of life."
Peter, himself, here recognizes that the LIFE that JESUS was promising His followers was sourced in His WORDS, rather than His FLESH.
This is completely in accord with Peter's own preaching, teaching and/or writings (the letters of I & II Peter). If literally eating JESUS' FLESH ... had been of such vital importance, than, surely, Peter would have mentioned in his own preaching, teaching and/or writings.
Peter does not.
Peter does, however, emphasize BELIEF in JESUS, in accord with JESUS' own words in the chapter you referenced ...
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Now, ... is there any other way that this passage (in it's totality) could be faithfully interpreted, other than this ?
A very good example. And there are some who take this passage as literal. You might be one of those but I do not know.
For those who do take this literally I ask the question..how am I to literally eat Christ's flesh and drink Christ's blood?
Answer...It can't be done literally so what do we have left?