You forgot a key teaching of Jesus that makes all the difference in the world:
Matthew 13
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.Mark 4
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
When Jesus told the disciples at the Last Supper, "Take, eat; this is my body", the disciples knew that it was just a piece of bread. They knew Jesus didn't just hack off a chunk of his flesh and serve it to them. They knew he was speaking symbolically.
That obviously wasn't out of character for Jesus to do:
Would you argue on the basis of this verse that Jesus body was "really" a loaf of bread? Then why would you argue that a wafer is "really" Jesus body?
Ditto
Are you going to argue that Jesus' body was just a bunch of light waves?
Are you going to argue that Jesus was actually a wooden or steel door with hinges and a door knob?
Is Jesus actually telling us his vocation? I thought he was a carpenter?
Is Jesus telling us that his body is actually a plant?
Thankfully Paul and the other apostles didn't share your view.
1 Cor 10:16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?
What do you think Paul is talking about in 1 Cor 11:23-27? If the Eucharist is a mere symbol why the danger of being guilty of “the body and blood of the Lord"?
Also, how many followers left because they couldn’t reconcile the fact that Christ used the imagery of a door or a vine? They understood the use of imagery, which is why they were scandalized by Christ’s statements in John: 6
Jesus said "Take, eat; this is my body..."
"I am the door." (John 10:9)
Does He say "This door is me?" or "This vine is me?" No, He does not! There is a clear difference between when a metaphor is being used and when something else is intended.
We believe that Jesus spoke the truth, even if it confuses those skilled in the rhetorical techniques of the modern day. Clearly, He is imparting something beyond our understanding to this bread and that it is important for us to consume it. That is why the Eucharist was a key component in the worship of early Christians and that is why it remains so to this day.