Please show me ANYWHERE in the law where a person was to pluck out their own eye or cut off their own hand or foot. In fact, can you even show me where that was to have been done TO them? No, of course you can't. When taken literally, that was a radical an idea to those who followed the law as eating flesh and drinking blood.
Why does Jesus say this very hard thing?
I'll say again, Jesus said very many hard things.
What was His purpose?
I'll say again, He told us - His words were Spirit.
Why doesn’t He just stop with the manna comparison?
Why would you demand that He do so? Jesus often used multiple illustrations to teach, and if someone found His words to hard to bear, He let them walk away. (Example: The man whom Jesus told to sell all He had and give it to the poor. The man walked away sad. Jesus didn't stop him. By the way, why do Catholics not take THAT one literaly?)
I hope now you will stop pretending that non-Catholics don't answer your questions. I have - twice.
Saying that the words He spoke were Spirit is not an adequate answer to me.
He said they are Spirit and Life. Not symbols and life.
The flesh without the spirit is useless. Bread without the word is not enough for life. We receive the spirit when we are baptized and we receive Jesus, the Word, in the bread when the Holy Spirit comes upon it just as He came upon Mary and she conceived.
Of all the “hard things” Jesus said, that particular one is the only one that made some leave. The only one which some could not accept.
Why tell them they had to EAT HIS FLESH and DRINK HIS BLOOD?