John 6:53-71
"So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”
He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”
Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”
At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”
Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”
At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would later betray him."
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When I don't understand what God is doing it is so much easier to simply jump ship. I admit that if I were one of the 12 and suddenly everyone was leaving, in my humanness I would seriously consider jumping ship in fact, I have considered it more times than I would care to admit. When it seems like everything is falling apart, changing, uncertain...I would rather be safe than follow Jesus. .
To make matters even worse, Jesus says, and one of you is the devil. Not only does everyone think Jesus is crazy for the things he is saying and doing but now, to the few faithful that chose to stay with Him, he tells them that one is the devil. When I have chosen to stay in the trenches, through the transitions and hear Jesus say, you know what, "it's you who needs to be growing deeper, who needs to be more committed, who needs to practice being fully surrendered instead of preaching it to others". OUCH.... I didn't want to stay for this! But, He's right, all the time and I need to hear that. For I am and will always be a work in progress.
In the end I decide to stay and follow, even when it doesn't make sense, even when I don't understand, even when it seems like it is totally falling apart. In this passage God challenged me to think of all the times that jumping ship looked so much better, easier, more desirable.
Today, I am challenged by those first disciples, who didn't know all that we do, yet they were more committed and willing to risk it all than I have been, how about you?
Aimee
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