Learning from Jesus - Pt. 17

 

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:60-69 ESV).

 

Have you ever had a morning when you crawled wearily out of bed, stubbed your toe, burnt your toast, and had all kinds of other things go wrong? A day like that makes you want to go straight back to bed. Or maybe the circumstances are harder, and someone is telling you to hang on when you want to let go.

 

I wonder if Jesus’ disciples felt in a way like that when a lot of people turned away from Jesus after he shared some hard but true teachings. I wonder how many times the disciples weren’t quite sure what to do with Jesus. Was it embarrassing or confusing or overwhelming for them? Already fully committed to Jesus, they knew they couldn’t give up or let go. Jesus, who was clearly the Son of God, had met the longings of their hearts—and even on the worst days they had experienced, they knew that traveling with Jesus was enough. When he asked, “Are you going to leave too?” Peter replied with words that confirmed what the disciples were feeling: “There’s no one else to go to, and you are all we need.”

 

On days when you feel like giving up, throwing in the towel, or walking away from your faith, where will you go? It is too much to walk away from the one who holds you close through his presence and his words. By his character he assures you that even on a bad day, he is there.