A Difficult Teaching…A Difficult Response?
In John 6, where the
miracle of Jesus’ feeding the 5,000 is recorded, more than just food for the
body was offered. Those who sought him out the following day heard the great
lesson on how Jesus was the bread of heaven, and what following him really
meant. Jesus wasn’t a Messiah offering temporal pleasures; He came to offer Himself
for the sins of the world, to offer life through His sacrifice. He pointed out
the need for Him and His will to be an integral part of who we are, illustrated
in the words “feed on my flesh and drink my blood” (John 6:54).
Unable to discern the
spiritual application of these words, many in the crowds left, believing Jesus
was advocating some barbaric ritual. The larger body of disciples following
Jesus was just as confused by these words. They responded, “This is a difficult statement; who can
listen to it?” (6:60). When Jesus
explained to them He was speaking of spiritual principles (6:63), it was still difficult
for them to process, to grasp and understand, so much so that many stopped
following Jesus (6:66), leaving only the
12 when it was all over.
What made this teaching
hard was their lack of spiritual insight, their inability to understand the
spiritual principles Jesus was emphasizing, and thus their inability, and even
a lack of desire, to follow what Jesus had said. Some of the Bible’s teachings
are difficult for people to accept, as so many want to put themselves and their
desires over that of God’s. Christian living is difficult for those who put
themselves first. Faithful attendance to worship and glorify God is difficult
for those who feel it’s about pleasing themselves, rather than honoring God. Giving
as one has been prospered, personal holiness, and other aspects of daily
Christian living can be difficult when the heart has not been surrendered and devoted
to the Lord. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my
commandments” (John 14:15). If we
have truly given ourselves to the Lord, then will wanting to live for him be a difficult,
if not impossible, thing to do?
One thing that will truly
be difficult to hear is this saying of our Lord; “And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you
workers of lawlessness’” (Matt. 7:23). Sin is lawlessness (I John 3:4), in
that it violates God’s revealed will for us, and substitutes it’s own pattern
in place of holiness. Being created in the image of God means we are to live in
His good will for us, not the sinful choices we make to gratify the flesh. As difficult
as those words will be to hear, those to whom they are spoken will have no
choice but to be forever separated from him, though Jesus said His yoke is easy
and His burden is light (Matt. 11:30).
The crowds mentioned above
were willing to receive Jesus’ gifts, but not commit to Jesus’ life. This is
still a burden people have regarding Christ today. It’s difficult, not because
we can’t understand it, or follow it, but because we want our way over that of
the Lord. We should ask ourselves, which is the more difficult saying of Jesus,
to live for him today, or live without him for eternity? “The Father loves
the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has
eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath
of God abides on him” (John 3:35-36).
μαράνα θᾶ
Robert
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