Holy One
Not all who see believe.
It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." - John 6:63-69
Today's Gospel reading is one of the tough ones.
John shows us a side of Jesus we may not want to see. Jesus is telling his disciples that he knows the truth they hear is difficult to accept, and so he challenges them to see if they are willing to leave him.
Of course Peter is the first to respond, telling Jesus there is no one else they can run to. It is he, Jesus, who is the Holy One.
But others, many others, turned away, according to John. Did they stop believing that Jesus offered them eternal life, or did they just find the path too difficult to take?
I think the message here is one for all of us, reminding us that we may be just as eager to abandon Christ when the going gets rough, or when the temptations to live according to the flesh are too great.
The temptations can be as simple as wanting glory for oneself, for seeking worldly acclaim and greatness, rather than following the teaching of Jesus, to love one another and give the glory to God.
So, what do we do? How do we stay the course?
Our strength comes from the Holy Spirit, sent to guide us and keep us from slipping back into the self-centeredness of this life.
Jesus asked who wanted to leave because he knew that the choice is ours. We choose to follow or we choose to stray. We can blame the world for being enticing, but it is always up to us to decide.
The Good News is that we can always come back. Choosing to stray does not have to be permanent.
And as Peter says, if we truly know this is teh way, where else can we go?
More to come...