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John 6:52-69 <- Click to read now
Approaching this passage, we find a group of people who had been following Jesus for quite some time. Some were his disciples; some were the “multitudes.” They had seen Jesus perform miracles. As a matter of fact, they were just fed by Jesus through the feeding of the 5,000.
They wanted more food and more miracles. They wanted what Jesus could give them, and they wanted to do what Jesus could do. They didn’t seem as interested in fully receiving who Jesus is. When they tried to put Jesus to the test, Jesus laid it on the line. “Just believe. Don’t chase after these other things, chase after me. Receive me.”
We’re told even many of his disciples left Jesus at that point. We’ve seen rejection from those who were blind to who Jesus is, and we’ve seen rejection from the crowds. Now, we’ve seen rejection from his own disciples; except for the Twelve.
We know a time is coming in our readings where one will betray him, one will deny him, and the rest will desert him, but let’s not get ahead of the reading. For now, let’s just be diligent in receiving his teachings; even the difficult ones. Those are quite often the ones that have great potential to change our lives. Let’s pray.
Lord, when we think about this season and the call on our lives to look inward, sometimes we just want whatever change You are calling from us to be easy. We want it to make us feel good, we want to be blessed by it, and we want to go from joy to even more joy. Help us to see how even difficult teachings can bring us closer to You and closer to Jesus. Help us to begin with belief, and continue with faith that You are doing amazing things in our lives, even in the midst of difficult passages and difficult decisions. Lead us and strengthen us on this path. In Jesus’ name, Amen.