When
many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult;
who can accept it?" But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were
complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what if
you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 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." Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet
one of you is a devil." He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot,
for he, though one of the twelve, was going to betray him. John 6:60-71
It has been a season of ups and downs of stops and starts, with a few breakdowns mixed in for good measure. It can be easy to want to run away and hide, curl up in a ball,basically finding someway to avoid any more trouble or challenges. But life is full of blessings and challenges and if we hide away or run, we miss the blessings that are so often hidden among the dark clouds.
The disciples are hearing and living the challenges of following Jesus. Some grumbled and complained and some turned back. Yes, they missed the challenges and the pain that was to come, but they also missed the miracles and the splendid joy of walking with God. To walk the road of God incarnate means to encounter the rough streets and pains the world dishes out, trusting that there is more than calamity, more than a cross even, in the days to come.
Today I ask God to help me cease complaining and embrace the many gifts and blessings before me. May we who follow the living God, find time to notice and rejoice in all the blessings we have before us today.
1 comment:
And Judas? One of a brotherhood of twelve, who is cast off by the brothers who his hated him, this is a virtual duplicate of the patriarch Jacob's favorite amongst his twelve sons, Joseph, whom it might be remembered ended by ruling over his brothers who had thought to do him evil.
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