John 6:60-65: a reflection

60Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life. 64But there are some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him. 65He said, “For this cause I have said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.”

Jesus has taught something hard, and many of his disciples grumble: This is a hard saying; who can listen to it? They are offended, unwilling to accept a teaching that challenges them; and many of them, the passage will go on to say, turn back and no longer follow him. Jesus does not trim his words to keep them; he lets them go if they will not receive his hard teaching, and points to the deeper issue: their unwillingness to believe.

Notice how the disciples respond to Jesus' hard teaching: with offense, and many with departure. The saying was hard, challenging, not what they wanted to hear; and rather than wrestling with it in faith, many took offense and left. Jesus did not trim his teaching to make it easier; he spoke the truth, hard as it was, and let those who would not receive it go. The hard saying tested them, and revealed who would stay and who would leave.

That test comes to us as well, for Jesus' teaching includes hard sayings that challenge us. There are things Jesus teaches that are hard, that challenge our assumptions, our desires, our comfort; and we face the same choice as those disciples: to take offense and turn away, or to stay with him, wrestling in faith with what is hard. When you come to a hard saying of Jesus, one that challenges or unsettles you, do not respond as those who took offense and left. Stay with Jesus, even when his teaching is hard; wrestle with it in faith, trusting that his words are spirit and life, even when they are hard to receive. The hard sayings test us, revealing whether we will follow Jesus only when it is easy, or stay with him even when his teaching challenges us. Do not turn away when his word is hard; stay, as the true disciples stayed, for his words, hard as they sometimes are, are spirit and life.

Lord Jesus, when you taught something hard, many of your disciples grumbled, this is a hard saying, who can listen to it, and many turned back and left; but you did not trim your teaching to keep them, and let those who would not receive it go. That test comes to me as well, for your teaching includes hard sayings that challenge me. There are things you teach that are hard, that challenge my assumptions, my desires, my comfort; and I face the same choice as those disciples: to take offense and turn away, or to stay with you, wrestling in faith with what is hard. When I come to a hard saying of yours, one that challenges or unsettles me, keep me from responding as those who took offense and left. Help me stay with you, even when your teaching is hard; help me wrestle with it in faith, trusting that your words are spirit and life, even when they are hard to receive. The hard sayings test me, revealing whether I will follow you only when it is easy, or stay with you even when your teaching challenges me. Keep me from turning away when your word is hard; help me stay, Lord, for your words, hard as they sometimes are, are spirit and life.