August 26, 2012 13th Sunday After Pentecost

John 6:59-69

59 He (Jesus) said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.  60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?  62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[a] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.  67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
“Too Offensive To Be Believed”

The story in John 6 gets worse before it gets better.  It is not always soft words which help us break through the animation of our lives and become real.  Sometimes it takes hard words, offensive words, strong words to break the crust which keeps us pretending we are who we are not.

Jesus did not let them nor does he let us off the hook with just sweet words.  He pushes us to the wall and makes us face the games we play with ourselves and with God, for therein lies life.

We pretend so hard.  We pretend we are good, righteous, religious, pious.  Only God is good and only God’s love can make us good.  Really good!

We do have to let go and let God!  It is the only way to life abundant!
For we live by grace and grace is a gift of God’s love; undeserved by any and all, lest even the best of us should boast.

“Will You Also Go Away?”

Jesus Christ was an offensive person.  He had a way of getting under peoples skin and either turning them on or off...mostly off.

“Many of his followers turned back and would not go with him any more.”  Jn. 6:66

“Even though he had done all these mighty works before their very eyes they did not believe in him.”  Jn. 12:37

He ate with tax collectors and sinners.
He healed on the sabbath.
He refused to condemn a woman caught in the act of adultery.
He claimed to be the son of God.

Jesus Christ was an offensive person.  For he came to create change in our lives;  changing us from living for ourselves to living for others - living a life of the Spirit, a life full of compassion that produces a harvest of good deeds; “without a trace of partiality or  hypocrisy...” as James says. (3:17)

This is no easy task!  Especially if we are religious!
Jesus was not religious enough for those who left him.
Life is change, yet we often don’t want it.  We even fight against it.  We want to keep our prejudices and self-serving attitudes, rather then be led into places where love is at the heart of it all.  Faith in Jesus Christ is trusting Him and following, no matter how much we have to change to do so.

Will we also go away?