The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life
The last two weeks, John's gospel has begun with "murmuring" in response to Jesus' claim to be the Bread of Life. Today, it isn't "the Jews" who are murmuring, but Jesus' disciples. After the discourse on eating Jesus' body and blood, that it is real food and real drink, he has forced the hands of those who purport to follow him; it is time to separate those who can commit to this truth from those who cannot. For those who would like to believe in a Jesus who demands that we only "follow", but not believe what he says, this is a very problematic set of verses. Jesus now reveals why this truth is not self-evident, despite "following" him in his ministry:
"For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father."
In John's gospel, because of Jesus' claim to be God's bread sent down from heaven, "many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him."
The gospel does not indicate how many left, but turning to the disciple who would later deny him three times, and the one to whom Jesus would call the cornerstone of his church, asks Simon Peter "Do you also want to leave me?" The reply is remarkable: "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life?"
Peter and those who continue with Jesus don't see their discipleship as an option; they can't imagine life without Christ. Peter didn't say "I'd really like to stay, but..." For Peter, following was not an option, not because it was easy, but because he could not see any other possibility.
The gospel does not indicate how many left, but turning to the disciple who would later deny him three times, and the one to whom Jesus would call the cornerstone of his church, asks Simon Peter "Do you also want to leave me?" The reply is remarkable: "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life?"
Peter and those who continue with Jesus don't see their discipleship as an option; they can't imagine life without Christ. Peter didn't say "I'd really like to stay, but..." For Peter, following was not an option, not because it was easy, but because he could not see any other possibility.
In considering what gathers us together weekly to celebrate in communion with one another and the real presence of Christ, could we confess, as did Peter, that we have no other place to go, because for us our encounter with Christ together is "spirit and life"?
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