Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer walked with him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:60-69)
The Word of God is not always easy to hear or easy to accept.
That is the mistake that many people make.
They think to themselves, “If I embrace the will of God, my life will go along smoothly and I will have no more worries.”
Oh, if only they knew.
They are like the seed in Jesus’ parable that falls on rocky ground. They hear the word and bring it into their hearts with joy. However, immediately, the cares and concerns of the world often lead them to lose heart and they wither.
Immediately before today’s Gospel passage, Jesus had revealed to His followers a lot about Himself. He told them that He was the Bread of Life and, unless they ate the flesh of the Son of Man and drank His blood, they would have no life within them.
This was more than some of the disciples could take. They rejected that teaching and left the Lord.
The Lord turned to His “inner circle” and asked them what their intentions were.
Simon Peter told Jesus that the apostles had come to believe that He was the Holy One of God.
We hit rough spots in our life. Sometimes it is quite easy to follow the Lord. Sometimes, it is extremely difficult.
The question is asked of us this day, “What about you? Do you also want to leave?”
What answer will you give the Lord?
FAITH ACTION: Your heart may be filled with many cares and concerns. In quiet prayer, give those cares and concerns over to the Lord.