English Standard Version (ESV)
Imagine how you would feel if you showed up at the grocery store, put all your items in a basket, and then when you went to check out, someone told you just to walk out, that it was all taken care of. You'd be confused, right? You'd likely insist on paying, because that's how things were done. Even if the store manager insisted you could leave without paying, would you? It'd feel like stealing, right?
So Jesus is talking about how he is the bread of life just before this passage, and many are struggling to understand just what he means. Many want to hear the words of Jesus and figure out how to earn a way into a place of grace. We're used to figuring out what we need to do to earn the passing grade. But Jesus confronts us and tells us that our flesh is no help at all -- only the Spirit can truly give life. Eternal life is a gift.
Disciples are leaving Jesus over this teaching. It just doesn't make sense, so they're walking away, back to what they know, back to what is comfortable.
This is why we read Scripture, all of it. We're confronted by it at times, and we have to wrestle with it. If we leave and go back to what is comfortable, we might miss out on the critical next step of faith in our lives. Everyone has a next step. Peter identifies here that the next step is to lean in to Jesus, no matter how challenging his teaching may be. He tells Jesus that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life, and so they're not going anywhere, no matter how hard it may be.
What do you think your next step may be? Is Jesus challenging you in some way? Are you afraid of what might come next, intimidated by how God may be calling you? Lean in. Don't shrink back to what is comfortable just because it's easier. God is always calling us forward, challenging us to leave behind what is comfortable. We have no need to fear, because the Spirit has given us eternal life. You are saved from sin, and you are saved for grace. May the peace of God call us deeper into eternal life, that we may love and serve the world around us.
No comments:
Post a Comment