Jesus’ teaching was not easy to understand. If he was indeed the Messiah, then why wasn’t he saving them from the oppression of the Roman authorities? Why wasn’t he showing any strong military tendencies? Jesus, the Messiah, was the savior of the world, a much bigger assignment. Yet his words were confusing. He was not saying what the people expected. He was not telling them what they “wanted” to hear.
People who had been following him left. Jesus even gave the Twelve an opportunity to leave, too. (Did you like how “Twelve” was capitalized to distinguish them from the disciples?) Peter spoke for the group when he said, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
We might be tempted to turn away from Jesus, too, because following him can be hard. The world seems to be against us Christ followers yet completely tolerant of other religions and life choices. Are you ever bothered by that to the degree you would leave your faith in Jesus behind? Some do. Some want to be “politically correct.” Some people get disillusioned and feel abandoned. We are not alone as Jesus has promised the Holy Spirit.
Yet, many do turn away. Maybe it was a bad experience in a church. Maybe it was perceived silence to a prayer request. If things don’t come easily, we often try something else. If being a follower of Jesus leads to any sort of personal attack or fear of safety, believers tend to fly the coop.
We are called to stay the course. We need to cling to Jesus’ promise, “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” When we can keep that straight in our minds we will be on our way to receiving the eternal life God intends for us.
Reading the Bible can be hard when we stumble upon a confusing part. There are plenty of those. We need to remember the context and the culture from whom it was originally written. There are a lot of hidden meanings that a lot of us miss because of our lack of knowledge. When we encounter a difficult passage, we need only ask God for clarity. Wait for a response.
Let’s pray. Lord, I won’t leave you. I need you every hour. In my weakness, you lift me up and make me strong. Help me discern your truth in each passage I read. When I am confused, help me remember to simply ask you. Thank you for the ways you are working in my life. I look forward to each new chapter as it unfolds. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
