bread:day 5
[Read & meditate on John 6. Why doesn’t Jesus try to convince the people to stay?]
This is probably where this passage starts to bother a lot of us. Jesus basically got rid of the people–he didn’t water down his message for them, and they left. I wonder if it is because Jesus is looking for people who are truly hungry and thirsty for what he has to offer. I suppose that faced with the reality of not being around the Truth, a real hunger might develop.
Jesus seems to want to deal honestly with the people, not to allow them to get by on a half-way form of followership that will only disappoint, but to challenge them to go all the way to where we need to be.
I suppose the challenge is still the same today. Take the bread he offers completely or don’t take it at all.
Am I willing to completely absorb Jesus’ way of living into my life?
Am I hungry enough for him?
Is it possible that I am allowing myself to be temporarily satisfied by things that will disappoint me?
When issued the challenge, will I stay or walk away?
What are the ramifications?
How closely do I really want to follow Jesus?
I wonder if the reason Jesus doesn’t try to bargain the people into staying is because he loves them. Jesus wants the best possible life for us, right? So maybe the next best thing besides having your life goal being to be totally immersed in him, is to be totally apart from him. Maybe the worst thing for us is to be half-in-half-out, lukewarm. Don’t go build a church on that idea, I’m just throwing it out there. But I know Paul talks about how Christians should be “pittied above all men” if it’s all just a hoax. For a lukewarm person, isn’t it a lot like a hoax?