Living Stones – Friday, October 6, 2017
To go or to stay
John 6:66-67
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
The dramatic engagement about bread, between Jesus and the Jews, was finally at an end. The end was not what we might have imagined or hoped for. The engagement, which started across the Sea of Galilee when 5,000 were dramatically fed by the little boy’s lunch, was ending in a Synagogue in Capernaum with many deserting the very miracle worker that they had left town to see.
They were not disturbed by the food, as we have seen, they wanted more. Rather, they were disturbed and offended by His words. It took a while for them to really grasp what Jesus was talking about, and, as it became clearer, they were not prepared to take that next step with Him.
When we face the challenge that the words of Jesus demand of us, a tough decision must be made, to go or to stay. This crowd, faced the question and then made the decision. They were leaving.
Jesus knew that they were offended by His statements, he asked the direct question in verse 61, “Does this offend you? Once the exodus started Jesus turned to the twelve disciples and posed the question even more directly, “Do you also want to go away?” in verse 66.
Once you stay with Jesus everything changes. Once you stay the demands on your life are total. Total in a very spiritual sense, what you think and meditate on. Total in a very practical sense, what you say and what you do.
Many young people today do not want to engage with the Word of God because it makes demands on their life that they would rather not have to contemplate, or that they would like to postpone. Once they get to an age where they can decide for themselves they are opting out of church and backing away from the demands of Jesus. They have heard the Word from childhood, but they are unwilling to conform their character and conduct to its moral demands.
We live in an age and time that makes the teachings of Jesus even harder to accept. Present cultural and moral shifts are forcing many to re-evaluate the claims of Scripture. There are many -progressive- developments that frame morality in terms of rights, freedoms, and tolerance.
For example, we are called to give people sexual freedom and the right to make decisions about sex when they want, where they want and with whomever they want. We must tolerate every behavior, every choice, every wickedness, because that is progressive!
It was Ron Kenoly who said not too long ago that “… we have exalted our rights above the one who makes us righteous”
Jesus says never mind those high-sounding arguments of the philosophers of your day – whether in music, in workshops, in the classroom, in parliament, and these days even in churches. Whether they come from the politician, the professor, the protester, the partner, or the preacher – unless they line up with the word of God they will bring death.
You may want to turn to them because they give you license for your preferred or alternative lifestyle – for your rebellion against God but the words of Jesus are spirit and they are life.
Jesus asks today – “Do you also want to go away?”
Think on these things:
- Are you going to be like the ones who defected because you do not like where this is heading – the seeming limits on your life?
- Are you going to stop following Christ because you came to get something (like those who came for the bread) and not all these demands that are being made on your life?
- Are you going to turn away because there are some challenges and difficulties that seem to block your way and you did not get the easy life that you had hoped for?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would make a commitment to stay and strive to keep our lives in line with the demands of the Word.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex