HIS ACTIONS
“These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’” John 6:59-60
Hard to Understand
HIS EXAMPLE TO US
Jesus had just taught in the synagogue that His flesh was food and His blood was drink, and that people had to eat and drink Him if they wanted to abide in Him, and even implicitly said, “He who feeds on Me will live because of Me” (John 6:55-57). This was impossible for the disciples—not just the 12, but many others who were His followers—to understand and accept. Jesus often taught new, strange ideas to those who would listen; His kingdom wasn’t what the people wanted, and He did not meet their expectations. Many people walked out on Him.
Jesus really did teach and model a life very different from what the people were used to, and this often made them deaf to what He was saying. They just “knew” He was wrong in what He was saying. Why, He was ungodly! He had a demon! He was a friend of sinners! He was a winebibber and a glutton! Why should they listen to this Man—He was messing with their minds!
MY STORY
I have often had to sit under the teaching of those whose words were hard to understand, and whose ideas I dismissed because they were too weird or too academically advanced. In many cases, my mind was already made up as they spoke, such as when a scientist at my university would expound on evolution. At other times, the teaching seemed like a foreign language to me, because the professor was the author of the textbook we were using in his class, and he couldn’t simplify it enough to be understood. I ended up dropping classes or walking out on lectures and seminars.
MY RESPONSE
I embrace the teachings of Jesus, no matter how “out there” they seem, no matter how uncomfortable they make me, no matter what it requires of me. Jesus was not of this world. He was from above, sent by the Father. Naturally, the sinless life He lived as an example to us is going to look very different than our own earthbound, time-and space-bound, flesh-bound lives will look. I must realize that my NEW LIFE in Him is not going to look like my old life. We have much to learn from our Lord and Savior about kingdom living, so we purpose to keep reading and studying His Word, praying, and staying in fellowship with the believers.
MY PRAYER
“Father, we see a vast gulf between the life we know and the life Jesus lived out as an example. May we not tune out His Words just because they are hard to understand; we press in and stay put until You open our blind eyes and deaf ears. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Amen!
Thank you for the reminder that even the disciples then struggled to understand sometimes. I pray we encourage each other to keep at it….He’s worth it!❤️
Amen!! A true reminder that sometimes it’s hard to stay connected, but Gods word is so worth it! It refreshes me first thing in the morning, and continues to enter my head throughout the day! The more your in his word the more you thirst for it! Thank you!!