David Bahn – Reflections

John 6:60

When many of [Jesus’] disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”

Jesus’ words are sometimes comforting and reassuring: “Let not your hearts be troubled…” Sometimes, however, Jesus’ words challenge the core of our souls with truths that turn our world upside down: “Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it…” In this section (John 6), however, Jesus’ words are more confounding and confusing than those that would turn our world upside down.

The idea, however, behind Jesus’ teaching here is perhaps to challenge us to engage our minds in relation to the faith in our hearts. While it is true that the Christian faith is simple enough to be grasped by the most innocent and naive child, it is deep enough also to confound the most wise and learned philosopher. Jesus does want our hearts. But he wants our minds as well.

Perhaps we need to engage our minds a bit today and think about what Jesus says about believing in him and accepting his word. This isn’t only a simple matter of the heart (which it primarily is), but it is also a matter worthy of thoughtful reflection and meditation. Jesus’ challenge to his disciples makes it clear that he does not want us to turn off our brains in relation to his teachings. We must simply realize, however, that he will not necessarily conform himself to our sensibilities, and that he calls us to think differently about himself and the world which he came to save.

John 6:52-65

 ⁵²The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

 ⁶⁰ When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶²Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”