60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
Not willing, no, not me. Can’t go there – certainly not willing to believe this teaching. This time Jesus has simply gone too far. The actual wording used in our verse for today indicates this type of hype. Those adherents who were previously accepting and embracing Jesus’ instruction - making it their rule of conduct – upon hearing and understanding His most recent teaching regarding being the Bread of Life sent from heaven, sadly, took immense offence and became unwilling to follow. Fickle fair weather followers of our Lord Jesus are certainly nothing new. Ever since Jesus’ feet trod upon this dusty earth the world has had its fill of them. Oh we love it all right when our path is strewn with rose petals and the sun is brightly shining. We find it easy to follow hard after a god that will do what we want when we want or at least stay within the boundaries of what we deem logical or acceptable or right. Interestingly, holding to this particular train of thought, exactly who is it are we making out to be god – God or ourselves? Where do we come off thinking we are on equal playing fields with the great “I AM”? Do we really believe we are able to comprehend all of His ways? Seriously, do we actually believe we have the ability to create anything “ex nihilo” (out of nothing)? God clearly and thankfully tells us in His Word:
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
Our eyesight being veiled and our thoughts and abilities limited, it is a wonder that God does not often pose the same questions to us as He did to His servant Job – particularly in light of an arrogant attitude we may perhaps possess:
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: 2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 "Where were you when I...” Job 38:1-4 (NIV)
God proceeds to ask Job a litany of questions beginning with where was Job when He created all things – holding all things together merely with His powerful Word. Job’s correct response should be ours as well:
1 Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. 4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' 5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:1-6 (NIV)
God, on the other hand, makes known the end from the beginning – from ancient times what is yet to come. Again, the prophet Isaiah tells us:
10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. Isaiah 46:10 (NIV)
Because God is righteous and just, slow to anger and abounding in love we can trust Him even when we only have a sliver of understanding of the edges of His ways. He is both trustworthy and faithful. He does not treat us as we deserve. I am reminded of the words of Moses, God’s friend:
4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deut 32:4 (NIV)
“I cannot understand Him, but I can trust Him. And so today, when everything physical and emotional in me is completely drained, and there is not a single note of praise in my heart, I choose to praise Him anyway. Not for what He does, but for Who He is. When I cannot praise Him out of joy, I will praise Him out of obedience. And I am learning that when I praise Him out of obedience from the depths of the pit, it is always more meaningful then when I praise Him out of an overflow of my heart from the heights of the mountain. And because I know His nature, and I know that even when I don’t feel it, He is still a kind, loving, good God, then I know that soon, He will fill my heart with joy once again. And the praise will flow easily from the depths of my heart." Laura Black
Are we disciples, like Laura Black, who know His nature even when we do not understand His ways, who cling to Him from the heights of the mountain to the depths of the pit or are we turncoats when the teaching and the trials of life become tough - grumbling at the doctrine – offended by the suffering? The scoffers in our verse for today thought none could accept this teaching yet thanks be to God many have found it the Rock upon which they stand, the strength that sustains them , the joy that overflows their hearts and the peace that passes their understanding.
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Heb 11:1 (NIV)