John 6:60-71
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
Jesus teaching many hard teachings...Many of His disciples of His time could not accept His teachings...But what we believe and live by should not be determined by if it is easy or if it is hard...We should not believe in things just because we like them...We should not believe in things, just because they make us happy...We, also, should not believe in things just because we understand them...The reason we should believe in things is because they are true...The problem for many of His disciples was they did not understand these things of the Spirit...The Spirit is what gives life; our flesh counts for nothing...Jesus' teachings are full of Spirit and life...Jesus knew which one of His followers would stay, and He knew Judas was going to betray Him...
Jesus knew many of His disciples that were following Him around would leave and not come back...I often wonder if I were lived in Jesus' time would I have been able to realize that He was the Messiah and He is Truth, or would I not have realized who He was and would turn back and return to my family, my work, and my old way of life and not follow Him at all...Only God and His Son can answer this...Would it have been easier if we could see Him and touch Him?...Would His physical presence make it easier to stay?...
Jesus chose the Twelve disciples...He knew that the eleven would stay and Judas would fall out...St. Peter, an uneducated fisherman, was smart enough to realize He was the Holy One of God...He realized that Jesus has the words of eternal life...These words He has for us are not easy to understand, but they are the truth...
Those following Him, were actual eyewitnesses, and they actually turned back and no longer followed Him...Many of those following Him left, when He told them that whoever eats His flesh is as real food, and His blood is our real drink...Our faith needs and must be strong...He teaches faith is much more important in our lives than we even think...Faith and belief in Jesus must be important as anything in our lives...When we do not understand things about faith and its (our faith) importance and faith being the sustenance of our life, we must have to take that leap- which is faith in itself...Peter did this, even though he did not understand all what Jesus was saying...Peter knew Jesus is the Truth...Peter did the one thing we must do when we do not understand...We must, like St. Peter, trust in our LORD...