Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The reason we stay hungry and thirsty!

John 6 is filled with a lot of stuff –miracles, Jesus’ teaching at the height of His popularity and a major PR disaster on Jesus’ part.

First the miracles: 5,000 people are miraculously fed and then (for the 12 disciples’ eyes only) Jesus walks on water.

Now the teaching: There are thousands of people following Jesus around right now. If Jesus was “smart” he would give them just enough to keep them interested (like more miracles), but not enough to actually share with them the true cost of following Him. If Jesus could keep this crowd energized and build on it, there was no end to what He could accomplish. But Jesus wasn’t “smart.” Jesus wasn’t interested in the size of the crowd as much as He was their level of commitment.

So here is what Jesus said:

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (6:35)

“Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” (6:53)

Being the “bread of life” is easy to receive if all we have to do is sit around and ooh and ah at all the miracles Jesus does for us. Who wouldn’t like to sit and receive good things at no cost? But having to consume Jesus is another matter altogether! Jesus isn’t talking cannibalism here, but in a direct and graphic way He is calling all of us to go all in with Him. To be His followers means we have to receive His good gifts (forgiveness, healing, love, grace, mercy, acceptance, etc.), but it also means we have to obey His commands (the cost part).

The PR disaster: If Jesus was “smart” He would have stuck with the miracles and the gifts. But Jesus wasn’t “smart,” at least not as we think of the term. He put the commitment cost right up front. And verse 66 says “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” By our standards this was a PR disaster. Jesus’ crowds evaporated.

The choice: When Jesus really presents Himself He leaves us only two options: to turn from Him or to fully embrace Him. That is what Peter and the 12 did. Speaking for the group, Peter said, “You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (6:68-69). To “believe” means to obey. It means to receive and to follow Jesus completely and without reservation. There is no third option.

I think the rub here is that we want to know what’s behind door number three. We want that third option. Because we refuse to fully embrace Jesus we never really receive the new life He promises and we are always “hungry” and “thirsty.” So, we think we have tried Jesus and come up short when in reality we have never received Him because we have never paid the cost. We have tried to create a third option when there isn’t one and we don’t have the power to make one! I think this is the reason so many of us lead empty and stale lives. We don’t really know Jesus. We have never really tasted the “bread of life” because we don’t want to pay the cost of giving our whole lives to Jesus.

What do you see from this passage? What is God showing you about the cost of following Jesus?

3 comments:

  1. He has been telling me to be obedient in the role of a submissive wife. This world sure fights against that. Even my own children don't understand this concept. Again, probably because of my disobedience in this area of my life and me not teaching them how to be a submissive wife. It is an every second challenge and I find my old self fighting against the new creature in Christ I am trying to become. I know with each day of obedience I will gain strength. This scripture is just more reassurance that I am heading down the right path. God never said life would be easy and he certainly never said obeying him was an easy road. I pray for strength every second of every day because my whole purpose for being on earth is to please Him in every way.

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  2. With privileges goes responsibilities. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God isn't going to change, but the hungry and thirsty are, if their needs are satisfied.

    It will be easier for some, than others, but all parties will need to relinquish their self-centeredness to become part of the herd, and enjoy the nourishment God is offering. Understanding the problem, is a big part of the solution.

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  3. Found this Post so interesting, and at the expense of sounding that I am ,"Oh and awing," am thankful for thoughts of the many ministers who post on here.:)
    As I read about the crowds that stopped following Jesus, I was reminded of the people who grew up attending our
    church on a regular basis and ,somewhere along the way, just stopped coming, So thankful for those who have stayed and gone on in their walk with the Lord.Feel so sad for the ones, especially the ones who I really knew, taught in Sunday School, and never doubt that they still care about the things of God.
    In reading the post, could not help but to think that maybe we are responsible, in some way. Keep hearing a word that is new to me..kudos... Could it be that some of us are looking for our kudos..and this causes some to see the flaws in the church, and use that as an excuse to leave from following? I pray not.
    Liked the quote from anon. above..."God isn't going to change, but the hungry and thirsty are, if their needs are satisfied." Sure they were not referring to material things, but things of God.
    Much to think about, just pray that we remember that it is the Lord that we are to be concerned about...not our petty wants and needs...our cudos!! HRM

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