Gospel

Many of Jesus' disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"

Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe."

Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me

unless it is granted to him by my Father."

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God”   John 6: 60-69

Reflection

Good confrontation is hard to find these days. There is definitely confrontation out there, but it mostly forms so vile that the people in its path flee or become so enraged themselves that they become entrapped in it. 

What happened to a good confrontation? ---- I remember being a kid, whirring down a zipline from high up on the shoreline down toward the lake, and suddenly finding myself flying unattached through the air. My older brother who had pulled up the line had done it incorrectly and the loop of rope I was hanging on to became caught: there was no way for me to hold on as my body continued propelling me forward. It happened so fast, and suddenly I hit the water just a few feet from the shoreline. My life jacket brought me back to the surface. I was shaking and afraid, but okay. My brother calmed me down and then suggested that I go down the zipline again. He told me that if I didn't do it now, I would probably be scared of it for the rest of my life. I knew he was right, and somehow he convinced me to confront my legitimate fears and give it another go. 

Get back on the horse, you know?

My brother knew what I needed when he had me face my fear. It was hard and terrifying, but it rewrote the ending of that ziplining experience from one of fear to one of bravery. While that one additional zipline wasn't exactly fun, it created a framework for growth. The next year, I ziplined again (the first miracle) and enjoyed the thrill of it (the second miracle). 

How many times in life are we pushed or nudged into growth?

All those times when we aren't sure we can give the presentation, run the 5k, read aloud in front of an audience, ride a bike fast downhill, swim the whole length of the pool, or speak up for ourselves; and someone pushes us to gather up our strength and we give it a go. When we wouldn't have on our own. We just needed a little confrontation, some direct pressure to move forward. 

In John 6:60-69, that's what Jesus was doing. After the disciples complained that following Jesus was so hard that they didn't understand why anyone would do it, Jesus said, "Does this shock you?"  Jesus laid it out for them and says that he's got "Spirit and life," which is the most important thing of all. Many of his followers left and gave it all up. Because it was hard and they were being confronted with that inevitability. But for those who stayed, it solidified their dedication to Jesus who has "the words of eternal life." It made them come to terms with the fear of the difficulty: that it was worth it. That life following Jesus provided meaning and growth, even when it was hard. 

Notice that Jesus doesn't chase after the people who left. He lets them go on their own accord. But he doesn't pretend that following him will be easy for the sake of boosting his numbers either. He knows that what he is offering will both inspire and require growth in the most important ways, and he's willing to be honest about that.

When have you been faced with a good confrontation of your faith?

When have you provided a good confrontation to support the growth of someone else’s faith? How has that brought you into the “Spirit and life” that Jesus invites us into?

Julie Leonard Religious Education Leader/Wellbeing Leader