Home, Part V

The passage goes on to say, “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’” In verse 66, many of the disciples – not the twelve, but others who had been following Jesus – turned back, and no longer went about with him. The word that is translated as difficult doesn’t mean “hard to understand.” It means “hard to accept.” Why is that? Think back to the beginning of the chapter. The crowds had been fed – thousands had seen the miracle two loaves and five fish feeding everyone. Why, when they are standing on the threshold of home, do they turn away? Why do we?

Amy Howe, in the book Feasting on the Word, says this:
We prefer religion to God. We, like the disciples, are offended by Jesus’ offer of spirit and life. We feel good about serving in the soup kitchen, but we refuse to forgive our pew mate for his addiction. We feel righteous when we teach Sunday school, but we are annoyed by the coos of the baby in worship. We make religion about the rules because we can control the rules.”

Our call from God is radical. It’s an “I surrender all” kind of call. It touches everything about our lives – how we spend our time, our money, our gifts. When God abides in us, everything changes. We change. And we resist that change.

We, too, stand on the threshold, and we back away.

At the end of the passage, in verse 67, Jesus asks the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Maybe he remembered the miraculous feeding of the 5000. Maybe he was picturing the baskets of bread he and the other disciples collected – leftovers of abundant grace. Maybe he was remembering an encounter with the divine on the water, but at that particular moment, he can’t deny what we try to ignore. Our home is with God. There is nowhere else we can go. We yearn for that place.