What made Jesus’ disciples desert Him this time?

by May Tam
2015-08-23
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Joshua 24:1-2A, 15-17, 18B


Ephesians 5:21 - 32


John 6:60 - 69


Like Joshua who challenged the Israelites (First Reading), so did Jesus to His disciples (Gospel Reading). But whereas all the Israelites chose to follow the Lord, Jesus’ disciples were divided----some grumbled (vv 60, 61), some left (v 66) and only a small band of His intimates remained (vv 68, 69). For the Israelites, their decision was logical (Joshua 24:16-17). We would like to think that after what Jesus had shown His disciples (feeding the multitudes and walking on water Jn 6:1-21), they all should have made the same choice as the Israelites, but sadly, the decision was otherwise.

Was Jesus’ teaching too hard? The disciples had been taught by Jesus with many hard teachings---loving one’s enemies (Mt 5:44, Lk 6:27); plucking out one’s eye to avoid sin (Mk 9:47, Mt 18:9); turning the other cheek when being mistreated (Mt 5:39, Lk 6:29) etc.-----but none of these made them forsake Jesus. Then what made Jesus’ disciples (those who believed and had followed Him) desert Him this time? It was Jesus’ teaching concerning Himself----being the ONLY one that led to eternal life.

It is understandable that when taken literally the teaching of “eating flesh and drinking blood” is hard to accept but allegorically it is difficult too. It is difficult because it challenges one’s faith. Faith is more than just mental assent to a certain set of truths or having intellectual knowledge about Jesus. It requires our unreserved acceptance of Jesus as the "one mediator between God and the human race" (1 Tim 2:5), the true way to God and the one whose flesh and blood give us life. What Jesus points out is that unless one believes and chooses this way, one cannot attain eternal life. And since it is the only way, true discipleship requires the forgoing of one’s life agenda completely and committing totally to Jesus who is the center and the source of everything. “Jesus” cannot be accepted simply in theory or in parts.

Jesus was challenging His disciples then, He is still challenging us now. If it were hard on the disciples who had been with Him, it is much harder on us for it does not seem to make any sense to believe someone whom we have never seen or met; someone who lived so far away and so long ago but claimed to lead us to life exclusively and most extraordinarily----by eating His flesh and drinking His blood. What would be our response if Jesus asks us today with the same question? Would we be able to see as clearly as St. Peter and be as courageous as he to answer aloud “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

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