Readings: Joshua 24: 1-2, 15-18; Psalm 34; Ephesians 5:25-32; John 6:60-69
Grace and peace to you dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.
For some time now, we have been reading from John 6, the Bread of Life discourse of Jesus. For us who grew up in Church and understand the theology of the Eucharist, the words of Jesus may not be strange. For those listening to Him at that time, most of what He had said would have been strange, foreign and unimaginable. He talked about God as His Father, that He is greater than Moses, that He is the Bread that came from heaven, that He has seen the Father…if you eat His body and drink His blood then He will live in you. This must have sounded like saying if you munch on my bones and soup up my brains, I will possess you.
These words were really offensive, controversial and hard for the people. Take note – many started complaining, many were upset and many stopped following Him.
The first thing the Holy Spirit taught me here is that the fact that some people are upset with me doesn’t mean I am doing or teaching the wrong thing. In fact, if people are not upset then I should be worried about what I am not doing. People were upset about Jesus, Amen.
Dear friends, take note that many even stopped following Jesus.
Are you sad or shocked that many people today have stopped following Jesus? Well, when He was alive, despite His powerful ministry, many stopped following Him and one of His own betrayed Him. In the same vein, many have and many will stop following Jesus.
Many will stop for different reasons – some because of the cares and riches of the world, some because their faith cannot survive grief (the loss of someone dear), some will abandon Jesus to fit in and be accepted by their mates, some will become too learned so that the faith will become too simple and foolish to them (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Some will be angry that God didn’t serve their purpose or do their will, some will and some have abandoned Jesus because they were scandalised by the members of the Body of Christ or the Church as an institution. Many will leave because they never believed anyway, they only come to Church because it is an obligation in their family and many will leave because they want a straight forward, simple, agreeable religion and they found Christianity difficult, disagreeable, controversial and hard.
Jesus is asking all of us, just as He asked Peter, “will you also leave me? Do you want to go away too?”
“When it is hard and difficult, will you also leave me?”
Dear friends, we don’t need a prophet to tell us that following Jesus will soon get harder. Christians will face even more mockery, persecution, marginalisation, discrimination and opposition.
Jesus is asking us to make a decision, just as Joshua called on the people of Israel to make a decision today – who do we want to serve? Shall we stick with Jesus or turn away? Shall we remain united with Jesus in a mystical and indissoluble union typified in marriage or shall we allow the world to come between us and the love of Christ (Second Reading).
Let’s end by examining the answer of Simon Peter. He said “‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.”
This is getting longer but permit me to briefly analyse this.
What is Peter saying here?
There may be many inspirational figures in history, many impressive people, amazing teachers, martyrs for justice, religious leaders who drew crowds, but Jesus is the One on whom the Father has set His seal (John 6:27). He is not another holy man but the Holy One of God. Yes, He is like us, He has a mom and dad, he ate, drank, wept, used the restroom. There were no angels around Him, no Hallelujah Chorus when he stood, yet He is the Holy One of God sent from the Father. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Only He has the message of Eternal Life.
How did Peter know this?
He was taught by the Holy Spirit.
We open ourselves now to the Holy Spirit to lead us to a deeper knowledge of who Jesus is, to strengthen us to stick with Jesus, no matter the storms, oppositions and confusion and to never doubt that only Jesus has the message of Eternal Life.
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on August 25, 2024