When you’re tempted to give up your faith: Reflections on John 6

John 6 opens with Jesus feeding 5,000 men, plus women and children, on the far side of the Sea of Galilee. As the day ended, however, Jesus sent his disciples home in the boat while he withdrew to the mountain himself to pray. As is common in the area, as the sun set, a windstorm arose. Thus, when Jesus finished praying late at night, his disciples were still on the lake struggling against the wind and waves. Jesus started walking across the water, caught up to the disciples, and when he stepped into the boat, delivered them all safely to Capernaum.

The next day, the crowd awoke to find that Jesus was no longer on top of the mountain. After searching frantically for him, they also caught up with him in Capernaum and demanded an explanation. Jesus declined to provide another free lunch, which sparked a pretty intense conversation in which the crowd demanded further signs of his power. Recognizing that he would never satisfy their desire for bigger and better signs, he told them instead that they needed to build a relationship with him rather than constantly demand more miracles from him. This, he said, was the only way to be satisfied and live forever.

This conversation was a watershed moment in Jesus’ ministry. In John 6:66, “many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him” because he refused to be their miracle-dispensing genie. They rightly surmised that this meant he would not solve all of their problems or ensure they lived a blessed life.

As the crowd dispersed, Jesus looked at the Twelve and said, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” He was compelling them to decide if they were more interested in the easy life or the relationship with him because, as they would soon find out, following Jesus can be profoundly difficult!

Recently, I had a conversation with a fellow follower of Jesus who confessed they were tempted to walk away from the church and the faith because being a Christian is not easy. I could certainly empathize with this saint! We come to Christ expecting him to heal our hurts, remove our temptations, and put us on the shortcut to Easy Street. When reality sets in, however, we find ourselves discouraged and disillusioned, and we are tempted to follow the crowd and walk away from Christ and his church.

As I reflected today on my conversation with this friend, however, my thoughts were drawn to Jesus’ question and Peter’s answer. In John 6:68, Peter responded, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” His point was that, having seen what Jesus offered, there was no way Peter and the others could be satisfied simply going back to their old way of life.

St. Paul understood this sentiment. In Ephesians 4:17-19, he described our former way of life. The alternative to following Jesus, he said, was characterized by

• a clouded mind (“futility of their thoughts” (17); “darkened in their understanding” (18); “ignorance” (18));
• an insensitivity to anything outside of ourselves (“hardness of their hearts” (18); “callous” (19));
• self-destructive behaviors (“promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity” (19)); and
• an utter lack of satisfaction (“a desire for more and more” (19)).

In contrast, Paul described life in Christ as being

• able to think and see clearly both the world and God’s will (“renewed in the spirit of your minds” (23));
• licensed to accomplish God’s will (“created according to God’s likeness in righteousness” (24)); and
• empowered to remove anything and everything impure from our lives (“created according to… purity of the truth” (24)).

When we put it that way, Peter’s resolve is much more understandable. Satan will endeavor to convince us that the alternative is easier and much more enjoyable, but he fails to disclose that the ease and joy are short lived! As the author to the Hebrews testified, even the most insignificant sin ensnares us (12:1), leading to our eternal demise. Certainly, following Jesus is hard, and there are times when it is absolutely not enjoyable! Yet, though our bellies may not be full and we may face trials of every kind, following Jesus is the only way to truly live.

For much more on Ephesians 4:17-32, check out my sermon from April 10, 2024: https://www.youtube.com/live/QpF1Ts3jKvY?si=LJoTjsEjR0ZDHtit&t=1261