Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time (B) [Jn
6:60-69]
22.08.2021
Jesus
has the Words of Eternal Life
1. Theme in
brief
Faith
is a free choice
2. Focus
Statement:
Christian faith
is a decision to be made everyday out of free choice either for or against
Christ, especially when there is a strong temptation to leave his company.
3. Explanation of the text
Today’s gospel begins with the reaction of the listeners of Jesus’ discourse on Bread of Life proclaimed on last two Sundays. Majority of the people refused to accept that teaching; in fact they were offended by it (6:60). The Greek word used for “offended” can also mean “scandalized” or “stumbled over.” For most of the people Jesus and his teaching were a stumbling block. They were scandalized by the following claims and demands he made: (1) having come down from heaven (6:41); (2) necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood in order to have divine life and be saved (6:53), which sounded to them like a barbaric act or cannibalism; and (3) ascending to the Father where he was before (6:62) as the ‘Son of Man’ (which refers to a divine figure) – a clear reference to his Ascension or final exaltation through the way of the cross or suffering.
We observe a two-fold response in today’s gospel to the revelation of Jesus as the Bread of Life: positive and negative. The negative response causes division: (1) within the larger group of his disciples, most of whom defect (6:66); and (2) within his own inner circle of the Twelve, between Judas and others (6:64). The text contrasts the defection of the majority of his followers with the decision of the Twelve to stay with him, and Peter’s confession of faith in contrast to the betrayal of a close friend (Judas). It is clear for us that very few were able to accept Jesus’ high demands. They said those demands were too difficult or hard for them – not hard to understand, but hard to accept (6:60). Throughout John’s gospel we see divisions taking place among people; some accepting him as the revelation of God and believing in him, and others just rejecting him. He might have asked them: “Does this shake your trust in me?” If they had problems with his teaching during his earthly ministry, how would they react when he would one day rise from the dead and ascend to his Father (6:62)?
The disciples were hearing Jesus’ words only in the “flesh” and not with the enlightenment and guidance of the Spirit. If they could do the latter, they could be filled with life-giving Spirit (6:63). No one can understand the real meaning of Jesus’ words unless it is granted by the Father (6:65). No one can accept him unless the Spirit of God draws or moves that person to do so. But there is a possibility that a person shuts out God by resisting the promptings of his Spirit. Though faith is a gift from God and is open to all, one needs to respond to God’s grace freely.
Today’s text draws our attention to the decision made by the Twelve disciples at the face of God’s revelation in Jesus. When most of the others decided to part company with him, Jesus challenged the Twelve to decide whether they too wished to go away from him like so many others or would like to stay with him with total commitment (6:67). Their decision to remain faithful to him – of course, by Judas with an ulterior motive – is presented in the confessional statement of Peter, the spokesperson for the Twelve (6:68). For him, except Jesus there was no one else to whom he could go, because in him alone he had found the words of eternal life – in nobody else. He recognized, knew, believed and accepted that Jesus’ words were spirit and life (6:63) and he was the Holy One of God (6:69) – a messianic title. Thus, this passage presents both good and bad examples of discipleship: Peter stands for those who believe in him, accept his teaching and decide to stay with him or commit themselves to him; and Judas for those who pretend to believe in him with the intention of betraying him at the opportune time.
From this text we learn a different model of Christian discipleship. A disciple is the one who recognizes in the teaching of Jesus words of eternal life, and in the Person of Jesus the Holy One of God. He/she in turn is daily invited to make a decisive choice for Jesus, even if all the rest go away or abandon him.
4. Application to life
Today’s gospel text focuses on the demands of our Christian faith and the need for a more serious commitment to Jesus and his way of life. Jesus insists that only a committed faith in him, animated by the Spirit can sustain his teachings, especially on the mystery of the Eucharist and the necessity to carry one’s cross. From the days of Jesus till today people find it hard to accept some of Jesus’ teachings. They reject him not because of their failure to understand him but because of high standards of his demands and great challenges posed by his teachings. Like the larger group of his disciples who followed him in the beginning but later abandoned him (cf. today’s gospel), is it not true we too find some of his teachings offensive? Is it not true that some of his teachings continue to scandalize each of us, like his demands to forgive the worst enemy without any condition; to show mercy even to criminals; to pay the last-comers the same wages as first-comers; to carry one’s cross up to crucifixion; to enter through the narrow gate though broad gate is available; etc.?
Faith in Christ can become a stumbling block for quite many people even today. A good number of Christians – especially those who do jobs or are in business or in politics – admit privately that it is not possible to function in these fields if they follow Christ’s principles seriously. I am not here to judge or condemn such people. But it is clear from today’s text that our Christian faith is not just lighting a few candles and saying three Hail Marys. It is quite challenging and sometimes even shocking. It is a challenge we face every day either to decide for Christ or go against his teachings. It is a commitment to him and to his values. The real profession of faith does not take place only when we recite the Creed or make an Act of Faith in our daily prayer. Faith is a decision to choose every day what Jesus tells us to do in the gospels; to decide either for or against him; to stay with him or to go away from him.
Our Christian faith is tested and challenged everyday. At those moments, there is a temptation to part company with Jesus. In times of crises, we wonder why our illness does not get healed; why such a tragic accident should have happened to me; why my only child died suddenly; why I lost my job or am unemployed……..? When everything seems to be dark, can we still turn to Jesus and say: “Lord, to whom can I go? I firmly believe that in you alone is the meaning of life!” If our faith is deep enough, there is less chance of wavering in our commitment to Jesus is such circumstances. The same test can come when there is a conflict of values. The question before the disciples of Christ is how to behave in such cases and whether they remain faithful to his teachings. Jesus asks us every time we are confronted with conflicting values: “Will you follow my standards or the world’s?” At that time we need to decide either to accept Christ or his vales or to reject him or his values. He does not force. We need to choose freely; we are free to remain with him or go away, or make compromises.
There are various reasons why people reject Jesus. As disciples of Christ our true colour is revealed only when our faith is challenged. Normally we would be happy to have a sugar-coated and sweet Jesus. We are sometimes put off by his hard sayings and strict moral demands. We would have liked to follow him selectively by accepting only those teachings which suit our taste and by avoiding or dismissing his hard demands. Those who abandoned Jesus in his days must have followed him for ulterior motives such as enjoying his miraculous powers like abundance of food to eat. But when he used offensive language of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, and hinted at the necessity of the cross to “ascend” to the Father, they left him. Those who had followed him with the intention of getting something from him might have left him when they realized that they had to suffer for him or his cause.
It is worth asking ourselves whether we follow Christ only to get something from him but also to give our life to him. If we decide to stay with him, is it because we believe that there are words that sustain divine life in him? Do we believe that if we go away from him we will not get words of divine life but only words that sustain dishonesty, corruption, power-mongering, bitterness, negativity, revenge or retaliation? Further, it is necessary to question ourselves whether we attend church just for status in society, to avoid disapproval from family and neighbours and to maintain our business as well as political contacts, or we are really committed to the Gospel. Are we personally convinced like Peter that there is no better option for us than the way of Jesus to find happiness and fulfilment now and for ever?
Jesus does not change his words to make them more "user-friendly" now. He is quite different from quite a few politicians who change their previous version in the next press briefing or speech by saying that they did not mean it, or were misquoted, or their words were taken out of context, etc. Instead, Jesus says: “I stand by what I said; you are free to follow me or leave me. It is up to you whether to stay or go away; to hold on to me or forsake me; to follow the crowd as they drift away from me or to stand alone in following me come what may; to succumb to temptation to sin or to win a victory over it.” Whenever we have an inclination in the heart to depart from him, he awakens us with the question, “Do you also wish to go away?” In Peter’s reply we can get the sense that for him Jesus could not be replaced with anything or anybody else in his search for happiness and self-fulfilment. How about us? After all, our decision to follow Jesus is a personal and free choice.
Before we decide either for Christ or against him, sometimes we face a dilemma: Should I stick to my resolution to live a holy life or return to my former sinful ways? If my parents or children stop practicing faith, will I also stop? If many do not go to church on Sundays or do not have any family prayers, will I also stop going and praying? If other Christians are involved in corrupt practices, will I also become corrupt? If they take bribes, will I also take? If most of the students are copying in examination centres (as it happens in some regions of the world), will I also copy; etc. If other people in the world, including some Christians, find nothing morally wrong with abortion procured within the prescribed law, or with gay marriages, euthanasia, misappropriation of huge public funds, infidelity in marriage, live-in relationships, will I also do the same? There is a question that haunts the minds of those who have joined consecrated life (religious life) or are ordained ministers of the Church, whether to go away when quite a few have left that state of life, or have diluted their consecration to the extent of becoming counter-witnesses, or remain faithful to God. Yes, there is a question that rings in every disciple’s ears: “Do you also wish to go their way?”
The decision of the other eleven disciples to stay with Jesus and commit themselves to his cause fully is contrasted with Judas’ decision to stay with him only externally, but remain corrupt internally. He was a disciple externally, but his heart was miles away from him and his principles. We may find a Judas in ourselves even today when we neither abandon Jesus fully, nor are with him fully. We see how Judas’ greed for money and frustration about his inability to use Jesus for his purpose led him to take the ultimate step of betraying him. Besides greed for money, he must have joined the team with a hidden agenda to make use of him for a bloody revolution against the Roman rule. Judas’ story is the story of a disciple who is called to be a ‘hero’ for Jesus’ cause but turns out to be a villain when that person allows evil or satanic forces to control his/her life fully.
5. Response to
God's Word
Today, Jesus asks each one of us: “Do you also wish to go away from me like others?” What is our inner disposition to follow Jesus? Have we found in Jesus the Holy One of God who has the words of eternal life? Do we actually live our lives as those who believe this truth? Is there a Judas lurking inside us? Like Peter, let us make a decision to stay with him in good times and bad times, in fair weather and turmoil. Let us tell Jesus, “Lord to whom I shall go? I am personally convinced that there is no better option for me than your way to find happiness and fulfilment now and for ever.”
6. A prayer
Lord, to whom shall I go? I have come to believe and know that in you there is light, away from you is darkness; in you is boundless love, away from you is selfishness; in you is truth, away from you is falsehood and untruth; in you is life in fullness, away from you is spiritual death; in you is holiness, away from you is sinfulness; in you are words that sustain divine life, away from you are words that sustain only worldly life and standards, or words that sustain dishonesty, corruption, bitterness and negativity. Therefore, with full trust in you, I commit myself to you now and for eternity. Amen.
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