“Who You Rollin’ Wit?” by Trip Lee feat. Flame and J’Son (Rap-a-long)
The Hard Sayings We Don’t Want to Hear
Today’s scripture reading shows the disciples of Christ at a crossroads, where they get a glimpse of Jesus really is and have to make a decision as to whether or not they were “into Jesus” for the long haul. In the 21st Century the decision to follow Jesus or turn away, remains the same. Hopefully we will learn what we really should do when confronted with the choice to follow Jesus or to walk away.
John 6:51-64 (KJV)
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
“This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60)
How many times have I heard the “hard saying” of the Lord, yet did not want to understand or hear it? I wonder why that is? When I think about it, I consider that maybe I don’t want to hear because what the Lord says is not convenient for my agenda. If my agenda is to obtain, feast on and worship the things of this world, then what does it matter to me to “eat the flesh and drink the blood” of Jesus? When I seek to be joined to another that is not of His Kingdom, then I turn a deaf ear to His words which are spirit and life. When I meditate only on the things I can see with my eyes, how can I desire to see the One Who came from above. Value is as value does. Or should I say, value is as value loves.
Another reason why I don’t want to receive the hard saying is because it is inconvenient to where I am. There are many who call themselves believers, even as the disciples did, but hearing (and hence acting on) the voice of the Lord is inconvenient to where they are. They don’t want to hear the voice of God in the work place or in their places of recreation because it makes them different and they don’t want to stand out like that. Many Christians espouse the doctrine of the separation of work and faith. In church they act one way, but outside of the church they are indistinguishable from the world around them. Their speech is the same as that of the world, because their heart is set on the things and beings of this world. Many of the Jews who heard the sayings of Jesus became angry because He spoke the hard sayings in the synagogue. He said words that they were not accustomed to hearing in that setting if at all. They had the routine of the synagogue memorized. Who was this Jesus who had the nerve to call for a paradigm shift in their place of worship? How many times do I , do we become angry when the Lord calls for a paradigm shift in our lives?
There were three responses to the hard saying of Jesus from those who called themselves believers. The first group walked away because they were unwilling to embrace of truth of the reality of who Jesus is. They refused to walk further with Him because they did not understand what He was saying, and were afraid of how following Jesus would cause changes in their thinking and their lives. They loved their lives more than they loved Jesus. Then there were the disciples like Peter who stayed because, while they did not understand what He was saying, they knew He was and is the Son of God. Based on this knowledge, they concluded rightly that there was no where else to go for the truth. Peter’s response was: “..Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:68-69 (KJV)
The third reaction was that of Judas, who stayed not because He believed Jesus was the Son of God, nor did He stay to hear the truth. Judas stayed because he was a committed opportunist who wanted access to the group’s money and a shot at self glorification. There are many in this world today who embrace the Judas posture in the church, some even sit in the pastor’s chair. Would that unbelievers would turn and repent, now. Their fate, if they remain unbelieving and unchanged, is dire.
Reflection:
Whatever the reaction to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God knows who and what we are. The time will come when all shall be revealed. Given these insights, what then is my prayer? My prayer is Heavenly Father, Forgive me for all the times my deaf ears and hard heart have not wanted to receive your hard sayings. Help me to embrace and act on your truth. Teach me what I must do, even when I am afraid of where you will lead me. Help me to recognize and understand you even when your message to me comes in unexpected places. May all men this day say to You “Lord where shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:68-69 (KJV) Amen
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“Who You Rollin Wit” by Trip Lee was uploaded on Youtube.com
by theWanting on Feb 17, 2009.
Verneda Lights and E-graphX Omnimedia have no ownership of this video. It is used for instructional purposes only.
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