Eat My Flesh, Drink My Blood

There is a teaching that Jesus gives in John 6 that causes many of his disciples to leave him. Jesus explains to the crowd, at the synagogue in Capernaum, that if you do not eat of his flesh and drink of his blood, there is no life in you (John 6:53). This saying caused the Jews discomfort and Jesus’s disciples even murmured against it. Christ sees their offense to his words and instead of explaining the meaning, he calls out the peoples disbelief in him. My question is why?

Jesus could have explained the meaning of these words in an easier to handle way, or used a different concept that would not offend the crowd, but he didn’t. He specifically used a hard to wrestle with truth to separate the wheat from the chaff. John 6:64 is Jesus’s answer to the disciples and it shows us that he knew who did not believe him and this teaching was to cause those, who did not believe, to no longer walk with him (John 6:66). If the people that left Christ, never had to face this truth, would they still be following Jesus thinking that they are believers?

I am convinced that this is still an ongoing problem in Christianity. Sermons and teachings have become feel good self help messages that never try to offend anyone. This causes many people who are not actually believers to continue to attend church without ever realizing their disbelief. If we did what Christ did today, how many people would walk out of church and either stop attending completely, or just find another church that makes them feel good instead of challenging them. This is one of the reasons I believe we have so many denominations and why within even small towns, there are numerous churches.

Contrary to popular belief, at least among corporate churches, Christ doesn’t call us to fill seats on Sundays. We are supposed to be leading people to the truth that is Christ. Sometimes that will offend people and that is a good thing. At least those that get offended would know that they do not believe and can start their journey toward belief rather than sitting in a church unsaved. If you never knew that you had cancer, you would die of that cancer, but if you found out that you had it, you could change your life and survive. The unknown cancer of disbelief, in those that call themselves Christian, has to be called out by following Christ's example, by speaking the hard truth.

Matthew 11:6

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.