Go Where?
“Jesus then said to the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave?’
Simon Peter answered him, ‘Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.’”John 6:67-68
This past Sunday we hear of the difficulties of some of the followers of Jesus. When they had heard of Jesus’ teachings and words, many became discouraged upon realizing that following Him did not guarantee an easy life. We are told that many began to leave Jesus and returned to their former lives. Jesus then turned to the Apostles and asked them “Do you also want to leave?” Peter in turned answered with a question, “Master, to whom shall we go?”
“Do you also want to leave?” Have you ever felt tired of following Christ? Or have you ever felt tired of being nice or kind? Sometimes being a Christian is not easy. Others may see us as rigid, unaccepting, unkind, conservative, exclusive, and other adjectives. The world will persuade us to become “progressive” but this “progressive” is not true progression; rather the world’s “progression” is really a regression. It dehumanizes the human person. It threatens its dignity. It attempts to remove the image and likeness of God. “Do you also want to leave?” When we are tempted to give up, let us always remember Peter’s response to Jesus, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” It is worth it. The fight and the struggle is worth it. True progression is worth it. Work not for worldly progression but rather for the progression that moves us towards heaven, progression that moves us towards communion with God.
Where will you go today? St. Paul reminds us today in his letter to the Thessalonians that what we have received is the word of God and not the word of man, and so let us treat it as such. And this word of God has taken on flesh and is alive in us! We have received the word of God. God has assumed our human nature and that we may dare participate in the divine life. Think about that. God took on our humanity so that we may share in His divinity. Where else would we want to go? Does my life show that the word of God is alive in us? What Jesus has to offer are the words of eternal life. What is it that you are looking for? What does your heart desire?
