Jesus is not your grandma.
Sometimes
we have an image of Jesus that is far too similar to a kind grandma: Jesus is sweet and nice. Jesus loves us. Jesus
will forgive us if we do something wrong because He is kind and loving.
Jesus is radically different
than a kind grandma, Jesus is God; the same God that created the world, the
same God who breathed life into us, the same God that holds us in existence out
of love for us, the same God who came down to the earth as a fragile baby and
who suffered horrible torture and death so that He might sacrifice Himself for
our sins, something we didn’t deserve and something He didn’t have to do.
Jesus was far too substantial
and radical to only be nice or grandmotherly. Jesus cannot even be interpreted
as a prophet like some non-Christian religions believe. Because of what Jesus
said and what He did He is either a liar, a lunatic or the Son of God (as He
said). When our image of Jesus is more
than an image of a kind grandma it requires us (finally allows us) to make a
choice to believe in this God or to choose to worship something else.
In today’s 1st
reading and Gospel the people of God are told that they needed to make a
decision to either choose God or to walk away. Jesus, as we have heard in the
Gospel readings this past month from John chapter 6 is trying to break open his
disciples’ minds to see a deeper reality than they have ever understood about
who Jesus is by telling them that He is the Bread of Life. When some of his
followers do not understand and are uncomfortable with how Jesus is challenging
them they respond saying: this saying is hard; who can accept it. What is Jesus’ response? Instead of backing
down or telling them that he is only using an analogy Jesus instead watches with
sadness as some of his disciples walk away and return to their former life.
Why does He not call them back? Being a follower of Jesus
requires making a choice that involves faith, a new and deeper way of seeing.
Jesus does not force this prescription on His followers but offers Himself as
the path to the fullness of life. As many disciples were leaving He then turned
to His inner circle, the 12 Apostles, and asks them: Do you also want to leave? With great faith and trust in Jesus Peter
responds, Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are
convinced that you are the Holy One of God.
We are called to have faith like Peter, to place ourselves in
submission to Jesus (submission means under
the mission of, and has nothing to do with control). When we allow
ourselves to be under the mission of Jesus we allow Him to be God for us, to
open us daily to a new way of seeing and being in this world.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
-Do I believe that Jesus is the Holy One of God?
-How does that belief affect my life?
-When I encounter doubt to faith what is my response?
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