'Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. 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. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you twelve? Yet is not one of you a devil?” He was referring to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot; it was he who would betray him, one of the Twelve (Jn. 6:60-71).'
In the Bread of life discourse (vv. 22-59) Jesus’ words caused a division among the Christian disciples who felt that his teaching was too difficult and stopped following him. If they could not accept his claim to be the bread of life (the real heavenly manna) and that he gives life (vv. 32-33), then they certainly could not accept the Son of Man ascending back to the glory he shared with his Father. They had witnessed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (vv.1-15) but still could not get past Jesus’ words, “I am the bread of life (v. 35).” In order to accept Jesus’ teaching, one has to be born of the Spirit. Faith that brings people to Jesus is only possible through God’s grace and those who left Jesus did not truly believe in him. Jesus asked the apostles if they were also going to leave him and Peter, who with the twelve was beginning to understand that Jesus was the Messiah, said, “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.” Even from among the twelve who ‘believed’ one would betray Jesus.
Almighty God, you offer us the gift of faith and we pray that you grant us the grace to accept it. Belief in you requires an act of our will and to do so we also need your grace. Help us to trust in the promises of your Son and to persevere through all doubts and fears for we know that his words are the words of eternal life. This we pray through the same Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Expanded Edition, Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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