The earliest Christians followed a Jewish tradition of pausing to pray, preferably together, first thing in the morning, about mid morning, at noon, about mid afternoon, and in the evening. “Just a Note” posts are brief observations made from Scripture readings not related to a lectionary. If I have one to post, it normally appears about 9:00 in the morning, at “the hour of prayer.”
John 6:66-71 gives us several very important insights about Jesus and his relationship to his disciples. Let’s look at a few of them briefly.
First, there are always going to be some people who follow Jesus until a difficult situation arises. They will then depart. While Jesus is clearly troubled by this, his statements don’t indicate that he is feeling lonely in any way. He asks if the remaining disciples are also going to depart. It will, after all, be very bad for them if they leave.
Peter’s response speaks volumes. Who would we go to? Jesus is the one who has the words we need. Following and trusting him is the sure and certain foundation available to us.
Does Jesus care for those whose faithfulness will lapse? Notice he states his care for his disciples even while noting that one is “a devil.”
When the going gets rough, I pray that Jesus’ followers will not depart but will continue with him, receiving the words of life.
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