Would You Stay?

These days it doesn’t matter what kind of weird you are (let’s be honest, we’re all at least a little weird), there is a group on the internet who is just like you. Somewhere there is a group of people who think and act in ways that are completely agreeable to you, and that will not challenge you to improve yourself, but will instead encourage you to stay exactly the same. Even more, they will tell you to stand stubbornly for, well, whatever it is you want. Internet communication has made it easy to remain intellectually immobile, if that is what you desire. In a time when all I need to do to feel validated is click a few buttons on a screen, someone who decides to follow Christ and be challenged by His teachings is even more impressive.

Jesus never intended to make everyone happy (Matt. 10:34-39). He challenged people when they wanted to remain stationary, and often gave mind bending illustrations that challenged the status quo. One such example comes in John 6. Jesus miraculously fed more than five thousand people, using only five loaves of bread and two fish (v.5-14). The next day the people came to Jesus on the other side of the sea, looking again for bread. They were not looking to be challenged, but were instead looking to get a handout from Jesus (v.22-26). Instead of making more food for them, Jesus challenged them with teaching concerning His role in salvation and the work of God. He teaches that He is the bread of life, and that anyone who wants to live must eat His flesh and drink His blood (v.53). Because of this difficult teaching, many who had been following Jesus left and stopped following Him altogether (v.66).

Many of the people in Jesus’ time were searching for a teacher who would not challenge them. They enjoyed the free food, but hated the teaching that came with the blessing. There are people today who have the same mindset. The church is a wonderful group of loving, caring, and generous individuals who genuinely care about every person they meet. Many like the feeling they get when they walk through the doors and enter the meeting place of the Lord’s people. But as they bask in the glow of godly behavior, they begin to hear what is taught, and what is taught is often challenging. Change of heart and change of action are difficult to accomplish.

Every person who continues following Christ will be challenged by difficult tasks that He requires. When that time comes, be like Peter who, as everyone else was leaving, said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God” (v.68-69). Serve Jesus, keep following Him, accept the challenge of godliness, because Jesus is the Holy One of God, who saves us by His power. His Words, though challenging, are the only path to eternal life.