Welcome to Day 15 of our 40 Day challenge! Mark 6:1-6 and John 6:60-71

(Catch up with us, with our reading list March, reading list for April,  and Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14)

Today we are reading Mark 6:1-6 and John 6:60-71:

Mark 6:1-6

Jesus left there and went to his hometown,accompanied by his disciples. ² When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? ³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” ⁵ He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. ⁶ He was amazed at their lack of faith.

John 6:60-71

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

⁶¹ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?⁶² Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! ⁶³ The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[e] and life. ⁶⁴ Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.⁶⁵ He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

⁶⁶ From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

⁶⁷ “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

⁷⁰ Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” ⁷¹ (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

 

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life

Does this offend you?

The word for offend here is skandalizó, and it’s also translated cause to stumble. It’s the same word in Matthew 18:6, where Jesus says if anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the sea. It’s also the root of our English word, scandalize.

It seems that Jesus was trying to weed out those who weren’t ready to follow Him. They had experienced incredible miracles, but Jesus wanted them to see the hand of their loving Father behind the provision, not just the provision itself. Are we here for Jesus or His gifts? Our God is incredibly generous, and there are many gifts we receive in relationship with Him. But His blessings are bonuses to a relationship with Him. A deep relationship with Jesus is unbelievably amazing—no gift could compare to the joy found in His presence. The Giver far surpasses the gifts.

In Proverbs 30:7-9 the writer asks for neither poverty nor riches, but only their daily bread, for with riches, we tend to think of ourselves as independent, as if we don’t need the Lord.

Jesus wasn’t looking for people who would follow Him because He fed them. He knew their souls were as hungry as their bodies. He wanted people who were following Him, not His gifts. He’s looking for disciples, apprentices, who will hear these hard things and say, where else would we go? You have the words of eternal life. They are there to learn from Him and serve others with Him, not just to receive His benefits.

This is a vital part of our outreaches. It’s hard to do well and takes a lot of intention and discernment. We give food to people who need it. And we give it, as much as possible, in relationship with them, sharing it as God’s provision and love for them. Our goal is always for them to see this as straight from the Lord, just passing through some hands along the way. We want to show people the love that is already there for them. ♥

Jesus telling this group to eat His flesh and drink His blood was a stumbling block to those who were there just for what He could do for them. This doesn’t mean the words were easy for His disciples to hear, either. But because of their relationship with Him and who they knew Him to be, they could step over this block and continue following Him.

Options for further  journaling or discussion throughout the challenge:

• Choose a part of the passage to write out by hand. Writing by hand helps us slow down and focus on what the Lord might highlight for us in the passage. Our brains can focus and remember better by writing than just reading alone.
• Journal about what the passage brings to mind. Does the passage tell us anything about God? Does it tell us anything about our response to Him?
• Does your heart respond in gratitude to any part of the passage? Write or pray your gratitude to the Lord.

 

We’ll see you next time, for Day 16 and John 6:1-14

♥ Samantha