Free in the face of love Jn 6:60-69
Each of us can and must choose. The worst is the strategy of avoidance or indifference, which means the lack of clear choices and living on the border of many conflicting worlds. A man torn by contradictions is never happy. Freedom places much greater demands on everyone than slavery. Above all, it requires responsibility. John Paul II in 1991 during the beatification Mass of Bl. Rafał Chyliński said: “You cannot only have freedom. It has to be won over and over again”.
Jesus sees that the number of His disciples is clearly decreasing (how actual it is today!). For most, His teachings seem difficult, even unacceptable. Some go away for a long time, others forever. What remains is something that resembles the "rest of Israel" from the Old Testament, a group of those who are to be light, salt and leaven (cf. Mt 5: 13-16; 13: 33-34). Jesus does not enslave anyone; he does not force anyone. I'm not trying to force you to anything. He does not give up the truth and its requirements just to have more listeners or to have easy recognition. This temptation was no secret to the prophets. He successfully exposed it and was well described by, for example, Isaiah: “For this is a rebellious people, deceitful children, Children who refuse to listen to the instruction of the LORD; Who say to (…) the prophets: “Do not prophesy truth for us; speak smooth things to us, see visions that deceive! Turn aside from the way! Get out of the path! Let us hear no more of the Holy One of Israel!” (cf. Is. 30:9-12)
There are probably no such other pages in the Gospels where it is so strongly said that Jesus is not looking for followers for himself. He wants to give us the truth, and ultimately - He wants to give us himself. With great kindness and patience to people, he revealed the truth of salvation. But when people refused to accept His truth, He did not flatter them and did not adapt His teaching to their tastes, but watched with pain when, they departed from Him, they were departing from their salvation.
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?" - so many of his disciples summed up the promise that he wants to feed us with his own body and with his own blood. Likewise, many people scorn Jesus' teaching that in order to enter eternal life one must take up his cross and follow him. Many find it difficult and unbearable for him to teach us about the obligation to love one's enemies.
Let us read well this entire sixth chapter of the Gospel of St. John. The Lord Jesus explained his intention to give us the Eucharist with great patience. However, this teaching outraged most of His disciples, and they began to depart from him. The Lord Jesus did not stop them. He only said to the Twelve: "Perhaps you too want to leave? After all, I will not change the truth of salvation because some people do not like it."
And he gave an extremely important explanation as to why some of us are unable to open ourselves to His teachings. "Among you there are those who do not believe," said the Lord Jesus to His disciples. St. Augustine commenting on these words, recalls the words of the prophet Isaiah: "If you do not believe, you will not understand" (cf. Is. 7: 9, LXX). Yes, because in order to be open to the Lord Jesus‘ commandment to love our enemies, to His teaching about the Eucharist or to the promise of a future resurrection - we must first really believe in Him. Let us also pay attention to the exemplary behavior of the Apostle Peter in a situation when the number of disciples has decreased to a small group. "Maybe you too want to leave?" Jesus asked those who stayed with Him. Lord, to whom shall we go? Peter replied then. - You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
Until Tomorrow
fr. george