The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
At the Sea of Galilee (John 6)
- Chapter 45 -
The people's opinions on the speech of the Lord
Since I have said this in a synagogue in Capernaum (John 6:59), where there were besides My now many disciples and besides the large number of people who had followed Me from Jerusalem, also a number of Jews present, and this teaching of Mine that even My first disciples did not understand, caused a lot of amazement and great commotion and gave rise to many disputes.
2
Some said: "He cannot have meant the flesh and blood of his body."
3
Others said: "Yes, what else should we then understand by this? If he is a wise man and wants to teach the people - and in a public school at that - he should speak to the people so that they can understand him; for we people are only human and not spirits, and a true wise man must indeed know that and see clearly what sort of listeners he is dealing with. But that was such a ridiculously difficult lesson that truly no humanly sensible person can listen to it! (John 6:60) We were only surprised how many people could have listened to it for so long. If he had given this lesson in Indian, we would have had the same use form it!"
4
But the more moderate said again: "That is indeed true to begin with, but nonetheless we believe that something quite different is behind it all, and that he has perhaps only spoken so intentionally in order to force our souls to think more actively and more deeply - and if we ask him for a closer explanation, perhaps he will give it to us?!"
5
Said the others: "Haven't we done that?! When he was supposed to explain to us more closely how he is to be understood, coming down from heaven as true bread, he then mentioned even his own flesh and blood that we should eat and drink in order to receive eternal life! Those are either intentionally such craftily given riddle teachings that no man ever will understand, or the otherwise good man has permitted himself to joke with us. Be let it be as he wishes, neither the one nor the other can have any value for us! But whoever has healthy reason like we do, follow us and go his own way!"
6
At this many left the synagogue, and only the many disciples remained, as well as the twelve chosen apostles, of course; for they were still waiting for a more detailed explanation. But even they were mumbling among one another and saying: "It is indeed strange of Him! Today He could have made thousands into firm followers of His teaching with a clear lesson appropriate for human reason; but in this way He has injured Himself for a long time to come! For who will be able to listen and bear Him any more from now on?!"
7
Even the Greek Jews said to one another: "That is a huge jump and difference between the lessons in Bethany and this one here now! The Jews who have now left, have judged things, as they are now, quite correctly. But perhaps He will express Himself more clearly about it later - and now they are all away who wanted to make Him into their king on the mountain, and so there will be less to prevent Him from speaking openly to us."
8
But since I noticed it by Myself that many disciples were also annoyed and grumbling among one another, I said to them: "How can that cause you to stumble?! (John 6:61) Did I not say to one of My disciples that these people are not mature enough by far for the inner acceptance of the Kingdom of God?! But I have dealt them all a good blow now which will occupy them quite a lot and make them more mature in future. For I must first prepare the people so that in the future they will be all the more capable of understanding the deeper secrets of the Kingdom of God all the easier."
9
The disciples said: "Yes, yes, that can all be so and will certainly be so; since Your wonderful signs speak for this. But that we should eat Your flesh and drink Your blood in order to gain eternal life, Lord and Master, that is obviously something that is purely impossible to carry out for us according to the manner of Your speech! Certainly we all care very much about avoiding death - even if it only means the present life of the soul, because the body in any case only earth and dust which hardly can ever be reanimated again - ; but if such a thing is only possible at the cost of Your bodily flesh and blood, which in any case would be enough for only very few, then we will do without the eternal life of the soul and will end our life for eternity on this earth as honest men. But if You mean something else by this, then You would truly do well to give us a tiny light on the subject. If You are going to ascend again soon to where You have come according to Your claim, where and how will we then be able to have Your flesh and blood? Thus today's lesson means obviously absolutely nothing without a closer explanation!"
10
I said: "Have I not said then that it is difficult for the deaf to preach and it is difficult for the blind to write?! It is the spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; but the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life and not an earthly flesh and blood. (John 6:63)
11
But I now say to you all quite openly that there are some of you who either have no or very little faith, and there are even some among My older disciples whom I knew from the beginning who had only little faith and one of them is even a greedy thief and a traitor! (John 6:64)