How often do we murmur, or complain about, Jesus in our hearts because what He teaches us about Himself and what we must do to enjoy the salvation He offers us, cuts against the grain of our own desires and proclivities? Like the people Jesus was speaking with in this weekend’s Gospel, we all too often think we have Him all figured out…do we not know…? Jesus really can’t mean what He says; we know better! Jesus enjoins us to stop murmuring, for no one can come to Him unless God our Father impels us to do so. Only then is our salvation possible.
The murmuring or complaining in this weekend’s Gospel (cf. John 6:41-51) echoes Exodus 16 when God’s people doubted that He could feed them after leading them out of Egypt. Now people doubt the claims of God’s Son because they know something of His earthly family. They doubt His heavenly origin because they know His earthly one. However, if Jesus is who He claims to be, He deserves all our attention and loyalty. Jesus, God’s Son, does in this Gospel passage what God did for His people when they were wandering in the desert seeking sustenance and salvation. He nourished and saved them, and Jesus does the same for us today by teaching us His ways, and feeding us Himself to sustain us on our journey to salvation in Him.
Let us, then, stop murmuring about Jesus when we find ourselves challenged by His word and ways. We don’t know it all and we are not able to save ourselves. If we are serious about our eternal destiny, let us place our faith in Jesus, and proclaim with our lives our loyalty to Him in all things. He promises to raise [us] on the last day.
David J. Conrad
The murmuring or complaining in this weekend’s Gospel (cf. John 6:41-51) echoes Exodus 16 when God’s people doubted that He could feed them after leading them out of Egypt. Now people doubt the claims of God’s Son because they know something of His earthly family. They doubt His heavenly origin because they know His earthly one. However, if Jesus is who He claims to be, He deserves all our attention and loyalty. Jesus, God’s Son, does in this Gospel passage what God did for His people when they were wandering in the desert seeking sustenance and salvation. He nourished and saved them, and Jesus does the same for us today by teaching us His ways, and feeding us Himself to sustain us on our journey to salvation in Him.
Let us, then, stop murmuring about Jesus when we find ourselves challenged by His word and ways. We don’t know it all and we are not able to save ourselves. If we are serious about our eternal destiny, let us place our faith in Jesus, and proclaim with our lives our loyalty to Him in all things. He promises to raise [us] on the last day.
David J. Conrad
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