Caleb, zooming a toy helicopter around the school room and imitating a news reporter: "Buck is not out. This is not fake news."
Buck usually is out of his cage during school, which is why that particular moment was newsworthy in Caleb's eyes. The fence shown below is only to keep him away from library books, which get expensive to replace and are apparently tasty.
Jason held down the fort while I went to an overnight women's retreat. The first talk in the evening was about John 6:66-69:
As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" Simon Peter answered Him, "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."
That's when Jesus started saying things like:
The will of God is more important than food.
I alone can satisfy your soul.
I am the answer to all the prophecies.
Apart from Me you are condemned.
And as a result of these statements, many disciples withdrew from Jesus and were not walking with Him anymore.
There was so much going on that the twelve didn't understand. Why didn't Jesus take the throne? Why did He insist on saying things that drove his friends away? And why on earth did He talk about people needing to eat His flesh and drink His blood?
But as our speaker pointed out, the twelve got the main thing: Jesus = life.
We don't understand. But where else can we turn?
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| On Ada's birthday shopping trip, I took her out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. The restaurant was crowded, so I sat with my 11-year-old daughter at the bar--a first for her. |
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| Toasted Marshmallow S'Mores Galore cheesecake. |
Later that evening some of us socialized back in the hotel room over Solo cups of wine. And one woman told me of several old college friends--friends I was in Bible studies with, friends I prayed with, friends I partnered with to share the gospel--who are no longer following Jesus.
It hurt me deeper than I would have guessed to hear this news. I kept thinking but that can't be, while recalling the times spent together with these friends in campus ministry. I thought their faith was so solid.... but they gave it up.
I've long ago lost touch with these friends (obviously). And I don't know their hearts or their circumstances. But I found myself unable to stop thinking of them the rest of the weekend, and indeed into the next week. If I could talk to them, I would say,
Have you found someone else with words of life?
Who is it? Where is it? If there if life out there, satisfying, eternal life, that doesn't say or do confusing things, and doesn't ask anything of me, tell me; I want to know about it.
Jesus says terribly inconvenient things.
No one comes to the Father but through Me. Take up your cross and follow Me. Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
And a million more. And on account of this, many turn back and walk with Him no more.
But to whom do they go?
Believe me, if there was a way that made perfect sense, I'd be on board. How pleasant it would be to have a god who would demand nothing of me, who wouldn't promise me I'll go through the valley of the shadow of death in his service.
But where are the words of life?
To whom, really, would I go? I've yet to find a better explanation for the universe's existence, the human condition, and the claims of various world religions, than that Jesus really is the voice to listen to.
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| Feast on Jesus' words. |
It seems to me the choice is between a very demanding offer of eternal life, or a much easier offer of ignoring Jesus' words for a few more years, preferring instead to listen to any voice that says we're all just fine. Many of Jesus' own disciples--then and today--have turned back from Him, after all.
Lord, to whom shall we go?
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