OT XXI [B] Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b; Eph 5:21-32; Jn 6: 60-69

A group of Christians gathered for a secret prayer meeting in Russia, at the height of the persecution of all Christian churches. Suddenly the door was broken by the boot of a soldier. He entered the room and faced the people with a gun in his hand. They all feared the worst. He spoke. "If there’s anyone who doesn’t really believe in Jesus, then, get out now while you have a chance." There was a rush to the door. A small group remained - those who had committed themselves to Jesus, and who were never prepared to run from him. The soldier closed the door after the others, and once again, he stood in front of those who remained, gun poised. Finally, a smile appeared on his face, as he turned to leave the room, and he whispered "Actually, I believe in Jesus, too, and you’re much better off without those cowards.

Those people made a deliberate choice for Jesus in the face of possible death.

 In the first reading Joshua challenges the Israelites to decide whom they will serve, the gods of their fathers, the gods of the Amorites in whose country they were then dwelling or the God of Israelites Who has done so much for them.

In the gospel today Jesus' disciples made the complaint that his teaching was difficult. They were offended by Jesus' language -- his imagery -- the metaphors he used in his Eucharistic discourse. It was Jesus' dramatic way of saying that we must accept him totally, without any conditions or reservations. His thoughts and attitudes, his values, his life-view must become totally ours.

Jesus asks Peter: Are you also leaving; to which Peter said, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Why is the Gospel offensive and scandalous?  It is because God’s ways are not our ways.  It is offensive because it is costly.

When Christ calls us to eat his Flesh and to drink his Blood, he is inviting us to participate in his death. The Christians who first heard this Gospel experienced persecution.  They knew martyred Christians, and they knew Christians who had avoided martyrdom by compromising their Faith. The Gospel with no offense would be like a surgeon with no scalpel -- having no power to heal.   The Church must always be ready to give offense -- to speak out for Christ and against the destructive beliefs and behaviors that the world finds so attractive. The total assimilation of Jesus' spirit and outlook into our lives is very challenging.

Faith is not simply a set of ideas to be held on to. It is a living relationship with a Person and his vision of life. It is a relationship that needs to grow and be deepened with the years. It is a relationship that has constantly to be re-appraised in a constantly changing world. We must hear Peter’s words to Jesus resounding through the centuries: “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” 

The great American writer, Mark Twain, said: I suspect that, at times, we all would like to walk away from the church and never come back. We want a God different from the one we find in Jesus.

Flesh and blood? Yes. But demanding? No.

Resurrected? Yes. But crucified? No.

Salvation? Yes. Repentance? No.

Love? Yes. Commitment? No.

Unfortunately we cannot have one without the other. The rose comes with the thorns. The pains come with the birth. Night comes with day. The best of times can only be lived because there are those times that are so bad.

Most of us want a comfortable God who fits in with our ideas, and who keeps a decent distance away; it is one of the great paradoxes of faith that true spirituality accepts the presence of God in our flesh, the nearness of God.

It is high time that we also reflected to find out where we stand, as his followers. Majority of us identify ourselves with the vast crowds that were not able to accept the challenges that Jesus placed before them. Like them we also disappear from the scene. We silently assent to the decisions and practices of the majority, even if there is a constant reminder from our conscience that what we do is not correct. Silently consent the injustice, exploitation and human right violations. Because, we do not want to risk our name; we do not want to risk our positions; we do not want to risk the comforts that we enjoy.

Peter was able to respond, "Lord who shall we go to? You have the words of eternal life; based on a personal relationship to Jesus. There were many things that he did not understand. But there was something in Jesus that held him fast to Jesus, that was his experience of Jesus. In the last analysis, Christianity is not a well set doctrine of dogmas, not a credible philosophy, not a well-defined Christology, but simply a personal relationship with Jesus. When we too are able to have this personal experience, we will become heroes of Jesus like Peter the Apostle was. Let’s also respond in Peter’s words today: Lord to whom shall we go, you have the words of everlasting life.