The Holy and Glorious Great-Martyr, Victory-bearer and Wonderworker George
Read
Acts 10:1-16; Acts 12:1-11
John 6:56-69; John 15:17-16:2
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
“This teaching is difficult; who can accept it.” (John 6:60)
By just looking at the above quoted verse, we can surmise that the teachings of Christ are not just difficult for some in our day and age but that there were also many people during the time of the Gospel who found the words and teachings of Christ too difficult to follow. This refrain, which we hear very often from our secular culture and unfortunately, even from some of our Christian brothers and sisters, is a challenge for us. But the challenge is part of being a Christian. If there were no challenging aspects of our faith, then the whole world would embrace it without wavering. Yet we know that many people to do not follow Christ because of the challenge a life with Christ presents.
We may even ask ourselves, at times, why should I take up the challenge of being a disciple of Christ? Some of these teachings are very hard to follow and live by; wouldn’t it be easier to ignore then or to not follow Christ? Why do we, brothers and sisters, follow Christ who presents hard and challenging commandments that we are to live by? Remember the words of Peter who, at the end of this pericope, says, “You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). While the words or saying may be challenging, they are also life giving. That which Christ instructs us in is what gives us life and not just temporal life on this earth, but life eternal. This eternal life is what He has given us through His resurrection and we, as disciples and followers of Christ, do not waver at the “hard” sayings because they are the ones which direct us and help us to achieve the eternal, resurrected life.