Figure it out!
Is it math?

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.”

Jesus has the answer.

When we are confronted by struggles, by conflicts, by different paths that might pull us away from God’s path, that is the mantra we should focus on – Jesus has the answer.

We have been hearing about the Bread of Life for several weeks. We veered off from Mark’s Gospel, which is the standard gospel for Sunday’s this year, and focused on John 6 – Jesus speaking of Himself as the Bread of Life – for five weeks. I thought to myself – is anyone sick of bread yet. Well, some of the disciples were. They found Jesus’ word hard, too much; they decided to veer off into other paths. Maybe they went to look for the doughnuts of life, or the Doritos of life, or whichever pursuit might better fulfill their lives. Maybe they thought they could figure it out on their own, rely on themselves, and maybe even – not be so accountable.

As the disciples slip away we find the moment where Judas began to doubt, where the seeds of betrayal were set.

Jesus’ teaching, and its emphasis on whole-hearted, personal commitment to Him, antagonized people, and fewer supported Him. Remember after feeding the 5,000 the people wanted to make Jesus an earthly king. Judas, a member of the Zealot party wanted that too. He wanted Israel to regain earthly power under an earthly king. He thought Jesus would be that charismatic and dynamic king, and would use His miracles to achieve those ends. Judas’ commitment was to the politics of life. He saw Jesus’ earthly attraction and power slipping away, and his heart never really figured out that Jesus has the answer.

Peter and the other disciples stand in stark contrast. They were the exception. They repeated to themselves, and here publically their whole-hearted personal commitment to Jesus.

They knew that there was no better place to go. Commitment to family, politics, Doritos, any other attraction would never outshine their commitment to Jesus. Every one of them proved it with lives dedicated to Jesus.

Jesus is life and has all we need – the answers, the bread, the water, and the light. His words of life are words that carry life with them. In the same way, His bread, light, and water carry life with them. He gives everything we need to truly live – and live forever. When we are confronted with figuring it out, finding our way, we find the answer in Jesus. Jesus is not just an answer; He is the answer.