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“Then Jesus said to the Twelve, Do you also wish to go away?” (John 6:67)

Jesus had just declared to His many followers that He will live in them and them in He if they partake of His body and drink His blood. (John 6:56) Of course they were understanding this in earthly terms and had no spiritual understanding. The Bible tells us that many left Him. (John 6:66) Today, many also leave because they don’t understand spiritual things and get offended as these followers did. These are the ones in which the Gospel is sown in a stony heart. “But that which was sown on the stony places is this: he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root in himself, and is temporary. For when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the Word, he immediately stumbles.” (Matthew 13:20-21)

I wonder if these just need to surrender to Jesus. Their hearts are hard and stony. The blessings and promises of God sound good to them. And so, they follow Jesus because they want the blessings and promises. But then they’re offended because of the Word of God and they leave. It’s hard for them to swallow the Truths of the Gospel of surrender, affliction and serving. They are reacting contrary to the new nature and the Spirit of God. The new nature is born of God and therefore is godly and open to what God wants and to what God is doing in our hearts. So I question if these really surrendered to Jesus. Jesus knew this and said, “But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who is the one betraying Him.” (John 6:64)

So, Jesus asks us, “Do you also wish to go away.” There are some hard Truths in the Bible. If we don’t understand, the Holy Spirit gives us understanding or peace over it. We can then answer like the Peter “... Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life.” (John 6:68) And we can answer like Joshua. “And if it seems evil to you to serve Jehovah, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served Beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.” (Joshua 24:15) Ruth followed Naomi knowing that Naomi was returning to her homeland with nothing. (Ruth 1:16) Ittai the Gittite was willing to follow David into exile when David’s son, Absalom took over Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 15: 19-20)

What does Jesus require of us? It may be difficult in natural terms. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27) He is not asking us to abandon our families. He is asking us to be willing to do so.  He is asking for a commitment so deep and so true which is deeper and truer than that which we have for our families and our self needs. We must be in 100%. The Lord is not pleased with halfway commitments. “So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:16) In Revelation His words to the churches can be interpreted for actual churches that were, actual type of churches today or the characteristics of those who call themselves Christian.

If you recognize and acknowledge that yes, you have been noncommittal in any aspect of your Christian walk, especially in putting God first in your thoughts, first in your speech and first in your actions, we must do what He told the Laodicea church. “I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be clothed, and so that the shame of your nakedness does not appear. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; therefore, be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:18-19)

Let’s unlock the meaning of this. Gold purified by fire is tribulation and afflictions. When gold is in the fire, all the impurities are separated from it.  Tribulations and afflictions will demonstrate to us all the impurities that we have allowed in our life. How you react in tribulation and affliction will say much about your spiritual condition. Is there unbelief or weakness in your faith? Is there self-pride in being able to manipulate difficulties into successes? Is there self-comfort in being materialistically successful? Do you manipulate others using anger and demeaning words? Are you a spent thrift when it comes to purchasing whatever you want? Do you take the easy way out even if it’s not right and it cheats or hurts others? All worldly sins will be revealed to you in tribulation and affliction so that you can repent. Recognizing the sin, the impurity in our lives and repenting results in being clothed with the righteousness of Jesus ( the white clothing). And you will be truly rich, rich spiritually and in God. Now some say that a believer automatically receives the righteousness of Jesus. And that is true. But indulging in self-adulation and satisfaction is evidence that one has not sincerely surrendered to Jesus and is deceiving themselves into believing they are Christian and that they are saved. And like the Laodicea church, the Lord will spew them out of His mouth.

Another thing we must do is “... anoint your eyes with eye salve...” What exactly does this mean? Just as natural eye salve heals eye ailments, spiritual eye salve will heal spiritual blindness. We will see and discern our spiritual state and the vision Jesus has for us. How do we go about getting some eye salve for our spiritual sight? We return to God’s Word, the Bible. Weigh what the Bible says against your actual feelings, thoughts, words and actions. Repent and ask the Holy Spirit to help you in those sins that you are discovering you have indulged. This is a process of sincerity, commitment and surrender to the Lord.

All in all, we see that what Jesus asked His followers is also what He asks us? Is our commitment to the Lord so deep and so true that if He asks, we will place Him above our families and even our own lives?

Let us pray:

Father God, I surrender. I surrender my all to Jesus, all my desires, all my dreams, all that I have and all that I am. Help me to see those areas where I want my way, those things that I have not surrendered to Jesus and where I doubt. My Lord I ask that the Holy Spirit work in my soul so that all my thoughts may glorify You. Help me to accept Your work in me to sanctify me from the impurities of my flesh through affliction and tribulation because these work to reveal where I need to repent and to bring me closer to You. Help me to understand that these temporary difficulties don’t compare to the glory they are bringing me. Help me to continue through the hardships with Jesus, looking to Him for Your purpose in all things. Thank You my Lord that in all things You are glorified in me. Thank You that because of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I am strong in spirit, in soul and body and able to do all things. Thank You Lord that through these hardships my faith is proved. And help me to continue to follow Jesus my Lord in all things. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.