Daily Living 22 August 2021 (John 6: 60-69) "Hard Words"

Summary

In this episode of 'Daily Living with Fr. Chapin,' the host explores the concept of 'Bread of Life' from the Gospel of John, emphasizing the spiritual nourishment Jesus offers over physical sustenance. Fr. Chapin discusses the importance of faith and belief in Jesus as the source of eternal life, highlighting the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in guiding and teaching believers. He encourages viewers to embrace Jesus' teachings and apply them to their daily lives, becoming a reflection of God's love in a world in need.

Takeaways

• 📖 The show 'Daily Living with Fr. Chapin' aims to make the Bible more accessible and applicable to everyday life, focusing on how to reflect God's love in a world in need.
• 💡 The concept of the 'Bread of Life Discourse' from the Gospel of John is central to the teachings of the Christian faith, symbolizing the Eucharist as the source and summit of faith.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Jesus' words in the discourse are meant to be spiritually understood rather than taken literally, emphasizing that it is the spirit that gives life, not the flesh.
• 📚 The script discusses the importance of belief and faith, highlighting that belief in Jesus and his teachings is a spiritual gift that comes from God the Father through the Holy Spirit.
• 🤔 The audience is challenged to consider how they would respond if they were hearing Jesus' teachings for the first time, particularly the difficult sayings about eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
• 🙏 The necessity of prayer and personal communion with God is underscored, as seen in Jesus' own practice of withdrawing to pray, highlighting its importance for believers.
• 🔄 The script touches on the theme of discipleship and the different expectations people had of Jesus after witnessing miracles, illustrating the human tendency to seek temporal solutions rather than spiritual nourishment.
• 🗣️ Fr. Chapin emphasizes the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit within, which teaches and guides believers into all truth, as opposed to relying solely on human understanding.
• 🕊️ The peace that comes from living in the spirit is contrasted with the anxiety of living in the flesh, encouraging believers to follow the spirit's promptings for true peace.
• 🌐 The global and ongoing nature of the ministry is highlighted, with a call to partnership and support to spread the 'good news' to a world in darkness.
• ✝️ The closing blessing in the name of the Trinity signifies the unity of God and the importance of invoking the Holy Spirit in daily life.

Q & A

What is the main theme of 'Daily Living with Fr. Chapin'?

The main theme of 'Daily Living with Fr. Chapin' is to explore God's word and discuss how it can be applied to daily living, focusing on becoming a reflection of God's love in a world in need of more love.

What does Fr. Chapin suggest about the purpose of the Bible?

Fr. Chapin suggests that the Bible can be confusing, and the purpose is to break it down and apply its teachings to daily life, particularly focusing on how the gospels can be relevant to individuals today.

What is the significance of the 'bread of life discourse' in the teachings of the Catholic faith?

The 'bread of life discourse' is foundational to the teachings of the Catholic faith as it relates to the Eucharist, which is considered the source and summit of Catholic belief.

What is the importance of prayer in the life of Jesus, as depicted in the script?

In the script, it is depicted that prayer is important to Jesus as He often takes time to go off by Himself to commune with His heavenly father, emphasizing the importance of prayer for believers as well.

How does Fr. Chapin describe the reaction of the crowd to Jesus' words about being the bread of life?

Fr. Chapin describes the crowd's reaction as shocked and confused by Jesus' words, with many finding His statements hard to accept, leading some to return to their former way of life.

What does the term 'sign' represent in the context of the gospel of John?

In the context of the gospel of John, a 'sign' is used to point to something else, similar to a road sign, indicating that Jesus' miracles are not just events but also point to deeper spiritual truths.

What is the role of the Holy Spirit according to the script?

According to the script, the Holy Spirit's role is to give life, teach, and reveal Jesus to believers, guiding them in understanding the spiritual truths of God's word.

How does Fr. Chapin relate the concept of 'flesh' and 'spirit' to the peace and anxiety in one's life?

Fr. Chapin relates the concept by stating that living according to the flesh leads to less peace and more anxiety, whereas living in the spirit, following its promptings, brings more peace as it is in line with our creation.

What does Fr. Chapin suggest as a way to deepen one's belief in Jesus?

Fr. Chapin suggests that to deepen one's belief in Jesus, one should listen to the Holy Spirit, which is within them, and ask it to reveal Jesus, as it is the Spirit's job to teach and guide believers.

What is the message Fr. Chapin leaves the audience with regarding their daily actions?

Fr. Chapin encourages the audience to let their actions reflect the teachings of Jesus, suggesting that they should be the ones doing something nice for someone else, embodying the love and service that Christians are called to.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Introduction to Daily Living with Fr. Chapin

The video script opens with a soft musical introduction to 'Daily Living with Fr. Chapin,' a show that aims to simplify the Bible's teachings and apply them to everyday life. Fr. Chapin emphasizes the importance of understanding the gospels and becoming a reflection of God's love in a world in need of love. The show begins with viewer mail, highlighting a letter from Tamah, who appreciates the teachings and shares key points from past episodes, such as the sowing of God's power word, the importance of faith, and the transformative power of Jesus' presence. Fr. Chapin then introduces the day's gospel from John, discussing the challenge of preaching the same message over multiple weeks and the importance of the 'bread of life discourse.'

05:01

🍞 The Bread of Life Discourse: A Deep Dive

This paragraph delves into the 'bread of life discourse' from the Gospel of John, which is foundational to the Christian faith. Fr. Chapin discusses the annual recurrence of this discourse during the summer, highlighting its significance. He provides an overview of the discourse, starting with the feeding of the 5,000, which foreshadows the Eucharist. The paragraph explores the reactions of the crowd to Jesus' teachings, their initial shock, and the deeper spiritual meaning behind Jesus' words. It also touches on the importance of prayer and communion with God, as exemplified by Jesus' own practices.

10:01

🔍 The Search for Jesus and the Quest for Eternal Life

The narrative continues with the crowd's pursuit of Jesus after the feeding of the 5,000, reflecting their desire for more miracles and temporal fulfillment. Jesus, aware of their intentions, challenges their focus on physical sustenance and directs them towards eternal life. He introduces the concept of 'true bread from heaven,' subtly revealing his divine nature. The paragraph discusses the crowd's misunderstanding and their request for a sign, leading to Jesus' declaration that believing in him is the work of God, emphasizing the necessity of faith.

15:05

🛑 The Hard Sayings of Jesus: Belief and Scandal

In this section, Jesus' 'I am' statement as the bread of life is explored, causing confusion and disbelief among his listeners. Fr. Chapin discusses the difficulty of accepting Jesus' divinity and the eternal life offered through him. The paragraph examines the reactions of the people, many of whom find his words 'hard' and choose to abandon their following of Jesus. The conversation between Jesus and his disciples, including Peter's affirmation of faith, is highlighted, emphasizing the importance of belief in Jesus as the source of eternal life.

20:09

💭 The Spirit and the Flesh: The Battle for Belief

The paragraph delves into the spiritual aspect of belief, contrasting the spirit, which gives life, with the flesh, which is of no avail. It discusses the role of the Holy Spirit in teaching and enlivening faith, and the necessity of divine intervention for belief in Jesus. The ongoing internal war between the flesh and the spirit is highlighted, with the peace that comes from living in the spirit. The importance of heeding the spirit's voice and its role in understanding Jesus' teachings is emphasized.

25:10

☕ The Analogy of Belief and the Invitation to Faith

Fr. Chapin concludes the script with an analogy of a regular meeting at a coffee shop to illustrate the concept of belief based on consistent experience and evidence. He connects this to the broader context of recognizing God's presence and work in the world. The conversation between Jesus and Pilate is referenced, leading to the promise of the Holy Spirit as a guide to truth. The call to allow the spirit to reveal Jesus and to live a life of faith and service to others is the final message, rounded off with a blessing in the name of the Holy Trinity.

Keywords

💡Daily Living

The term 'Daily Living' is the title of the show, which suggests a focus on applying spiritual teachings to everyday life. It encapsulates the show's theme of integrating God's word into daily routines and challenges. In the script, it is repeatedly mentioned to emphasize the practical application of the gospels to the viewers' lives.

💡Gospels

Gospels refer to the narratives of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the script, the discussion revolves around the application of the teachings from the gospels, specifically from the Gospel of John, to the viewers' daily living, highlighting the importance of these narratives in Christian faith.

💡Reflection of God's Love

This phrase is used to describe the aspiration of believers to embody the love of God in their actions and interactions with the world. The script suggests that by applying the gospels to daily living, one can become a 'reflection of God's love,' illustrating the Christian ideal of mirroring divine attributes in human behavior.

💡Light in Darkness

The concept of being a 'light in darkness' is a metaphor for providing hope and guidance in a world that is perceived as morally confused or spiritually lost. In the script, it is used to inspire viewers to live out their faith as a beacon for others, drawing from the teachings of Jesus Christ.

💡Good News of Jesus Christ

The 'Good News of Jesus Christ,' also known as the Gospel, is the core message of Christianity about salvation through faith in Jesus. The script encourages the application of this 'good news' in daily living, emphasizing the transformative power of Christ's teachings.

💡Bread of Life Discourse

The 'Bread of Life Discourse' is a part of the Gospel of John where Jesus describes himself as the bread that came down from heaven. The script delves into this discourse to explain the spiritual nourishment that believers receive from Jesus, symbolizing the sustenance for eternal life.

💡Eucharist

The Eucharist is a Christian sacrament that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples, involving the consumption of bread and wine as symbols of his body and blood. The script mentions the Eucharist as the Liturgy of the Eucharist, indicating its central role in Catholic worship and its connection to the 'Bread of Life Discourse.'

💡Spirit and Life

The phrase 'Spirit and Life' is used by Jesus in the Gospel of John to emphasize that his teachings are not of earthly origin but are spiritual and life-giving. In the script, it is explained that the words of Jesus are not merely intellectual but are meant to impart spiritual life to those who believe.

💡Faith

Faith in the script is portrayed as a belief in Jesus Christ and the teachings of the gospels. It is the foundation upon which eternal life is built, as per the message conveyed in the 'Bread of Life Discourse.' The script illustrates faith as a necessary component for understanding and applying spiritual truths.

💡Disciple

A disciple, derived from the Greek word 'mathitis,' is a student or follower of Jesus Christ. In the script, the term is used to describe those who choose to learn from Jesus after witnessing the feeding of the 5,000, highlighting the process of spiritual education and commitment.

💡Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual warfare refers to the struggle between good and evil, often understood as the battle between the spirit and the flesh within a believer. The script discusses this concept, suggesting that the peace and anxiety in one's life are directly related to how well one is managing this internal conflict.

Highlights

Introduction to 'Daily Living with Fr. Chapin', a show that applies God's word to daily living.

The importance of breaking down the Bible to understand its application in our lives.

The role of the gospels in becoming a reflection of God's love in a world in need of love.

The concept of being a tool in God's hands to make His kingdom present today.

Viewer mail segment featuring Tamah's letter and its impact on the show's host.

Tamah's letter highlights key teachings on the seed of God's power, the Word becoming flesh, and the growth of faith.

The discussion on Jesus being with us in our storms, both literal and metaphorical.

Differentiating between belief and faith through the stories of Jairus' daughter and the woman with the issue of blood.

The impact of unbelief and its consequences, as seen in the rejection of Jesus in His hometown.

The Bread of Life Discourse from the Gospel of John and its significance in Christian faith.

The feeding of the 5,000 as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist and its symbolism.

The importance of prayer and solitude in Jesus' life and its relevance to our own spiritual practice.

The challenge of preaching the same scripture annually and the approach to the Bread of Life Discourse.

Jesus' declaration as the Bread of Life and the reactions of His followers to this claim.

The spiritual understanding required to accept Jesus' words as spirit and life.

The role of the Holy Spirit in teaching and guiding believers towards faith in Jesus.

The internal war between the flesh and the spirit, and its impact on our peace and anxiety.

The assurance of peace through living in the spirit and abiding in Jesus.

The call to action for listeners to let God live in their lives and to be a reflection of His goodness.

The closing blessing and the invitation to join 'Daily Living' next week for further exploration of God's word.

Transcripts

(soft music)

- Welcome to "Daily Living with Fr. Chapin."

Where we consider God's word

and how we might be able to apply it into our daily living.

Yes my friend, that is what we do.

Sometimes the Bible can be a bit confusing

so we bust it down like a fraction.

We're asking questions along the way.

Questions like, what do these gospels have to do with me?

That's what I wanna know.

How can I take these gospels

and apply them into my daily living

so that I can become a reflection of God's love

to a world let's face it don't know God for sure

and definitely is in deep need of more love don't you think?

I mean take a look around.

There's a lot of bad news bearers out there.

How can I take the good news of Jesus Christ

and apply it into my daily living so that I can become

well, a light in this darkness.

I want to be a tool in the hand of God

making present his kingdom,

not someday, but today and every day.

And that's what this show is all about.

So glad you could join us today.

Oh, we got a good one.

But before we get into it,

it is time for the viewer mail.

Our first letter is coming from Tamah.

And I love these letters,

because Tamah obviously she takes notes

because she reviews the highlights of past shows.

So it's kind of like,

a review of what we've been talking about.

And I wasn't the only one who loved Tamah's letter

because Stormy really loved Tamah's letter

and absolutely destroyed it,

which I was talking with my friend and they said,

"Oh, that's so cute. That's so cute."

It's not cute.

This is destruction.

This is the beast that I live with,

but I was able to piece it together

and record it on a legal pad

so I can share it with you.

"Dear Fr. Chapin,

thank you for the pictures and the bookmark

and yes, I do take notes.

I do not wanna forget any of your teachings

because I learned so much.

The sowing of the seed,

the sower sow the seed of God's power word and spirit.

The word became flesh and dwelt among us.

We don't grow the seed.

The seed grows us.

Storm at sea.

Jesus is sleeping in the back of the boat.

Seems like he's doesn't care,

but he's with us in our storms.

Some storms are satanic in nature.

The spray often blurs our vision,

but Jesus is with us in our storms.

In fact, he's in our boat.

Belief versus faith.

Jairus' daughter came alive.

The woman with the issue of blood was healed

by the touching of the hem of his garment.

Your faith has made you whole, are we ready?

Jesus' hometown rejected him.

Unbelief. It does four things.

It obscures the obvious.

It elevates the irrelevant.

It attacks the messenger.

It spurns its supernatural.

We are the hometown.

Do we need a savior?

Well, I really enjoy your programs every Sunday morning.

Look forward to it.

Thank you for your teachings.

Stay safe, your Presbyterian friend

love and Christ, Tamah."

Tamah, love the note.

Stormy loved the note too, for different reasons.

What do you say we get into our gospel today.

We are hearing from the gospel of John.

"Many of Jesus's disciples were listening and said,

'This saying is hard.

Who can accept it?'

Since Jesus knew that his disciples

were murmuring about this,

he said to them,

'Does this shock you?

What if you were to see the son of man ascending

to where he was before,

it is the spirit that gives life

while the flesh is of no avail.

The words I've spoken to you are spirit and life,

but there are some of you who do not believe.'

Jesus knew from the beginning,

the ones who would not believe

and the one who would betray him.

And he said,

'For this reason I told you

that no one can come to me,

unless it is granted him by the Father.'

As a result of this,

many of his disciples returned to their former way of life

and no longer accompanied him.

Jesus then said to the 12,

'Do you also wanna leave?'

Simon Peter answered him,

'Master to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

We have come to believe and are convinced

that you are the holy one of God.'"

The gospel of the Lord

and what a gospel it is my friend.

This is a deep pool.

Tamah, you better get out your pad.

There's a whole lot coming.

This is "Daily Living" I'm Fr. Chapin

you hang out we'll be right back.

And we're gonna talk about this gospel

and a few other things along the way

here as we consider God's word

and how we might be able to apply into our daily living.

Hi this is Fr.Chapin,

host of "Daily Living with Fr. Chapin."

It is such a pleasure to be able to come into your home

each and every week and share the good news,

but it's a bit expensive.

So I would ask you to consider

grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil.

And at the next break,

I'm gonna share with you some details,

how you can become a partner with "Daily Living"

and together, we can take the good news to a lost world.

What do you say we get back to the show.

Welcome back to "Daily Living."

So today we continue our journey through the sixth chapter

of the gospel of John.

And we are reaching the conclusion

of what is known as the bread of life discourse.

And this is big.

This is big.

This is foundational to the teachings of our faith.

The bread of life discourse

comes around every year during the summer,

which should give you an idea

of how important this really is.

But the fact that it comes around every year

and often goes at least three weeks,

sometimes four weeks,

presents a bit of a challenge

because how am I going to preach on the very same thing

for a whole month?

So today as we leave the bread of life discourse,

I would like to take a 10,000 foot flyover

and give you a macro understanding

of what the bread of life discourse really is.

Not just this gospel today, but the whole thing.

And how can we apply it into our daily living?

So where do we even start?

Well, let's start with take this all of you and eat of it

for this is my body,

which will be given up for you.

Or how about take this all of you and drink from it,

for this as a chalice of my blood,

the blood of the new and eternal covenant,

which will be poured out for you and for many,

for the forgiveness of sins.

These are the words of consecration

that we say at every Catholic mass

and what we call the Liturgy of the Eucharist,

which is the source and summit of our faith.

Now of course as somebody

who has grown up in the Catholic church,

I've been hearing these words my whole life

ever since I was a little kid.

So the idea of this is my body, this is my blood.

These are concepts that I am familiar with,

but in our gospel today uh-uh no, no.

In our gospel today,

these people are hearing these words for the very first time

and they're shocking.

In fact, if I was going to rename our gospel today,

I would name it hard words.

"For my flesh is true food

and my blood is true drink.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

remains in me and I in him."

I mean how do you even wrap your mind around that?

Like I said, hard words.

So let's talk about it.

Technically the bread of life discourse,

doesn't start till the 22nd verse

of the sixth chapter of the gospel of John.

But if you go to the very beginning

of the sixth chapter of the gospel of John,

it begins with the feeding of the 5,000,

which actually foreshadows the Eucharist,

which is what the bread of life discourse is all about.

Which like I said, is the source and summit of our faith.

So let's start with the feeding of the 5,000.

The miracle that changed everything.

A miracle that involved many people

and out of this crowd came many new followers

or disciples of Jesus.

The Greek word for disciple is mathitis,

which translates as students.

So in the wake of this incredible, amazing miracle,

the feeding of the 5,000,

some felt they had found their new professor

and they wanted to learn more.

Others felt that they had found their new king

and wanted to roll out the throne.

Still others felt that they found their new Moses,

someone to guide them,

someone to protect them

and lead them out of their present desert.

So after the miracle,

Jesus instructs his disciples to get into the boat

and cross over to the other side of the sea of Galilee.

And he goes off by himself to pray.

This is something that we see Jesus often do

throughout the gospels.

It is important to him to take the time to go off by himself

and commune with his heavenly father.

So I have a question

if it's important to Jesus,

who is the second person of the Blessed Trinity,

God himself, to take time,

to steal away by himself,

to be alone with this heavenly father and pray

how much more important is it for you and I to do the same?

But do we?

I mean ever?

That's a good question.

That's a question that's worth an answer,

but let's get back to these crowds.

They've just been fed.

They've just had this incredible miracle

of the feeding of the 5,000.

They have seen the disciples get into the boat and leave.

They have obviously seen that Jesus is not with them.

So the search begins.

They're looking for Jesus.

Why? Well, 'cause they wanted to get fed again.

They wanted their temporal needs satisfied.

They wanted Jesus to provide for them

what they thought they needed.

Good thing there is nobody like that around here.

So anyway, they're looking for Jesus

and they're running along the shore lines,

they're pursuing him in boats

and they finally catch up with him on the other side.

And they say, "Hey, when did you get here?"

I love that.

"When did you get here?"

Of course, Jesus he can see right through them

as he can no doubt see right through you and I,

he knows what they want.

He knows that they're looking for food.

So what does he say?

He says, "Amen, amen I say to you,

you are looking for me,

not because you saw signs,

but because you ate of the loaves and were filled,

do not work for food that perishes,

but for food that endures for eternal life,

which the son of man will give you."

Okay. So there's a whole lot right there.

So let's look at it.

Let's begin with you are looking for me

not because you saw signs.

Now that word signs is real important.

That word sign.

That's a unique word to John.

You will never see in the gospel of John,

John use the word miracle.

Because he always uses the word sign.

And a sign is used much like a road sign

to point to something else.

Because you see when Jesus fed 5,000 men,

he was pointing to something else.

Of course, these people are focusing on the food

and they're missing that something else.

And that something else in case you're wondering,

is that Jesus can not only provide you bread.

He himself is the bread.

We're gonna work up to that.

Made clear by the idea of which the son of man

will give you.

Did you notice that word give?

Meaning you can't earn it.

But of course these people,

they don't get it.

Much like we don't get it.

And what do they ask?

"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"

Which of course is a ridiculous question

because you can do nothing.

We in and of ourselves can earn nothing.

But as ridiculous as that question might have been,

it does provide Jesus with a rather nice teachable moment.

As he says,

"This is the work of God

that you believe in the one He sent."

And I gotta say,

if you're looking for a refrigerator quote,

this is a very good one.

This is the work of God,

that you believe in the one He sent

begging the question, do we?

Do we believe in the one God sent?

Because let me tell you my friends, they didn't.

They say, "Our ancestors, a man in the desert.

What can you do?"

I mean, they're referring to Moses,

but isn't this kind of ridiculous.

Think about it.

He's just fed this huge crowd and they're asking,

"What can you do?"

My friends, our Lord is so patient with us.

So he corrects they're theology.

He says, "It was not Moses that gave you bread from heaven.

But rather my father who gives the true bread from heaven

for the bread that God gives

is that which comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world."

You see, he's referring to himself.

They don't get it yet,

but he's gonna come out pretty clear soon.

But right now these are soft words

and they sound pretty good.

I mean, who wouldn't want that?

So they respond, "Give us this bread always."

And then here it is, the grand pivot.

This is where everything starts to turn and go south.

Because Jesus says, "I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never hunger.

Whoever believes in me will never thirst.

I am the bread of life."

This is one of John's seven I am statements.

Jesus is claiming divinity,

making clear for the very first time really,

that he himself is the living bread.

I mean, really, can you imagine,

now you're God

and you're the bread of life come down from heaven.

I mean just try to put yourself in this situation.

Imagine you were there.

Imagine I was there and we're,

"I am the bread of life come down from heaven."

I mean, isn't this Jesus of Nazareth?

The carpenter's son?

How can he say that he came down from heaven?

This saying is hard.

Who can accept it?

Well, if that's not the understatement of the year,

I don't know what is.

This "Daily Living" I'm Fr. Chapin.

You stick around, we'll be right back.

And we will continue to talk about this amazing gospel

that comes to us here as we consider God's word

and how we might be able to apply it to our daily living.

Hi, this is Fr. Chapin host of "Daily Living."

If you feel like you're being fed by this ministry,

I would ask you to prayerfully, consider a partnership,

with "Daily Living" and what we're trying to do here.

A monthly gift of any amount that you feel comfortable with,

and I will send you a monthly newsletter

and if you provide an email address,

a script of the show prior to its broadcast.

Just write a check to Daily Living P.O. Box 339

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You can also go on the website at mydailyliving.com

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and together we can shine the light of the good news

in a whole lot of dark places.

What do you say we get back to show.

Welcome back to "Daily Living"

now just before the break,

we were talking about how Jesus

has just spoken some hard words to these people.

"I'm the living bread, come down from heaven.

Whoever eats this bread will live forever."

And they're like,

"What? Excuse me, what did he just say what I think he said?

I don't get it.

In fact I don't wanna get."

And they say, "This saying is hard.

Who can accept this?"

Hard words. His flesh to eat.

His blood to drink.

How could they possibly believe this?

In fact, for that matter

how can we possibly believe this?

Now my friends,

I know this is really hard to do,

impossible to do,

but I want you to pretend for just a moment

that you've never, ever heard of Jesus.

You know nothing about him.

And somebody comes up to you,

sits you down

and tells you this story for the very first time,

including this bread of life discourse.

I mean it's absurd.

How are you gonna believe this?

I mean Jesus is either completely insane

or he is who he says he is.

There's not a whole lot in the middle.

What is he saying?

Does this shock you?

Well yeah it does.

The Greek word for shock is scandalizo,

which is where we get scandalized.

And it's not a word you hear too often

appears only two times in the entire gospel of John

Scandalizo. Scandal. Also translate as stumbling.

So, these words were shocking

and they did cause many to fall away and stumble.

And of course the word of Jesus

continues to do exactly that today.

Jesus does one of three things for people. The word.

It can either A, lead you into eternal life,

B, cause you to stumble and scandal

or C, be completely ignored,

which when you think about it is really a scandal.

What if you were to see the son of man ascending

to where he was before?

And then here it is.

It is the spirit that gives life

while the flesh is of no avail.

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Okay. Now we're talking.

I mean up to this point

seems like Jesus has been speaking in code,

but these words right here represent the code breaker.

The spirit gives life.

The flesh is of no avail.

So once again, how do we come to believe?

Well Jesus tells us,

"The words that I've spoken to you are spirit and life,

but there are some of you who do not believe,

for this reason,

I've told you that no one can come to me

unless it is granted to them by my father."

Which very much reminds me

of what he said a couple of weeks back,

when he said, "Stop grumbling,

stop murmuring among yourselves.

No one can come to me

unless the father was sent me."

Draw him. And they will be taught by God.

How? By the spirit.

In other words,

you can't believe this in and of yourself, no way.

You're never gonna get like a VA moment and go,

okay, I can understand it.

This is not something that you can intellectually ascend to.

You're not going to attend a Jesus seminar

and come out magically understanding the whole thing. Why?

Because it is only through the spirit

that Jesus reveals himself.

That's why the work of God

is to believe in the one He sent

and they will be taught by God.

How? By the spirit.

Which teaches and enlivens the flesh, the spirit.

This is how we come to believe.

You can read all about it in the 14th chapter

in the gospel of John.

I talked about this a couple of weeks back,

but it bears repeating.

My friends, we are at war right now

and this war is inside of you and inside of me.

It is a war between the flesh and the spirit.

And hear me when I say the peace that we feel in this life

or the flip side,

the anxiety that we feel in this life

is directly tie to how we are fairing

in this ongoing battle.

The more we live in the flesh,

as we follow the promptings of fleshly urges,

the less peace we will have.

And the more we live in the spirit,

following the promptings of the quiet voice,

the more peace we will have.

It's really that simple.

Hear me when I say you will never have peace

if you are living in the flesh.

Because we were made for spirit and life.

So that is why if we live according to the spirit,

following the promptings of the quiet voice,

we will have a peace that this world cannot give. Why?

"Because if you abide in me, I will abide in you."

That's the promise.

Remember Nicodemus? Oh, we love Nicodemus.

Remember Nicodemus? Of course he was a Pharisee.

So he's a big deal.

And he comes to Jesus and he's real polite.

He says, "Rabbi," which is a term of respect.

"We know that you're from God,

because no one can do these things

if God was not with them."

And Jesus gets up in his face and he says,

"No one can enter the kingdom of God

unless they are born of water and spirit." Why?

Because no one can come to me

unless it is granted to him by my father.

That's why, "I'm the living bread come down from heaven.

Whoever eats my flesh

and drinks my blood will live forever."

This saying is hard.

Who can accept it?

Well, a lot of people didn't.

In fact a lot of people to this day,

still refuse to accept this.

As a result of this,

many of his disciples returned to their former way of life.

Jesus said to the 12, "Do you also wanna leave?"

Simon Peter answered, "Master, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

We have come to believe and are convinced

that you are the holy one of God.

We have come to believe."

So I have a question,

how do we believe in Jesus?

Well for that matter,

how do we come to believe in anything?

Well, I imagine I was to say to you,

"Hey, let's meet down there

at that local coffee shop Tuesday.

How about 10 o'clock in the morning?

I'll see you there."

And you say, "Okay."

So Tuesday morning rolls around

and at 10 o'clock you go to the coffee shop and there I am.

So we hang out for a little while and have a good time

and I say, "Hey, let's do the same next week.

Same time, same place."

So the next Tuesday at 10 o'clock you go to the coffee shop

and you go in there and I'm there.

Let's say this goes on for a year.

Every Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock

you go to the coffee shop

and every Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock I'm there.

So let me ask you a question.

Do you believe that when you go to the coffee shop

at 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning,

that I'll be there?

Well of course you do.

In fact let's go a step further.

Would you say that you have faith?

That when you go to the coffee shop

at 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning,

I'll be there.

Yeah. Why? The evidence.

That's why. Evidence.

We live in a world where God's fingerprints are all over us

and all around us.

I'm reminded of a conversation that Jesus had with Pilate

just before he went to the cross to die for you and I.

What did he say?

He said, "For this I was born.

For this I came into the world.

To testify to the truth.

Whoever belongs to the truth hears my voice."

And how do we hear that voice?

"If you keep my commandments,

I will ask the father and he will send you another advocate.

The spirit of truth."

A spirit which is what?

It don't know.

Don't know, but you know it.

'Cause it's with you and it will be in you

and it will teach you all things.

My friend, are you listening to that spirit today?

My friend, that same spirit

is alive and inside of you today.

The only question that remains is, are you listening to it?

Ask that spirit to reveal Jesus to you today.

And it will.

Why? Because that's it's job.

To teach you all things.

Let us feed on Jesus.

Let us abide with Jesus.

Let us allow him to lead us through this life.

And ultimately to our home.

Let us allow him to bring our dead flesh to new life.

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Everyday in this country,

somebody does something nice for somebody else.

Today, why don't you let that somebody be you?

Because the best vitamin for a Christian is be one.

This is "Daily Living" I'm Fr. Chapin.

Hope you can come back next week and we'll do it again.

Until then, I hope you let God live in your life.

And I bless you,

in the name of the father

and of the son

and of the Holy Spirit.

(soft music)