The Turning Point

In every life, there is a turning point. For many of those who followed Jesus, it came when He said to them, “I am the Bread of Life… I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

This saying disturbed the crowd, and they began murmur among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat.” By saying that He was the Bread of Life, come down from heaven, Jesus was making Himself out to be greater than Moses, and — equal to God. But what He said next would be the last straw: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day… he who eats Me will live because of Me.” This statement was absolutely scandelous; and Jesus doesn’t attempt to calm them down, or smooth things over by pouring oil on the water — instead, He throws more fuel on the fire. “You take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?” At this, St. John tells us, “many of His disciples drew back, and no longer walked with Him.”  They had come to their turning point.

Jesus then turns to the Twelve, and gives them the open door to do the same: “Will you also go away?” As always, it’s Peter who speaks.

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God.”

Peter, by the grace flowing from the Father and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, speaks words of deep insight and unchanging truth. “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life…” There are only two paths… the path that leads to God, the path to eternal life, and the path that leads away from God and to eternal death. But the path to eternal life is costly; it will cost us the price of our life, it will cost us the right to claim that our life is our own. That is what lie behind Jesus’ teaching, and that is what caused many of His disciples — then and now — to walk away.

“You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God.” Notice the progression here: it is not a matter of “faith” or “knowledge” — it is both. But it is faith that leads us to true knowledge. The disciples believed, and their faith had led them to knowledge, knowledge of “the Holy One of God.” 

Have you reached your “turning point?” Are you turning TO, or turning AWAY? There is no middle ground, no third option.