Staying with Jesus

Staying with Jesus When the Way Is Hard

Scripture Reading:  John 6:60-71

“Lord, to whom shall we go? 

You have the words of eternal life.” 

John 6:68

This moment in John 6 comes around the midpoint of Jesus’ public ministry, roughly a year before the cross, just after the feeding of the five thousand—when His popularity was at its height. What follows marks a turning point, as admiration gives way to testing and many disciples quietly withdraw when His teaching becomes difficult.

Jesus’ words unsettle because they demand more than curiosity or agreement—they call for surrender and trust. Many had followed Him for signs, bread, or answers, but when He spoke of Himself as the true Bread from heaven, their expectations were challenged. Jesus does not soften His message to hold the crowd. Instead, He turns to the Twelve and asks a question that exposes the heart of discipleship: “Do you also want to leave?”

Peter’s reply reveals a deeper kind of knowing. “Lord, to whom shall we go?” He does not claim full understanding or certainty. Rather, he recognizes that Jesus’ words are not mere information but life itself. As Richard Foster reminds us, we often mistake the accumulation of information for knowledge and the repetition of words for wisdom. Yet Jesus defines eternal life not as knowing about God, but as truly knowing Him: “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Even a glimpse of this experiential knowledge produces humility rather than confidence in self.

To remain with Jesus, then, is not to have every answer resolved, but to stay close to the One who alone speaks life. True discipleship is shaped by study that leads to encounter, and faith that holds fast when obedience is costly. Many left when the words were hard. The disciples stayed—not because everything was clear, but because they had come to believe that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life.

 Prayer

Heavenly Father, guard us from mistaking knowledge about You for truly knowing You. Teach us to remain with Jesus when His words stretch and unsettle us. Give us humble hearts that trust Him, believing that His words alone lead to life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Built Up in Love

Building with Love, Not Boasting in Knowledge”

Knowledge puffs up,

 but love builds up. 

 1 Corinthians 8:1b

In a world where knowledge is power, the Apostle Paul reminds us that knowledge without love can be destructive. While knowledge is good and even necessary, it must be governed by love. Paul writes, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). Knowledge alone can become prideful and isolating, even when doctrinally correct. True maturity is not about being right but being loving.

Love, however, does not reject knowledge—it deepens and sanctifies it. Paul prays, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” (Philippians 1:9). Love gives knowledge its purpose. It builds others up, guards the vulnerable, and reflects the heart of Christ. When our actions are motivated by love, our knowledge becomes a blessing rather than a burden. In loving, we reflect the One who gave His life for the weak and called us to walk in the same way.

So let us measure our lives not by how much we know, but by how much we love. Paul ends 1 Corinthians 8 by resolving never to use his liberty in a way that causes a fellow believer to stumble. This is the fruit of love in action—voluntarily limiting freedom for the sake of another’s good. “Whoever loves God is known by God” (1 Corinthians 8:3). To be known by God is the greatest knowledge of all. May we pursue love that builds up, for love is what will endure into eternity.

Prayer 

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of knowledge, but even more for the gift of love. Help us to use what we know to build others up. May our love abound more and more in wisdom and insight. Teach us to walk in humility and reflect the love of Christ in all we do.

Amen.