It seems to me that there are some basic questions that are “fundamental to life.”
There are certain questions that people seemingly ask all the time – at various stages of their lives…
Like:
What is the meaning of life?
What is it all about?
What is the purpose of my existence…and my all time “favorite” – “Why am I here?”
Life is such a perplexing, complicated thing.
People ask these pertinent questions rather routinely, especially when we age, or are ill, or feel abandoned and alone. No one wants to become a burden for anyone.
What is the purpose of “my life?”
None of these are “new questions” at all – but rather, they are age old philosophical and religious conundrums…
Many people in the past have asked these self same questions and we can assume that people in the future will continue to ask them, as well.
For all intents and purposes they are “incredibly personal” and “perplexing questions.” I suppose there is no “easy answer” to any one of them.
If you think about it…they are about validating “who we are” and “what we are doing” … it is very much like, we are trying to “justify our very existence.”
We might as well throw all our cards on the table, throw up our arms and just ask the big question- “What good am I?”
As Jesus conversed with the people of his day in the Synagogue at Capernaum about the issues of the “meaning of life” – he makes the claim that those who “eat of his flesh will live.”
Yep, he just throws it right out there…
He claims that through his connection with God, the one whom he called “his Father,” he offers “spirit and life.”
It is “spirit and life” that comes to us as “a gift.” It is all about what we do with this “gift” that seemingly matters the most…
That’s one of the reasons – this reading from John’s gospel comes off so strangely…
Jesus offers “spirit and life” and many of his disciples start to turn back and no longer will follow him…
It is almost like they are saying, we do not want “your gift,” you keep it…
Your “brash words” abhor us! Dude, you are “way too graphic.” You speak of things which would better off be – left “unspoken, unsaid!”
Your words are “offensive and appalling” don’t you see that?
Thanks for the offer, but keep “your gift,” we do not want it…
And so they left him, they abandoned him in droves…
Ironically, it also makes sense that people turn away from Jesus’ message – for when it comes to these fundamental and basic questions about “life and its meaning” – Jesus shifts the ownership of the question from “our control” into “God’s hands.”
It is God who offers spirit and life. It is God who offers us meaning “in our existence.”
It is a tough teaching…a difficult teaching because it takes the “destination of our existence” and the “meaning of life,” away from each of us.
God is in control.
God offers life.
God offers the gift.
Not you, not me.
God gives us meaning.
People then, like people – now, want to be in charge of their own destiny. We write our own journey through this life. We are not led or directed by anyone or anything. We do our own thing. We give our lives meaning.
For them it was a huge affront.
It was also a difficult teaching – because following Jesus and trusting in his teachings – does not mean that we have all the answers and complete understanding. Far from it!
My God gives my life meaning. I am after all, his child. I belong to him. I know where I am going, because I believe in his promises. It is my God that gives me hope, hope for today and hope for tomorrow.
He gives me hope in a perplexing and sometimes very scary world.
I trust in him, because he has never given me a reason not to, I believe in him and yes he does give me life – abundant life, for which I am eternally grateful.
Amen.