Katy Kirk is the Associate Director of Frontline and MBC Women's Small Groups.

By about the age of 3, we are already choosing to go our own way, refusing to follow the rules, or give up anything that might require sacrifice on our part. Don’t you remember from a very early age inherently wanting your way and when things were asked of you that required any sort of sacrifice- you were out the door, right? I know I was and am still that way today…unfortunately!

Last weekend I went to see my parents in my hometown Kerrville, Texas. We went to the church I grew up in, Trinity Baptist, which is your typical small town Texas Baptist church. My pastor, John Petty, gave a message that was one of those that impacted me in a life-altering way. He was using the passage in the book of John (John 6:56-67) where Jesus is teaching the disciples that He is the “Bread of Life” in the synagogue at Capernaum. Jesus, is for the first time, giving the “hard to swallow and comprehend” truth about Him being the only way to the Father. They didn’t understand His metaphor about being the genuine, life-giving “Bread of Life” nor did they want to accept it. Very quickly the popular, miracle-performing, healing man of Jesus was not so popular. Jesus’ followers and much of the crowd began getting up and walking away. Can you imagine people just two by two getting up in the middle of Frontline and walking out? This is what was happening in this scene.

These people had had enough. They didn’t want to hear it. The disciples said to Jesus in verse 60, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” It was just too difficult to hear or accept for them. Have you ever asked this question? What about in your heart or mind when reading Scripture? What about when you know God has asked something of you that just seems way too hard or difficult? Sometimes it just seems a little too much to ask, doesn’t it?

Jesus then goes on to admonish them with the truth of Himself once again- that He is the only way to eternal life. As many of his followers (disciples) grumbled and walked off…Jesus then turned to His twelve disciples and asked them, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Can you imagine Jesus Christ asking you this question? It pierces my heart and brings tears to my eyes to think of this image…to think that my Lord would have to ask me that. Although, I know that I have left Him many a time…choosing my own futile will over His. I can think of so many things in my life that God has asked me to do for Him that required sacrifice on my part- yet I said to Him, “Now that’s asking just a little too much, don’t you think? I don’t think so…” Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to die for my sins so that I can live eternally with Him is the ultimate sacrifice. Anything I “sacrifice” for Him on this earth shouldn’t even be considered a sacrifice after what He has done for me. He wants us to follow Him- that is it. We have a choice in every single thing we do- to follow Jesus or not. It is really that simple.

Is there anything that Jesus could say to you that would cause you to walk away?