2024/08/25 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

- Max Wink, Assistant Manager of Events & Ministry Engagements

I don’t know about you, but I love a Gospel where Peter comes out looking pretty good. There are many moments in the Gospels when Peter comes across as someone who’s always saying the wrong thing, or never quite understanding what Jesus has to say. At times, Jesus Himself told Peter as much! That’s why I think Peter’s response to Jesus at the end of this week’s Gospel is so refreshing. It shows us the better side of Peter, and, more than that, it provides us with a model for being apostles ourselves, especially at moments when it feels the most challenging to have faith in Jesus. 

Before considering Peter’s words, though, there’s a lot that has happened in the lead up to what he says. 

We’ve spent the past five Sundays reading through John 6, and for good reason; Jesus telling the crowds, His apostles, and us that He truly is the Bread of life, the Bread that came down from heaven, is a statement at the very core of our faith. I’m grateful we spend five weeks on this chapter because, no matter how many times I hear or read John 6, it forever remains a lot to unpack. Fortunately, the final verses of John 6, which we hear this week, offer us a chance to catch our breath, as we’re given the opportunity to reflect alongside the apostles on all that Jesus has said. 

It's clear from this chapter that, even for Jesus’ followers, His discourse on the Bread of life is difficult to wrap one’s head around and accept. We hear today that, indeed, “Many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him” (Jn 6:66). How devastating this must have been for Jesus that His announcement of salvation through His giving of Himself—a message at the very heart of the good news—was met not with gratitude but with rejection. 

Jesus then turns to the apostles and asks them, “Do you also want to leave?” (Jn 6:67). It’s with this question that the Gospel invites us into a reflection on our own relationships with Jesus. When following Jesus becomes a challenge, how do we respond?  

Sometimes the challenge is a matter of doing the right thing when we’d prefer not to, but what about the moments when we begin to question our relationship with Jesus all together? Sometimes we encounter days and seasons when it becomes harder to explain to ourselves why we choose to follow Jesus. I’ve certainly had my fair share of these moments. When keeping our faith feels the most difficult, how might we find consolation? It’s here where Peter’s words become so valuable to us. 

When Jesus asks Peter if he wants to leave Him, Peter responds, “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" (Jn 6:68-69). 

Notably, Peter does not say here that he absolutely 100% understands all that Jesus has said. Given what we know about Peter from other moments in the Gospels, I imagine he had his own struggles accepting all that Jesus has just told him. In this case, what separates Peter from those who have left Jesus is not a matter of better understanding, but a willingness to still follow Jesus precisely when he doesn’t fully understand. Even when understanding Jesus’ words is difficult, Peter still trusts them as the words of eternal life. In this way, Peter models how we can have faith in Jesus, even when we struggle with the particulars of what that means for us. 

When I picture what “having faith” looks like, I often picture it as being consistent in prayer and being super enthusiastic about receiving the Eucharist. These are, of course, wonderful things and marks of faith, but I think there’s another side of faith that often gets overlooked. This other sort of faith is what Peter displays in today’s Gospel: commitment to Christ even in the face of uncertainty and difficulty understanding. This is the faith we live out on the days when the last thing we want to do is sit quietly for a few minutes and pray but still do it anyway, or on Sundays where receiving the Eucharist feels more mundane than miraculous.  

When faith feels easy, may we find joy alongside Peter in knowing that the Holy One of God is sharing Himself with us. But when faith isn’t coming easily, may we find comfort and inspiration in Peter’s words, making them our own. 

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.