The Friday after Laetare Sunday
Posted on April 4, 2025 by under
Scripture: St. John 6:60-65 (NKJV)
6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
Devotion
Today’s text is one of the most heart-rending historical narratives recorded in Scripture. In it we see the severe cost of human unwillingness to humbly submit our reason to the majesty of God. Our earthly reason must be able to submit to its role as solely ministerial before the glory and majesty of our omnipotent Lord and His divinely inspired Word.
The disciples say “hard to accept,” not hard to “understand”. They understood what Jesus was saying, for His words were clear and precise; but to accept them was hard—and only possible through faith. The thought of eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking His blood was doubtless shocking to all of Jesus’ Jewish hearers, who would be horrified at the concept of cannibalism, as well as the drinking of any blood. The Levitical Law makes it clear that the blood of any creature is God’s exclusively, for it contains the life. This is the reason why the Old Testament sacrifice of animals was required for the atonement of sin, because the price of sin is death (the loss of life).
Though Jesus is speaking of His body and blood in spiritual terms in this instance, He does not say their understanding of the receiving of His holy body and blood is incorrect, for His institution of the Lord’s Holy Supper will institute this supernatural reality.
Collect: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Lent
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
