In the movie “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” the entire adventure hinged on getting one of the few Golden Tickets placed in Wonka Bars. If you had no ticket, you had no adventure. Many people were disappointed to find that although they had 100 Wonka Bars, none of them held the Golden Ticket. It seems that many of Jesus’ disciples gave up on Him after His speech about bread and blood and all that. It sounded to some like cannibalism and to others that there was no chance of ever getting that Golden Ticket that only the Father could give, no matter what one did.
Even some of Jesus’ closest companions were skeptical and Jesus knew it. He asked them, even though He could read their minds, “Do you take offense at this?”
That Jesus! Always pushing to a higher level; always trying to raise the bar on consciousness about Him, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Plan. Always asking them to believe and believe and believe. The things He spoke about were beyond their understanding or so it seemed.
He was always rocking the boat! Now, here he was, asking them if they wanted to leave too! Where would they go? Was He telling them that He was not to be believed? What was this strange man doing?
Simon Peter, our friend who is just like us most of the time, chimed in. “Lord”, he said, “to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know that you are the Holy one of God”. (68-69).
Peter was saying, where else can we go for our ticket? You have promised us this Golden Ticket. You have told us it comes only from you! You are telling us that this IS the only way. What gives?
Don’t you sometimes think that God pushes us to the edge of what we are, only to tell us something that requires more? Jesus does that here
He says, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.”
He tells them they are His, then, drops the bomb that not all of them are believers. Can you imagine what they thought? What would you think if Jesus said that to you?
How would you respond? What would you think of Him? and of yourself?
See Ya Next Time
Rev Dr. Cheryl A Durham, Biblical Counselor, Discipleship Coach, Above and Beyond Discipleship Ministries, provides services for individuals and groups online and via teleconference.
www.abovenbeyonddiscipleship.com
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