Boundaries and Limitations

This Sunday I am preaching in John chapter six. This is a pretty incredible chapter. Jesus feeds the five thousand. Actually, Verse ten tells us, “The men alone numbered 5,000” (John 6:10). When one includes the women and children, it is much more likely the number is closer to ten thousand! Then, we read the story about the disciples being caught in a storm and Jesus walking on the water to them. After that, Jesus teaches a crowd about the bread of life. He says He is the true bread that came down from heaven and goes on to imply His body and blood would be sacrificed in order to grant believers eternal life.

Continuing this metaphor, Jesus then says one has to eat His flesh and drink His blood. What? He means one has to accept Him into their life and become united with Him. We do this in a couple of in two ways: (1) by believing in His death and resurrection (the sacrifice of His flesh and blood and His rising from the grave) and (2) by devoting ourselves to living as He requires, depending on His teaching for guidance and trusting in the Holy Spirit for power. It was a metaphor! (Eating His flesh and drinking His blood.) Nonetheless, many of Jesus’ followers were shocked and horrified. So much so, that rather than trying to understand what He was teaching, they simply left. Abandoned Him. The person they had heretofore believed was the Messiah. However, as soon as He said something they had trouble accepting or understanding, they deserted Him. In many ways, things have not changed over the last two thousand years. 

I know of plenty of so-called “disciples of Jesus,” believers who claim to accept He is the Son of God, who love Him when He talks about loving our neighbors and doing unto others as we would have done unto us. They love hearing about His healings and miracles. They love all the good stuff. However, when Jesus teaches something difficult. Something we do not like or even disagree with many do the same – desert Him.

Listen, when we were raising our children, we had limitations, boundaries, which we expected them not to cross. We did so, because we had knowledge they did not have, and we wanted to protect them, because we loved them. Why is it so hard for us to consider God has the same for you and me? His children. Remember, we would sometimes get so upset with our children because they incessantly asked, “Why? Why? Why?” Finally, in exasperation, we would reply, “Because I said so!” It wasn’t that we didn’t want to tell them. We were. They were just incapable of fully understanding the reasoning. It wasn’t their fault. They were children. Similarly, our Father sometimes says, “Because I said so!” or maybe “Thus saith the Lord!” We may not like it. It may make us angry, but He has knowledge we do not. We are His children. He is the Father.

This is why the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones” (Proverbs 3:5-8). 

When we come across a limitation that God has placed upon us, and we do not understand why. Trust Him. He is God and we are not. He has knowledge and understanding that we never will. Remember, the boundary is there because He loves His children too.    

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