This was a turning point in Jesus ministry. He moved from being a teacher and miracle-worker to the Son of God. His explanation of the need to "eat His flesh and drink His blood", was too much for many of His disciples. Remember that there were many following Him with their own personal agendas. The word "disciple" did not necessarily equate to "believer". It was at this crossroads in His ministry, that many were forced to look beyond the momentum of the movement to the man Himself. As in the Parable of the Sower, these fair-weather disciples were like the seed sown on rocky soil that had no root and quickly fall away in times of trouble. It was easy to follow Jesus when He was just healing people and teaching from the Scriptures, but when He began to make claims that didn't fit what the people were looking for, many turned away.
Jesus moved on from this discussion to chastise the Pharisees who were hung up on the disciples' failure to follow some of the Jewish cemonial laws. As He had already done previously, Jesus spent a great deal of time explaining that it is not our actions that defile us but rather our hearts. He spoke critically to the Pharisees and began to be more than just a threat to their authority and way of life. He was now igniting hostility. Their desire to kill Him only increased from this point forward.
Tomorrow's reading:Mark 7:24-8:21; Matt. 15:21-16:12
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