TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?
JOHN 6:68
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
In the name of Jesus:
There was once a Mexican bank robber, Jorge Rodriguez, who operated along the Texas border around the turn of the century. He was so successful in his thievery that the Texas Rangers deployed a whole extra posse along the Rio Grande to try and stop him. Sure enough, late one afternoon, one of the special Rangers saw Jorge slipping quietly across the river into Mexico. So he trailed him at a discreet distance until the bandito returned to his home village. He watched as Jorge mingled with the people around the town well and then went into his favorite cantina to relax.
The Ranger slipped in and managed to get the drop on Jorge. Pointing a pistol to his head, he said: "I know who you are, Jorge Rodriguez, and I have come to get back the money you have stolen from the banks in Texas. Unless you give it to me, it is my intention to blow your brains out."
There was, however, one flaw with the marvelously conceived and (to this point) exceedingly well-executed plan. Jorge Rodriguez spoke no English and the Texas Ranger spoke no Spanish. They were two adults at a verbal impasse.
About that time, an enterprising little Mexican approached the Texas Ranger and said: "I am bilingual. Would you like me to translate for you?" The Ranger nodded, whereupon the bilingual Mexican told Jorge Rodriguez who the Ranger was and why he was pointing a gun at Jorge's head. Nervously, Jorge answered back: "Tell the big Texas Ranger that I have not spent a cent of the money. Then tell him to go to the town well ... face north ... count down five stones ... find the loose stone ... pull it out ... reach behind ... where he will discover the money. Please tell him quickly."
Nervously, the Ranger inquired: "What did he say? What did he say?" Leading the bilingual Mexican to respond in perfect English: "Jorge Rodriguez is a very brave man. He says he is ready to die."
Not a very trustworthy sort do you think? I don’t think I would be telling any secrets to that person! But that raises in my mind this question, just WHO is trustworthy today? Who is worthy of our trust, for this life and into eternity? Sadly, many don’t trust in others today. Having been burned by others, they would rather rely on self rather than someone else. Much like the ad that ran in the newspaper which read: “A newspaper carried the following help-wanted ad: "Need co-author for a book on self-reliance."
Who needs a co-author for a book on self-reliance? This is a contradiction that hits home, doesn’t it? We have been described as the most individualistic people on earth. We celebrate the loner and the non-conformist. But in our pursuit of self-reliance, we have ignored our need for someone else, the need to belong. Part of the God’s design was that we would need others; we would need God and others in our lives. We have a need to be in communion with God and with other people.
But because of sin, that communion is fractured; it is beyond our ability to repair it. Our lives show our separation from God and from one another. We think that we can solve all of our own problems, including but not limited to our problem with God. If only we can get our act together, we think, and then God will act differently. If only I would do something good in my life then God would love me. We think we can act apart from God, and by our actions influence God’s will and nature towards us. But we can’t.
Not many people enjoy going to the doctor, but in London, 1994, a 63 year old man needed surgery but could not overcome his fear of doctors and hospitals. So, he did in his mind what was the next best thing, he performed surgery on himself. Tragically he got an infection and died. The coroner wrote in his report: “Unfortunately his drastic remedy went wrong. A simple operation would have solved his problem.” Just as the man didn’t trust hospitals or doctors, many people don’t trust God. In their self reliance they destroy themselves. In our sinfulness we destroy ourselves. God threatens to punish sin and we deserve His punishment, for we have all fallen short of God’s will for each of us. We are, as we confess in our common confession at the beginning of our worship service, a miserable lot, we are poor, miserable sinners who deserve no good thing from God.
We cannot go to ourselves, or to any human being who is trustworthy enough for our lives here and into eternity. But there is ONE who is trustworthy, whom we can go to and will provide our every need. This One is Jesus. God’s only Son, sent from heaven to be our Savior. Jesus is trustworthy because He is God’s Son, the fulfillment of God’s promises to send a Savior. Jesus is trustworthy because God is trustworthy. God has kept His promises in Jesus.
When humanity fell into sin through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, God promised a Savior: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." When Israel was searching for when and in what manner this Messiah would come, God promised that: “ But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days,” and “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This One, God with us, would do God’s work in that: “Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. [2] For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. [3] He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4] Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5] But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [10] Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand., for he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
This One of whom the prophets of the Old Testament pointed to is Jesus. Jesus reveals Himself to the God’s promised one, when He says: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
Jesus today offers Himself to you, in His Word, and in His Supper. Here He guides you, here He feeds you. He does this so that you will have everlasting life, not by trusting in yourself, but by trusting in Him. In Baptism the Holy Spirit has given to you faith in Jesus. That faith is nurtured and fed today. That faith clings to Jesus for help in time of need, for the forgiveness of all sin, and for the certainty of eternal life.
The disciples followed Jesus, in spite of the majority leaving Him. Jesus asked His disciples in the midst of the world rejecting Him: “Do you want to go away as well?" But Simon Peter knew better. He trusted in Christ. Having been brought to faith in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter confessed: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, [69] and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
You have come to know that Jesus is the Holy One of God. You have tasted and seen that the Lord is good and that His love never ends. God now calls you to share this message with others. To share this good news is called evangelism, it is good news that we share because we know that God keeps His promises in Jesus. We are beggars before God’s throne of grace. As beggars, God calls us to point other beggars where they can obtain eternal life. Only in Jesus can this happen. Only in Christ is this possible. By grace you have been saved through faith, so that you may tell others of what Jesus has done for you.
Why would anyone reject this gift of Jesus? God brings us to faith, and He gives us the means to keep us in the faith, His Word and Sacraments. Many come belong to Christ and His Church with good intentions. They take membership classes, become confirmed members in the church and state publically that they will always believe in Jesus. But where are they? They drop out due to lack of interest, a lack of love for Jesus, and because discipleship and following Christ is too much of a commitment. We see it on Christmas, Easter, and on special occasions where people are caught up in the emotion of the day, and then are not to be found the remainder of the year. The question Jesus asked His disciples is one He still asks today: Are you going to leave Me as well? More pointedly, the question is asked today: To whom can we go? Is there really anyone else or anything else we want to exchange for Jesus? Can anyone offer a better alternative?
The answer is no. Jesus’ offer still stands in the 21st century. He keeps His promises now and forever. I like how David H. C. Read, a Christian clergyman, has put it: “I have heard, as a pastor, hundreds of reasons for quitting the church, but never has anyone said to me, I'm leaving the church because I've found someone better than Christ.'
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, [69] and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
Lord, make us faithful even as you are faithful.
Amen
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