When Saying ‘No’ to the Good Allows ‘Yes’ to the Best

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(March 7, 2010 – Mike Nichols)
One of the most popular visual representations of Jesus in the early years of the Christian movement was the feeding of the multitude. Long before Christians portrayed Christ crucified they showed him breaking bread. Some suggest that this reflects the context of the first Christians as urban poor people for whom bread was a daily concern. Perhaps it is also a reflection of a fundamental reality for early Christians: Jesus and bread, eating and feeding, table fellowship and faith, food and life — these things go together.

Because of these words many permanently turned away from Jesus after initially being drawn to Him “for bread”. Peter wondered if there was any real alternative when he asked, “to whom shall we go?” What would cause you to turn away from Jesus? Hard sayings? Disappointment? Can’t see how faith works?

Today I ask you the question—where are you saying NO and where are you saying YES? Can you imagine saying NO to some good things to say YES to better things? And, to whom will you go, if not Jesus? Not the easiest of questions, but who wants to come to church to be bored?

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