When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying: who can listen to it?”
John 6:60
HELPS Word-studies on the words ‘hard’ and ‘listen’ ~
skléros: hard, rough, violent, harsh, stern.
4642 sklērós – properly, hard (because dried out); (figuratively) stiff, stubborn (unyielding) describing people who "won't budge" (bend, submit), or what is unyieldingly harsh.
akouó: to hear, listen; comprehend by hearing;
191 akoúō – properly, to hear (listen); (figuratively) to hear God's voice (akoúō) is the root of the English term, "acoustics."]
Ultimately the Father’s goal is to grow us up into Christ in all things, all ways, all areas, mind, body and spirit. Since he is always at work in us to will and obey his purposes, this activity will be an ongoing and eternal working. What I won’t hear and receive now, I will hear and receive ‘there’ (eternity). We are to increase with the increase of God and grow from glory to glory. With every season and age holding, not only the potential, but the grace to increase with the measure given to each of us for our times.
So, what is it that Jesus is saying to us that we are finding hard to hear? I think in most cases it would be ultimately rooted in some kind of fear. Fear is a driving force and most of ours are built from a sense of self preservation. We build things in our lives based off of the negative experiences we’ve suffered with a false believe that these will protect us, AND they do. Unfortunately, what they protect us from is this growth process that is ordained for us in God.
It isn’t until we come into this understanding and acceptance of ‘perfect love’ that fear can be driven out from it’s stronghold. Jesus works at all times, in all ways, through all resources to bring us into this place of perfect liberty.
For where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. It’s a human dynamic we all want freedom, but we want it on our terms.
Jesus is freedom, but we have to accept him and it on his terms. It’s the hearing, receiving, and obeying the hard things he says that produce growth in us.
The Apostle Paul, meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Acts 9:5; 26:14, learns “it is hard for you to kick against the goads”. Where we meet the opposition in our lives, it is necessary to know that we can never fight against God and win. Submission is the key to victory. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Sometimes I wonder how many of us have our own “Balaam’s ass” moments. What are we harming through our own stubbornness before coming to a place of receptivity with repentance and obedience.
The scary part of John 6 to me personally is how the Lord allows each of us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. He does not change the word he proclaims to make it ‘easy’ for us to hear it, but rather acknowledges our right to choose.
This whole scenario occurred with his ‘disciples’ so, we all have issues to deal with.