April 20, 2023
Grumbling Reveals Your Heart
“These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore, many of His disciples, when they heard this said, ‘This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?’ But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, ‘Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.’” John 6:59-64 (NASB)
When I arrived in Fort Knox Kentucky for Army Basic Training, a lot of grumbling occurred over the next 13 weeks of training. My father, a former Drill Sargent, taught me a few things before I arrived for training. One: never volunteer for anything. Secondly: never complain where a Drill Sargent saw it. When I first arrived at Fort Knox, we were assigned to pick up cigarette butts in near freezing weather. This was before we were assigned to our training company. The grumbling started 10 minutes after the order. I kept my mouth closed. When we arrived at our training company, I saw our initial sergeants talk to our training company’ Drill Sergeants. They told them who was going to be a problem. When training began, less than three weeks after, the grumblers were gone. They didn’t make the cut. The commands were too tough.
“Therefore, many of His disciples, when they heard this said, ‘This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?’ But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, ‘Does this cause you to stumble?” Grumbling seems to be a way of life for the Jews in their history. Compare this to verse 6:41, “Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven,” we find not the Jews complaining or muttering, but now a larger group of disciples. Robertson says, “It is to be hoped that none of the twelve joined the many disciples in this complaint.”[1] Hopefully they weren’t. This pattern though of complaining and grumbling goes back to their journey in the wilderness episode of Exodus 16:2. God saw the complaining then, and now, “Jesus conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them…” When the truths came forward the condition of their hearts was revealed. Jesus knew their hearts and who would join those who would oppose Him in the future.
In Basic Training, I know those who couldn’t take orders would never make good soldiers. If they had a hard time following simple orders, what would they do in a battlefield command which involved giving their lives? Jesus knew this too. He knew their problem was their heart, or unbelief. The commands of Jesus were much different than my Army ones. The orders He gave they “complained that his saying is harsh, which ought rather to have softened them. For whoever shall submit with true humility to the doctrine of Christ will find nothing in it harsh or disagreeable; but to unbelievers, who oppose themselves with obstinacy, it will be a hammer which breaketh the rocks in pieces…”[2] Obey today when Jesus gives the tough orders. Trust me, He knows the outcome of every situation. It is always for your best and His glory!
[1] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Jn 6:60.
[2] John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 270.