Disciples at a Distance

“From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve,‘Will ye also go away?’ Then Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (John 6:66-69)

Jesus had fed the multitude with five barley loaves and two small fish. A day later they came looking for Jesus. When they found Him He said to them, ‘Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give you.’ When the bread was gone, they were gone.

I knew a man who could argue the Bible and would always favor Jesus in his argument. He could answer all the questions about Jesus. He knew all the falsehoods of the cults and could use the Bible to defend his position concerning Jesus. We would have called him a disciple of Jesus, but he was not. He is a picture of those in our text who were called disciples but were not. This man, of whom I spoke, followed Christ but did not commit his soul and life to Him. He was part of the multitude but was not a true disciple; He was not a true follower of Jesus. He was not a saved man.

On the other hand, Peter was a true disciple with a commitment of his life and soul to Jesus for his safe keeping and for service. Peter acknowledged that when one is a true disciple of Jesus he not only talks the talk, he walks the walk.