Rubbing Against The Flesh

John 6:60 (Amplified Bible)
When His disciples heard this, many of them said, This is a hard and difficult and strange saying (an offensive and unbearable message). Who can stand to hear it? [Who can be expected to listen to such teaching?] After this, many of His disciples drew back (returned to their old associations) and no longer accompanied Him.

Jesus had finished explaining to many of his disciples some of the principles surrounding who He was. But what Jesus said was difficult for them to receive because what He said rubbed harshly against their flesh. What Jesus said did not settle with what they in their own human wisdom could reason out. "Many of his disciples," the scripture tells us, "turned back and no longer followed him." Their response was to say within themselves, "I just can't understand that--I don't even want to think about it." We like to feel secure in our beliefs and understandings about the way things are. When something or someone comes along that shakes those beliefs and causes us to question things of which we have felt secure in our understanding, our tendency is to resist. We become uncomfortable and insecure and find ourselves at the crossroads--wondering what is right and who is wrong. We have a choice: struggle through the questions, trusting God for the answers; or bow to the bliss of ignorance.

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?