[ealgeone]

Rather it is the unbelieving Jews who refused to accept that we must eat His Body and drink His Blood as our Lord taught. If Jesus had simply said that it was just a metaphor they would have stayed. Why would Jesus purposely mislead them by His emphatic language and let them leave over a misunderstanding?

Jesus talked to a lot of people who walked away from Him. The rich young ruler is an example.

18A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 20“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’” 21And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Luke 18:18-23

Did Jesus mislead the ruler?

Why didn't He follow after Him?

*****

But this is the only time that Jesus challenged His Apostles.

Nope. Get behind Me, Satan is a pretty stinging challenge and rebuke.

But that's not the only time.

*****

Seems like the disciples got taken to the spiritual woodshed a number of times!

*****

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you. Luke 17:5-6

*****

14And they had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.

17And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18“HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember,

19when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” 20“When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.” 21And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?” Mark 8:14-21

46An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”

49John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.” 50But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you.”

51When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; 52and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village. Luke 9:46-56

*****

14Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

16“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned [notice what He did not say....nothing about eating/drinking flesh/blood....but about believing]. Mark 16:14-16

*****

17When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, Mark 7:17-18

[Petrosius]

Jesus did indeed correct or rebuke the Apostles on many occasions but the Bread of Life Discourse is the only time that He questioned their faith and asked them if they too wished to leave Him. And He did this over His statement that they must eat His Flesh and drink His Blood. It was not over the requirement that we must believe in Him. His disciples had believed in Him until He said that they must eat His Body and drink His flesh.

15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

16“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned [notice what He did not say....nothing about eating/drinking flesh/blood....but about believing]. Mark 16:14-16

Believing in Him includes believing and obeying what He taught, such as "This is my Body and this is my Blood." This is part of the gospel and we are not free to discard it because it does not fit in with our 16th century theology.