After filling my tank with gas (and for some reason still unknown to me), I walked around to the passenger side. There on the ground was a ten dollar bill and no one around that could have dropped it. “Thank you, Lord, for this unexpected blessing.”

That afternoon a stranger told an incredible story of his troubles. As my ears heard, my mind wondered why I should believe him. Near the end he asked a favor, like I didn’t know this was coming. “I have so many needs and problems, would you pray for me?” I must admit, I wasn’t expecting prayer to be his request. As he was leaving, I reached in my pocket for my keys and felt paper. I’d forgotten about that money and told him, “God must have intended this for you.”

Nearly two months later my stranger appeared again (which is unusual), this time driving a van (a little bizarre considering the details of our first encounter). He related how every issue we had prayed about had been resolved except finding a job. “Thank you for praying. God answered our prayers!”

As fanciful as my stranger’s story might appear, I found one in the Bible that tops it. John tells us what Jesus’ brothers thought about his claim to be God. “For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5). Jesus’ brothers wanted him to “show…to the world” the truth about himself. We need only read the next few verses (10-13) in this chapter to see that there was a great deal of confusion among the people about the true identity of Jesus. They were wondering the same about Jesus that I was thinking about my stranger, “Why should I believe you?” How could they who knew him best, grow-up together, and live in the same house not believe what Jesus said?

In John 7:6-9, Jesus answered his brothers’ question. He was not angry for their apparent attack on his character. He did not argue or belittle them. He did not attempt to lay guilt on his brothers to persuade them to believe. Instead, he responded to them the same way he responds to our unbelief, with grace. Motivated by his love for his brothers, Jesus spoke the truth.

It is a sad commentary that we have become such schizophrenic skeptics of everything we hear and see. While we want to believe we are being told the truth, we must be discerning and discover the accuracy of what we are told, otherwise we will be like “sheep being led to the slaughter.” John’s comment is saddest of all. Having heard the truth, conveyed with grace and motivated by love, Jesus’ brothers did not believe him. Just as their being close to Jesus did not guarantee they would believe in him, neither does the relationship of one with Jesus guarantee saving faith for others in our families and churches.

But why should you believe me? Check it out for yourselves.

Jesus preached a sermon. The title of his sermon was something about the bread of life. Before he began speaking Jesus illustrated his sermon by feeding thousands of people with one little boy’s sack lunch. The theme of this sermon made yet another claim to his Deity. Previously, in John 5, Jesus claimed to be God, declaring that he is the source of eternal life. Now, in John 6, again to further establish his identity as God, Jesus claimed to be the sustainer of eternal life.

If a sermon is judged by the response of its hearers, this one failed. Miserably. Perhaps the sermon was doomed because Jesus didn’t follow the formula for successful preaching where the illustration comes after the explanation (a common mistake, right?). Whatever the reason we know that because of what Jesus had said “from that time many of his disciples went back [away], and walked no more with him” (John 6:66).

Jesus’ response to this failure (as perceived from a human perspective) says much about God. As God, he could have demanded obedience, instead he let (is that grace?) his disciples go. Even the Twelve staggered as Jesus’ questioned them, “will ye also go away?” (6:67).

But their choice for-or-against did not alter his authority. As God, Jesus exhibited incredible restraint. Humanly, he revealed a meekness not known since the days of Moses (and we’ll get a better glimpse of his meekness later in his trials and crucifixion). Jesus didn’t open the earth to swallow dissenters. He didn’t pester them annoyingly or belittle them for their decision. He didn’t change what he had said in order to become more appealing and win them over. He just let them go.

The hearers’ response says much about humanity, in general, but little about us, in particular.

Those hearers were honest. When they “had heard enough,” they left. Quit. The Amplified Bible emphasizes the finality of their decision. “They returned to their old associations.” “They accompanied him no more.” Don’t be too quick to judge them as impetuous. From the larger context of this chapter we do read that they listened, challenged Jesus about his claim, and even argued among themselves.

I’m not sure today’s “disciples” would walk away with the intent of never returning. We have the same freedom to love him or leave him. But we’re different from those hearers because what we really want is to have life our way but just in case Jesus is telling the truth, we’ll believe, sort of.

And Jesus continues to reveal himself today with restrained sovereignty. That he does so for our benefit is equally incredible. Jesus has already claimed he is the source of eternal life. Jesus assured us, in this chapter of John’s gospel, that he sustains the life that he gives. The original hearers responded honestly. Can we be truthful about ourselves?