George Hutcheson
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying, who can heare it?
Unto the end of the chap. we have the events and consequents that followed on this Sermon. And the first is, that they carp at his doctrine and cannot digest it, ver. 60. and he doth vindicate and clear what he had said, ver. 61, 62, 63, 64, 65.
In this ver. their hard censure of this doctrine of Christ is recorded; They declare it to be intolerable, blasphemous, and so absurd, that none could hear it. And this is recorded to be the practice, even of many of his disciples, whereby we are not to understand the twelve Apostles, who yet stay with him, ver. 67. nor yet is it to be understood of these seventy disciples, who were all Teachers, Luk. 10.1. But it was such as had given up their names to him, to follow him and learn of him. And so this Sermon stumbled not only the common multitude at Capernaum, or these who followed him over the sea, for loaves: but even many of his ordinary followers mistook it. Doctrine 1. When Christ hath taken most pains to inculcate and clear saving and necessary truths, yet ordinarily the most part will never make them welcome; for, they were many, who stumbled, to wit, in compassion of those to whom his doctrine was savoury. 2. Professions of visible interest in Christ will not always prove found to the end, but the most part of such professours will sooner or later, when their trial and tentation comes, stumble at him, his way and truth, for, many of his disciples did here miscarry. 3. Carnal hearts, as they do not understand, so they cannot digest the spiritual truths of Christ; And their corrupt disposition disrelishing the Word, is a main stumbling block unto them; for, this was the cause of their miscarriage here. They said, this is a hard saying, or, intolerable. It was not so indeed, but as they understood and took it carnally, and the blame was not in the doctrine, but in their corrupt taste, which made what was sweet, bitter to them. 4. Carnal men, and such as get no good of hearing, are in peril to grow still the longer the worse, and at last impatient of hearing at all; for, they who murmured and strave before, come now to this, who can hear it? 5. Corrupt men do measure all others by themselves, and their pride and selfe-love makes them imagine, that Christ and his truth can relish no better with any, then it doth with them; Therefore say they, who can hear it? thinking none could like it, more then they, wherein they were far mistaken, ver. 68.
