This Is A Hard Saying

"This Is A Hard Saying" is a mini-story that is part of the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story series.

The Story
Empath was invited by his friend Tapper, who at this time was now called Pastor Nevin, to attend his services at the Smurfette Village Chapel, which was at service for both the Smurfs and Smurfettes of both villages while the Smurf Village itself did not yet have a chapel. One day Empath did attend and had enjoyed the worship and praise that preceded the sermon, which he found to be rather enthusiastic and energetic, but when it came to the sermon part, Empath found it difficult to sit through and listen, though he sat still throughout the entire sermon and gave his utmost directed attention toward his friend up on the pulpit. Empath saw at the end of the sermon that there were some Smurfs that came up to the altar for prayer while the rest merely headed back to their houses for their meals.

Empath decided to have a talk with Pastor Nevin at the end of one of his services. He had just gotten back to wearing his standard black robe when he met Empath outside the chapel. "So what smurfs to be on your mind that you want to talk to me, my friend?" Nevin asked.

"It's just this smurf's thoughts about your sermons, Pastor Nevin, that this smurf seems so concerned about," Empath said as they walked together. "It seems like your sermons are just so...challenging to listen to, as if you're purposely expecting people to turn away from you."

"Ah, so it's about my sermons," Nevin said, understanding. "It's not my intention that my fellow Smurfs should turn away from smurfing after the Almighty, but I only preach what the Almighty wants me to preach, and that I will continue to do even if many smurf away from me."

"So the Almighty has you preaching these kinds of sermons?" Empath said. "For what reason?"

"To show that He truly cares about us and about which direction we are smurfing in our own lives, Empath," Nevin answered. "God is not a God who delights in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should smurf from his way and live. To that end, He may need to smurf to us in ways that may offend our ears and our thinking, but smurfs the truth that we cannot ignore lest we choose to imperil ourselves and smurf ourselves straight to Hades."

"These sermons, as this smurf can sense from my fellow Smurfs, are really hard to listen to, and I'm not sure how many would return to listening to them, or why they would return to listen to them," Empath said.

"Jesus encountered the same thing with a group of people who were following Him after He had smurfed a multitude with bread and fish, because they were expecting Him to repeat the miracle that God had smurfed through Moses in the desert with the manna from heaven," Nevin said. "Instead, He declared Himself as being 'the Bread of Heaven' that if people eat, they would not die, and that His flesh was truly food and His blood was truly drink. Being that the Jews found that to be close to cannibalism, which God condemned His people from practicing, they rejected that teaching and said, 'This is a hard saying; who can hear it?' It is to this that Jesus responded, 'Does this offend you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before? It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh does not profit, not a thing. My Words that I speak, they are Spirit and they are life. But there are some among you who do not believe. Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted by My Father.' It was after this that many departed and followed Him no more."

"But not His twelve disciples, as this smurf understands from reading the Scriptures," Empath said.

"Indeed not, my fellow Empath," Nevin said. "Jesus asked if they wanted to go away, and Peter responded, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of Eternal Life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'"

"I just don't know, Nevin," Empath said. "This smurf appreciates what you are doing, but this smurf still finds sitting through your sermons rather difficult."

"It is your choice whether or not you want to listen to me when I deliver God's living and active Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, my friend," Nevin said. "All I can smurf you is to not turn away from the Words of the living God, for every Word in Scripture is breathed by Him and is useful for doctrine, correction, reproof, and instruction in righteous, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work."