12 Sunday after Pentecost

 

John 6:35, 41-51

Today is the third week in our five weeks series of readings on Jesus the Bread of Life.  On the first week we heard the story of Jesus feeding the great crowd of 5000 with only 5 loaves and 2 fish.  Then last week we got to overhear Jesus’ conversation with a small crowd of people who followed him after the miracle where he tells them that he is the true bread who has come down from heaven to feed a hungry world.  Last week’s story was filled with misunderstandings and the crowd’s earnest attempts to understand who Jesus is and what he is talking about.   

Today we hear the crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ teaching.  And it is not good.  They have heard what Jesus has to say and they just don’t buy it.  After all, it doesn’t make any sense.  Here is Jesus, a man that they know, whose parents they know, who they have watched grow up, suddenly claiming that he is the bread of life come down from heaven.  What?  It’s preposterous.  Perhaps they are willing to accept that God indeed will send a Savior or that God sends down bread from heaven to feed his people or that all this is possible, but not with this guy.  He is just some nobody son of a carpenter from some Podunk backwater low-rent Galilean village.  He didn’t come down from heaven on a chariot of fire.  He was born in a stable and raised in Nazareth.  Come on. 

The people are just not willing to accept that God may be doing these amazing things through such a seemingly ordinary guy.  From the distance of time, knowing what we know now about Jesus, it is easy to judge the crowds as foolish but are we really so much better at this?  When we think of God working in world, we too often want the big stuff.  God acting in big and powerful ways that wipe away problems and shatter doubt.  When we pray for healing, relief, or a solution to our problems, very rarely are we picturing a subtle response.

There is an old story that there was a man who was trapped in his house by a flood and the waters started to rise and cover the ground so he climbed up on his porch.  And prayed “Lord, save me from this flood.” And just then his neighbor came by in a big 4 wheel drive truck and said “Come on, jump in, I’ll take you to safety”  but he said “No, I am a faithful man, the Lord will save me.”  And so his neighbor went on his way to help others.  And the waters continued to rise so he climbed up to the second story window and looked out and again prayed to God “Lord, please save me.” And just then his friend came by in a boat and said “Here I brought a boat, jump in and I’ll take you to safety.”  But the man said “No, I am a faithful man, the Lord will save me.”  And his friend said “Suit yourself” and left to go help others.  And the flood waters started to rise more and his second floor flooded and so the man finally climbed onto his roof.  And getting a little worried prayed again “Lord, I am counting on you, please save me from this flood.”  And suddenly a coast guard helicopter appeared above his house and a rescue swimmer came down on a hoist and said “Jump in, I’ll take you to safety”  and the man said “No, I am a faithful man, the Lord will save me.” And so the helicopter left and when to help other people.  And the flood waters continued to rise and finally the man drowned.  And he reached heaven and as soon as he got through the gates, he saw God and immediately asked him “Why God, I was a faithful man all my life, and I prayed for you to save me from this flood, why did you leave me to die.”  And God said “My son, of course I didn’t leave you, I sent you the truck and then the boat and then even a helicopter, all you had to do was take what was offered.”

When we look for bread from heaven, we often think of it coming on a cloud or at least a golden platter, but Jesus shows us, that sometimes the bread of heaven comes from Nazareth.  Sometimes healing comes in the face of a nurse, or in a vial of tiny pills.  Sometimes relief from suffering comes in a greeting card or a friend’s well timed phone call.  Sometimes a God’s miraculous intervention is as simple as $20 bill found stuffed in the couch when you are down to your last dollar or the right access to a government program.

Jesus remains utterly unconcerned with questions about his humble appearance and background.  Rather than worrying about defending his own credentials, Jesus simply points back to the one who sent him.  Reminding people that “no one comes to me unless drawn by the God who sent me.”  It is God who is doing the work, all the work.  And God can choose anyone and anything he wants to complete his work in the world even me and you.

I think this is a very good reminder for us as we seek to live out our lives as Christians as well.  Because God is working in your life to bring health, healing and wholeness.  AND he is working through your life to reach others no matter where you come from or what people want to say.  God says no to the haters and the doubters and the naysayers and tells each and every one of us that you are wonderfully and fearfully made.  That I made you just the way you are, I call you to do great things and I will feed you, I will sustain you with everything you need to do my work.

God is feeding his people, each and every day with a food that sustains like no other.  For the Bread that God gives us in Jesus Christ is not like ordinary food.  It is the very bread that gives life to the world and sustains God’s people forever.  Other kinds of social and spiritual food may sustain us for a time, they may provide strength and sustenance for a while, but in the end all other food fades.  The bread God gave Elijah in the wilderness sustained him for 40 days, the manna God gave the Israelites sustained them for 40 years, but in the end it all still fades.

But the Bread of Life that Jesus feeds us will never fade.  He will never quit loving us, guiding us and sustaining us.  Through the dark times, through the hard times, through the dry wilderness journeys, Christ the Bread of Life comes alongside us and provides bread for the journey so that we too can go forth in the strength of that food to reach wherever the Lord is calling us to go.  So come let us join the Lord’s table.  Amen.