Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ

Sermon for August 2, 2009

Bread of Life

Pastor Marj Johnston

John 6:24-35 (New Living Translation)

²⁴ So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. ²⁵ They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

 ²⁶ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. ²⁷ But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man^[a] can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

 ²⁸ They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

 ²⁹ Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

 ³⁰ They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? ³¹ After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’^[b]”

 ³² Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. ³³ The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

 ³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

 ³⁵ Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Last week Jesus was teaching and preaching to a crowd of more than 5000, and through the generosity of one young boy who shared his five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, the crowd ate and had leftovers.  While it’s possible that Jesus took the five barley loaves and two little fish and miraculously multiplied them so that there was more than enough food for the 5000 men and the women and the children who were with them, it is also possible that the miracle was that when people near Jesus saw the young boy offer his basket of lunch to Jesus, they realized they too could share of the bread and fish they had tucked in their pockets or in their own lunch baskets.  The sign of sharing from what we have becoming more than enough could be foundational to faith communities doing the same thing:  Sharing what we DO have allows God to do signs and miracles where signs and miracles are needed most.

The few verses between last week’s text and this morning’s are that the people who had been a part of the 5000-plus crowd knew that Jesus didn’t leave with the disciples in the boat, but they couldn’t find him there so they got in their boats and crossed the lake, some of them ran along the lake shore and others rode donkeys or camels just to get to Capernaum to find him.

In this morning’s story, the people have arrived in Capernaum, and they ask Jesus how he got there.  He point blank tells them, “I tell you the truth—you aren’t looking for me because you saw me do miracles.  You are looking for me because you ate bread and were satisfied.”  In other words, he didn’t really answer their question and instead he’s challenging them about their looking for proof—a sign—that he was who he said he was.

How many of you look for signs?  We who drive are always supposed to look for the road signs, and around our region, there are so many different signs indicating slower speeds, detours and narrowed routes because of road work being done.  I’m learning that when a sign says “Road closed” it is likely the road really is closed and it wasn’t expected I would ignore the sign.  But then … well, those of you who know me….  And those who garden are now looking for signs of bounty in the form of red tomatoes, ripe pea pods, beans and other things ready for picking. When in conversation with others we watch for signs of humor, anger, stress or interest. 

Some of us look for signs or ask for signs when we need to make decisions.  Our contemporary translations of scripture use the word “signs” alternately with the word “miracles” so that when we read stories from our sacred texts, either word seems to indicate that something extraordinary is guiding the people in their experiences with Jesus and with God—there were signs and miracles in both Hebrew and Greek texts, old and new testament stories.

Recently I’ve been more aware of my already decided upon course of action while still I pretend to look for signs I “need” to prove that I’m on the right track.  In other words, the “signs” I’m supposedly watching for only confirm the action I’m already taking!  And if the signs I see are contrary to what I want or to what I’ve already chosen, then I doubt the validity of the signs.  The fun is in waiting for enough of the “right” signs in order to justify moving forward into what I’ve already planned.  I know some of you understand this process well…

According to the gospel stories, the disciples of Jesus were some of the people who watched for signs, as were the crowds of people who followed Jesus, heard his teachings and saw his healings.  The people who had seen the signs and miracles—those people who were there in last week’s story, who ate bread and fish—were the very same people who saw yet another sign of Jesus’ authority, and STILL they didn’t trust that he was who he said he was … Jesus, Son of God, reconciler of all who would hear and believe.

The signs of the bread and fish were significant for the masses and ignored by the religious and legal authorities of Jesus’ day.  They already had their plan and didn’t need MORE signs and miracles.  But the people who had been there interpreted it to mean Jesus is the Prophet sent by God, and now they wanted to know and thought they needed to know WHY God had sent such a Prophet.  In their very human way, Jesus was the new “bread king,” the one who could provide everything they could ever want or need.

I imagine Jesus shrugging his shoulders and walking away while the crowd talked among themselves.  The disciples knew enough when he was in “that” mood to leave him alone with himself and his thoughts, and so they did as they had already planned to do—they got into their boat and crossed the lake to Capernaum.  Scripture says a storm had kicked up, and in that squall on the water, Jesus walked across the waves to join them, calmed their fears, and saw to it they arrived safely in Capernaum.  Calming the storm—another sign?

So here we are, with Jesus and his followers again.  The people have found Jesus—again—and he wastes no time in telling them that they are looking to spend time with him for the wrong reasons.  Yes, he had given them plenty to eat in that place of plenty of grass.  Yes, he had healed some of their sick.  But, he says, you are seeking me not because you saw me perform miracles but because I gave you food and you were satisfied.

The gospel writer John frequently uses the word “sign” for something Jesus does as miracle.  It is in the gospel of John we read of Jesus turning water into wine and raising Lazarus from the dead.  John also uses one story to build a foundation for the next story and the next story after that….  This week Jesus is the Bread of Life AFTER the miracle of literally feeding 5000-plus people from five loaves of bread and two fish.

The story today is actually at the heart of the identity of Jesus and the intent of his ministry.  If those who are following Jesus really want to know who he is and why he is, they will have to pay attention to his words and his actions.  Imagine the questions by those who had traveled to Capernaum to find Jesus.  They traveled the distance because they expected to find Jesus there, but they hadn’t seen him leave and they knew his disciples took the one boat they had when they left.  But they didn’t ask WHO he was, they instead asked why he did what he did and how they could do it too.  They wanted proof that he had some connection to God that they could be given as well, performing such signs and miracles themselves.

This is a part to which I can relate.  How often do I take time to pray and place before God the things for which I feel I need and want an answer from God … and then in that process of praying, I tell God how it is I expect to see the answers unfold.  Let’s see:  “God, I’m coming to you today with my heart full of wanting to go where you want me to go and to serve you and your people as you want me to serve.  I don’t know for sure where it is, but I have ideas of how I want you to answer.  Amen.”  This is year three of what the congregation at Westminster voted to do here for three years—creating a position for which I was hired—and I’m watching for signs—miracles even—for where God will have me serve next.  But the question is am I really trusting God to hear and answer me without imposing my own list of places I’m willing to go and things I’m willing to do?  Am I able to put my faith in this same God whom I invite you to trust to meet your needs, to literally practice what I preach about who I say Jesus is instead of what Jesus does?

We are so like the disciples and the crowd of people who followed Jesus in those days.  I do think we are interested in what our sacred texts tell us through stories in both the Hebrew texts and the gospel stories, in the letters written by Paul and others who came after.  I get to hear your thoughts and ideas in your own stories about wondering what you can do for God instead of just what God can do for you.  Here in this place called Westminster, in our board and committee work, we do share a common journey of asking more often what WE can do for God rather than what God can do for us.  I’ve seen and heard you learn more about praying and trusting God’s grace and what that might provide when we make ourselves available in new ways to see “signs” and even miracles that are in each day and each effort we make to be faithful with what we hear God asking of us in our ways loving God and our neighbors.

According to the gospel record of John, Jesus said to those listening:  “Don’t work for the food that spoils.  Work for the food that stays good always and gives eternal life.  The Son of Man will give you this food, because in him God the Creator has put power.” 

Personally?  This is difficult.  If I take this text to heart, then I really need to keep my priorities straight.  It means I need to see God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit as Source of Life and I will have what I need to live the life I’m called to.  It means that in this community of faith—you and me together —WE will see and experience God, Jesus and the Spirit as our collective Source of Life and we will have what we need to do the work we’re called to do through Westminster and in Spokane.  It is possible to get stuck or hung up on what we don’t have instead of what we do have in the way of doing what it is God is asking us to do in this place.

John writes that the people asked Jesus, “What are the things God wants us to do?”  Those folks seemed to have a beginning understanding that what they had been doing, how they had been living, was not exactly what God had in mind, so it’s fair they asked what God expected from them?

Jesus answers them, “The work God wants you to do is this:  Believe the One God sent.”  What?  Believe the ONE God sent.  In other words, believe in Jesus and his teachings, believe in his actions.  When Jesus tells the disciples and those listening that they can do the work at hand of teaching and healing, we’re to do that?  Oh, wait.  We’re to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give something to drink to those who are thirsty, visit those who are sick or in prison, take care of one another. 

If Jesus was sent to do the work of God, and if we are to do likewise—if we make efforts to learn more about what it means to love God with everything we have—body, soul, spirit, mind, will and emotion—then we can’t help but learn about what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves.  We can’t help but to answer the prophet Micah’s call to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.

The lesson in this is another opportunity to experience the teachings of Jesus and the way he lived his life, the very work of God … the same work of God that feeds our own souls, that gives satisfaction no amount of bread or food can give.

I can admit to you that I’m always looking for more … not necessarily more to do, but more satisfaction in knowing that what I do makes a difference, that the doors opened were opened enough, that there is always room for more conversation about the hope, the peace, the longing to know God loves me … that God loves us.  The story this morning tells us the people wanted more.  They wanted more signs that Jesus was who he said he was so that they could believe.  More signs?  He had just fed a sizable crowd with so very little resources!  He had been healing people who couldn’t walk or hear or talk. And still they wanted more? 

Of course they did.  For every sign the people had seen, for every miracle Jesus had performed, the people wanted or needed at least one more to prove that the one before it was true and genuinely a miracle or a sign that Jesus was of God.  We’re just like them.  I have a need to ask for a sign and then I have the guts to ask God to prove it again through another sign because I have in mind how the first sign should have looked or been experienced. 

And God has grace enough to give us signs—more signs to still read the sacred texts and to look again more closely at the words of Jesus to see how we can be a part of the signs and miracles of God loving others through our learning and our efforts.  We will always need signs.

Jesus told the people then and we read the words now, “I am the bread that gives life.  Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

In our experiences as a faith community we have signs and miracles of water used for baptisms, and of bread and cup to remind us of a meal that satisfies any who will come.  May these elements bring us God’s presence to us today.  May Jesus as the Bread of Life be sign enough for us as we move forward on our faith journey, learning to believe in the one God sent.  Amen.