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Last week, I attended, as many of you did, the Alternative Worship at the Family Life Center. The theme was “Be On The Lookout”. I enjoyed the service, the music, and Rev. Mark Simone’s message. The gospel reading last week dealt with the story of the Loaves and Fishes, and then the disciples in the boat, on the rocky water, and Jesus walking across the water toward their boat, to calm them. For those of you who attended last week, you know that Mark sang the theme song from Gilligan’s Island. Rest assured, I do not have plans for any singing this morning. You should find great relief in that. However, I’d like to let you know that I did win a trivia contest many years ago which was based on “TV Show Theme Songs”, and Gilligan’s Island was indeed one of them. Only the instrumental was played, and I correctly identified that song, along with, if my memory serves me correctly, the themes from Get Smart, I Love Lucy, Gomer Pyle, The Brady Bunch, and the one that put me into the winners circle, McHale’s Navy. ………. But I digress.
Last week’s bulletin listed the coming week’s activities here at the Federated, and in the section for today’s service, it simply noted “Martine Scheuermann Speaks”. Isn’t that a surprise!
It has been my privilege over the past several years to participate in this Colorado Kids worship service; I served as a volunteer leader on this trip for fifteen years and “retired” from that role three years ago. I enjoy hearing about the trip and certainly am honored to be part of the service this morning.
THIS MORNING’S GOSPEL READING IS JOHN 6:24-35
(I am reading from the New International Version)
“Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the work God requires?” Jesus answered “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir, they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
As I took some time to study more about the writings of John in preparation for this morning, I learned that he used very simple, commonplace words: water, light, world, life, birth, love, truth. However, he used them in many cases with such depth that it seemed as though something always remains hidden. There is something to question, to ponder, to reflect on. In the case of the passage for today, we see the continued reference to “bread”.
Last week, we read the very familiar story of the Loaves and Fishes. There were witnesses to the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. Yet, these people did not grasp its meaning, nor did they come to have faith in Jesus as God’s Messiah. They were looking for Jesus. They were given a free meal, and they wanted more of the same. When they did find Jesus the next day, they asked “When did you get here?” Jesus does not reprimand them for seeking “free bread”, but instead tells them to work hard for heavenly bread. He is telling them that the “bread” which he offers is “bread” which he gives, not bread for which men work. Put simply, he tells them “stop working for the food that disappears and look instead for the bread which remains to eternal life….the bread which I give you”.
This seemingly simple comment from Jesus seems to be misunderstood by his audience. They think that Jesus is telling them to accomplish some particular work that will please God. That is why they ask “what must we do to do the works God requires?” They think that if they follow the guidelines and laws, they will earn God’s favor. They still think that Jesus is offering them some kind of literal bread, which they can eat and fill their stomachs, like they did at the feeding of the 5,000. So they quickly ask for a “miraculous sign”; they remind Jesus about their ancestors who ate the manna in the desert. They want more bread……they boldly say, ”Sir, from now on give us this bread.”
But, they have to figure it out. Jesus is making it very clear that he is speaking of “spiritual bread”, and the HE is the bread of life and anyone who comes to him will never be hungry and anyone who believes in him will never be thirsty. He created physical bread when he fed the 5,000; he met their physical needs. Now he wants to meet their spiritual needs. They have to figure out that Jesus is where eternal life comes from.
Many Jews believed that the Messiah would renew the rather miraculous manna that their ancestors had eaten under Moses. However, rather than telling them that would be repeated, Jesus challenges the people then, and us today, to seek the better, more challenging meal ---- himself.
The claim and promise of Jesus is something that we can’t find anywhere else. That is why choosing Jesus as The Bread of Life is a difficult decision. There are many opportunities around us to find other breads…phony bread. That might be our work, our material possessions, our concern about what others think of us, among other things. In the end, all of those things spoil. They don’t endure to eternal life. Only Jesus gives that bread that satisfies the deepest needs that we have.
The claim and promise of Jesus forced people to think. Jesus wanted them to make the leap from thinking in a physical sense to thinking in a spiritual sense, and he wants us to do the same. This comes with some strings attached, though. We have to come to Jesus and believe in Jesus. We have to turn on our minds, our will and our hearts. We have to commit ourselves to Him. Our actions need to support this commitment.
Since we will very shortly be invited to the communion table, it seems fitting that we take some time to reflect a bit on this passage from John. John recounts the interaction between Jesus and his disciples where Jesus indeed lets us know that He is the Bread of Life.
We are challenged to seek the Bread of Life, not, I think, in the literal context of bread or nourishment for our bodies, but for spiritual nourishment.
I would venture to guess, no, I think I could guarantee, that each person who went on this year’s Colorado Trip, along with hundreds who have made the trip over the past 18 years, learned exactly what Jesus meant when He said He was The Bread of Life. Maybe the spiritual nourishment you gained on this trip came in the form of a kind word of encouragement from someone in the group who noticed that you were struggling on your hike. Perhaps it was a welcoming smile or a gesture of holding the door open for someone at a Flying J rest stop or at McDonald’s. For others, it might have been a letter or card that you read during solo time, or a study of a particular bible verse or something absolutely breathtaking in the beautiful surroundings of the Collegiate Peaks in Colorado; any of those may have caused you to deeply reflect on Jesus. Each of you has learned what John was conveying in this morning’s reading. “Jesus said to them……it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven to eat.”.
Not only is it important that we seek the Bread of life……After all, Jesus has told us, “whoever comes to him will never be hungry”……….. But, I believe, we must also strive to share the Bread of Life with others.
I wonder how each of us might feed each other? Through our acts of love and kindness, through our prayer and support, through our witness of God’s love in our life? I think those are just a few of the ways we can do this. This Federated Church Family of which we are all a part has been faced with some transition recently and we are still working through it. How can we, in the midst of this transition, stay focused on The Bread of Life and help to feed each other?
LET US PRAY
Dear God, thank you for the experiences you have provided to this year’s Colorado Kids and their advisors. May they know and understand that you are truly the Bread of Life. We ask that you guide them as they take their Colorado journey forward into their individual lives, lives that can sometimes seem to be filled with “phony bread”, and move them toward a deeper relationship with and belief in you. We ask that you are with each of us gathered here today; may we also know and understand that you are the Bread of Life. Please guide us and challenge us so that we can share the Bread of Life and feed each other. In your name, we pray. Amen.