Sermon for John 6:56-69
August 27th 2006
Once there was this city slicker from Chicago who spent his vacation on a Dude Ranch in Wyoming. He want to appear as if he belonged in the wild west so he bought all the right clothes to make sure he would fit in. A day after he arrived, he was walking around with one of the ranchers and began to strike up a conversation---Hey, look at that big bunch of buffaloes.
The rancher replied, Not bunch, but herd.
Heard what, said the city slicker.
Herd of buffalo.
Sure, I’ve heard of buffaloes, there’s a big bunch of them right over there.
Ever had trouble getting your point across? In the gospel reading it seems that Jesus is having a difficult time in getting his point across. Is he getting it across to us?
I hope so, cause this is the 5th week in a row that we have been dealing with chapter 6 of John. That’s almost 10% of the church year spent on one measly chapter. It must be rather important. Wouldn’t you think?
John 6 marks the beginning of a new section in the 4th Gospel. This new section covers Jesus’ authority and relationship to God, Jesus’ ability to give life and judge, the consequences of faith or unbelief. Like I said, some rather important stuff. So this morning I would like to revisit chapter 6 of John and see if this time around Jesus can get his point across.
The second major section in John like the first section begins with a miracle in Galilee. Well it actually begins with two Galilean miracles—the feeding of the 5000—and Jesus walking on water—finally we have Jesus trying to teach them what they just saw.
I love the Gospel of John. I love how the story weaves the life of Jesus into a beautiful tapestry. It is no accident that if you look back to the first part of John where Jesus performs his first miracle you will see him changing water into wine. Now in the second part of John, Jesus performs the feeding of bread to a crowd of probably over 10,000. Remember, the 5000 were men only.
In both cases large crowds witnessed the ordinary turned into the extraordinary, and they happen to be the bread and the wine of the Eucharist, symbols of God’s gifts in Jesus. Providing not only our physical needs of food and drink but also the spiritual needs. Do we see and understand? If not, let’s continue.
Immediately following the feeding the disciples set out across the sea. They find themselves in a storm and then Jesus comes walking to them on the water and suddenly the disciples find themselves safe on shore. Once again turning the ordinary events of storms or chaos something extraordinary. Providing our physical needs for safe passage in this life and rescue from danger but also our spiritual needs. Do we see and understand? If not, let’s continue.
You see, on the surface there’s a lot to these two miracles, Jesus supplying gifts to meet the full range of human needs, but under the surface there is more, much more.
Think all the way back to Exodus where the Israelites were wandering around in the desert. They are hungry and thirsty, they grumbled and complained. God gives them water from a rock, and then bread from heaven. Jesus says I am the bread from heaven.
Then remember even before the desert. God controls the sea. He separates the waters and leads the Israelites to safe passage in a time of danger. Yet even after these miraculous events the people still grumble.
Jesus does the same thing. And when he approaches the boat, he calls out to the disciples, “I am—Do not be afraid!” What going on here folks?
Remember God’s name? Yahweh! Meaning I AM! Or actually I WAS, I AM, I WILL BE! Jesus here is claiming to be that same God. I am—Do not be afraid! This fact that Jesus is claiming to be God is a hard teaching, so hard that even the translators for the Bible translate the walking on water event as “It is I,” instead of I AM. But the Greek is clear what Jesus says, I AM---I am the same God that led your ancestors to safety. Do not be afraid. I am the same God that gave them bread in the wilderness. Take and eat.
Yet even then your ancestors died in the desert. I AM—the same God and now I offer you not only bread for your stomachs and rescue from danger, I AM God offering you bread that will keep you alive forever—ME! Take and eat! Over and over again throughout the gospel of John, Jesus makes this claim. I am the light. I am the life. I am the truth. I am the way! I am the resurrection! I am the bread that came down from heaven! I am God!
And we exclaim just like the crowd of 2000 years ago, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” So we grumble and complain. We ask for more signs like the crowd. And in the end, sadly enough most walk away not understanding or believing, like the crowds who even witnessed all these miracles, or worse yet we betray Jesus, like Judas with our actions.
And Jesus looks over at his disciples and ask, “Do you also wish to go away?” Peter responds with words we use as the introduction to our gospel reading, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Do you see and understand? If not let’s continue.
Let me see if I’ve got this right? The past 5 weeks we have been reading one single chapter of John in which Jesus is trying to get his point across. The point being that it is Jesus that supplies the bread and fish, or simply put, all physical human needs. The point being that it is Jesus walks on water, or simply put provides for our physical safety.
The point being that Jesus offers to raise us up on the last day and give to you and I eternal life, providing our spiritual needs and spiritual safety.
The point being that all this is possible simply by eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood. How is all this possible? Because Jesus is I AM! I am the bread from heaven. I am God! Yet our puny little minds tell us this is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?
Did I cover everything? Well, maybe not everything, cause I don’t believe anymore it is such a hard teaching. The Lutheran tradition is very clear in the teaching. One experiences Jesus/God through Word and Sacrament, and that is exactly what chapter six has been trying to get through our thick sculls.
Remember how I said John weaves a story like a beautiful tapestry? In the first chapter of John we are given a glimpse of the foretaste to come. It says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….And the Word became flesh and lived among us.” God is the Word. Jesus is God. The Word became Flesh. The Word became Jesus.
When we eat the bread from heaven, we are eating the flesh of Jesus, we are eating the Word. We take that Word of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus into our bodies, into our minds, into our hearts, into our soul, and we digest the Words we have eaten and Jesus becomes part of us.
We actually experience the real presence of Christ!
Again when you partake in the sacrament/the mystery of Holy Communion you are again actually receiving the real presence of Jesus/God into your being. That’s why I have a problem with churches that want to claim the Eucharist is simply a remembering what Christ has done.
I feel this teaching falls into the category of the crowds, claiming the real presence is a hard teaching. The real presence is not remembering the past. The real presence is the eating and drinking of Jesus’ flesh right now with all Christians and all who have gone before us.
How is this possible? I don’t know! I’m not God. Jesus is the I AM! Jesus is God, and since Jesus can change water into wine, feed 10000 people with 5 loaves of bread, and walk on water, then why do we doubt his words when it comes to the Word and Sacrament? Remember with God/Jesus all things are possible.
After all were else can we go? To whom shall we go to receive this kind of promise? Nowhere! No thing on earth can promise what Jesus claims. No religion other than Christianity can make this promise. Jesus alone has the words of eternal life.
The only thing left to figure out is who are the disciples and who is the crowd. Cause if what Jesus says is true, one would think that the church, especially the Lutheran Church with it’s teaching on Word and Sacrament, would be jammed packed, full the gills, people busting out the seams wanting to partake in the flesh and blood of Jesus, wanting to hear the Word and receive the body and blood of Christ.
If we believe what Jesus says is true, that all our earthly needs and heavenly needs have always been freely given to us through Word and Sacrament then, correct me if I’m wrong, would not the world be a better place than it is right now?
Would not people be less rude and mean? Would not people go out of their way to help another person? Would not people willingly give freely of their possessions, knowing they come from God, and Jesus promises to supply whatever needs may arise? Would not the people, especially the people in this congregation be willing to so anything and all that Jesus ask? After all, look at all he gives to you!
So did Jesus get his point across? Now do you see and understand? It is rather important. Don’t you think? This is not a hard teaching. Can you accept it?
The grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
