2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a; Psalm 51:1-13; Ephesians 4:1-16;John 6:24-35
Foodis one of the basics of life and it is our earliest experience of interdependence. Have you ever noticed the miracle of the bondbetween mother and baby at feeding time. It is one of the most intimate of human interactions. There in the mother’s arms resting is the helplesschild dependent on her mother, who gives of herself for the needs of the baby. The mother was serving as both nourisher and asnourishment. This bond of parent andchild grounded in basic needs, is the beginning of a bond that will surely growand mature through the years. Our lives beginand continue in an ongoing wrestling with in an insatiable need for sustenance,and the obvious reality of our utter dependence on others for that sustenance.
Today, we tend to forget that we are notindependent islands, we must rely on others. It takes many hands, many people to plant, grow, harvest, prepare,package, deliver, and sell all that we eat. The USDA reports that we eat about a ton (1,966 lbs) of food perindividual, per year. What would it belike if each of us really had to plant, cultivate, and harvest our own sustenanceeach year? Consider that the next timeyou drive down 776 on your way home, as you witness the plethora of fast foodoptions, seafood bistros, and Publix/Sweetbay’s/and Winn Dixie’s. It is hard for us to imagine that obtainingour daily bread involves more, much more than merely making a five minute stopby the local Wal Mart bakery department.
Thefolks who got into the boat and went to Capernaum seeking Jesus were lookingand hoping for their daily bread. Whocould blame them. Filling their empty stomachsin those days, did not include a quick order at the McD’s drive-thru, a little stopat the local grocer, or a night out at the local seafood house. Working for their food was a natural part of everydaylife and this new rabbi was giving out free lunch. Naturally, these new followers wanted to stickclose to Jesus. The unfortunate part of this story, is that theyfollowed Jesus not because, the recent miracle was a sign for them to strengthentheir faith in who Jesus was and the life he offered. They had already seen that sign in themiracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 and yet, they followed him because of theirown personal needs, their empty tummies, and the food Jesus was giving out freeof charge.
Wehave to be a little cautious as we read this story because, it is easy for us tocondemn these folks for their supposed self-serving discipleship. We might say, “c’mon you need to follow Jesusbecause he is the Son of God, the Messiah, the promised one; you need to have ahigher and loftier reason for following him.” Caution, there is more to this story. I believe their need for physical sustenance and the need for spiritualfeeding went hand-in-hand. Jesus knewabout their basic needs for food, air, and water. Jesus knew those hunger pangs pretty well andthus, he had compassion on the crowd and so he fed the multitude.
I amnot convinced that Jesus was chastising these folks. I think he was saying, yes I will feed yourbody and at the same time, I will feed your soul, are you ready to feast? I think the challenge to these unlikelyfollowers and we the followers of Jesus today, is we need to get spiritually hungry again. When was the last time you were hungry; Imean really, hungry? Following Christ goesbeyond satisfying our own personal physical needs. Being fed by the bread that never perishes involvesour deep connection to Christ in his accepting, reconciling, and restoring grace. It is only in Christ that our deepest hungercan, and will be fulfilled.
If weare honest with ourselves and each other, we all come here each week withhunger pangs. Whether, we come to this placeseeking the presence of God, seeking to be filled through a sense of feeling good,or just seeking, coming to the table uncertain why we come at all, we all comehungry. We all come expectant, and yet, we may have inthe past, come to the table and left disheartened without witnessing the miraculoussigns of God’s grace all around us. Maybewe have come seeking a miraculous sign of grace in an uplifting song, aninspirational message, or something else. Maybe the bread we seek, the sustenance of grace that we are offered, canonly be found in the miracles of the shared lives of these folks who aresitting beside us. Look around, we are gatheredtogether as a community of the Spirit. Weare gathered together all seeking to be fed. We are gathered together as beggars, who are showing other beggars whereto find bread. We all come hungry and I believe we can all cometo the table expecting a miracle and we can be assured, the miracles of God’s sustenanceabounds, beyond our imagination.
Miraclesstill happen and billions are being fed every day. The miracle of Jesus feeding body and soulhappens in some of the most unexpected places and in the most unexpected ways. A friend told me about such a feeding miraclethe other day. She was having lunch witha colleague in a local restaurant and as they finished their meal, her luncheoncompanion called the server over and said, “Jill, please bring me the salescheck for two tables back. Don’t tellthem who paid it and don’t tell them it was paid until I’ve left.” My friend was amazed by such a show ofgenerosity and hospitality, which her friend offered complete strangers. The server looked at my friend and said, “Oh,he does this at least two or three times a week.” In this miracle, there was no multiplicationof loaves or fishes going on here, but there was an abundance of grace presentthat day. There was also more than afree lunch being shared at that table that day. The luncheon companion of my dear friend was demonstrating how feedingthe body and giving unselfishly for the benefit of another, demonstrates howOur Lord feeds us spiritually.
Miraclesstill happen and billions are being fed every day. Lastweek our food pantry here at St. D’s was running low on a few particularitems. Knowing that we were fallingshort and that some of the people we served would have to go without, a groupof our pantry ministers gathered and prayed for God’s nurturing and nourishinggrace. The next day, something amazing happened. A miracle, I believe. An abundance of food arrived andunbelievably, there was just enough food, and we received exactly what wasneeded to re-stock our shelves. Do youknow what one of the most interesting things about this miracle that I found? The ministers prayed for nourishment, but notfor themselves. The ministers were interceding for others andnot themselves. They prayed for folks that they did not even know. There was more than a free lunch being sharedat that pantry that day. Our pantryministers were demonstrating how feeding the body, praying with intercession,and giving unselfishly for the benefit of another, demonstrates how Our Lordfeeds us spiritually.
The tableof grace, reconciliation, mercy, and abundance; isn’t that the table Jesus setsbefore us? Jesus is the food thatsatisfies our hunger and sustains our souls, not because our bellies are full, notbecause we are made to feel good, not because of the physical fulfillment ofthe day, which we surely receive. Jesusis the food that satisfies us, because we are fed by the one broken for us. In that meal, we are changed. Jesus is nourisher and nourishment and weall are brought together as one in that meal. The bread of life is not about filling our stomachs alone, it is about beingfilled so that we might feed others.
Jesus askedthe rock on which he built his church, “Simon do you love me?” The church’s rock replied, “Yes Lord, youknow I love you.” Jesus told the foundationof the church, “Then Feed my Sheep.” Jesus’admonishment of Peter, the rock, the foundation upon which he built the churchwas this, “feed my sheep.” We are thechurch. We are beggars who protest,“Lord, feed us!” Our cry needs toinclude, “feed us, so that we might feed All your sheep.” We need to take up our part in the miracle ofthe “bread of life.”
Wecan begin to understand discipleship when we recognize that we are mere beggars,called to show ALL other beggars, where to find bread.” It is through our common life together, dependenton each other , together dependent on God, that we will truly understand themiracle of God’s grace. Remember, if we leave here hungry this day, itwill not be because the right type of song was played, the best sermon waspreached, the best program was offered, nor the right people did or did notshow up. If we leave here hungry today,it will be because we failed to see the signs of the miracle of grace in thefaces, the face of Christ, found in our sisters and brothers ,seated here amongus, and the face of Christ we encounter in everyone we find out there on thestreets.
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