John 6:24-35
For the next few weeks we will be concentrating on this theme of Jesus being the bread of life. There is a choice we can make with this. We can skip around from the Old Testament to the Epistle reading and ignore why the lectionary has brought us here for so long or we can mine the depths of each passage hoping to find some theme we can individually bring out. The thing is this doesn't get us to really take a look at what we are in, or that we seem to be pulling at the same thread throughout John's gospel. The only way we can truly walk with this passage is to be intentional about it. It is taking up a practice, much like we are doing with exploring St. Benedict's rule. In this spirit we may find exactly what we are meant to from this passage and these next few weeks.
John's gospel is full of symbolism. If we pay attention to the signs we may hear in it what the writer was trying to tell the audience, us. So we will pay attention to the things which John is setting before us. First of all there is the crowd. They were fed as part of the 5000 and they are searching for Jesus. Who else searches for Jesus in John's gospel? (disciples, like Nathan, Nicodemus, his mother, the disciples again, the woman at the well) We are also supposed to make ties back to Moses here in this passage because of the manna and the feeding. People are equivocating the two miracles. All of these are pulling us toward the theme of belief.
Belief is a big theme in John's gospel. If you believe you will have living waters he tells the woman at the well. He tells Nicodemus that those who believe will be saved. In this those who believe will never hunger or thirst again. Belief is what we have been studying all week in Vacation Bible School.
Meg, the character in A Wrinkle in Time must believe in herself, faults and all. She finds at the end believing in the power of love is what is needed most to save the world from It or the darkness. This is another theme in John, the light in the darkness and the darkness can't overcome it.
What bread do we choose to eat? Do we really believe in Jesus? Do we give the bread that is life to others? This passage can get us to really think and puzzle over these questions, if we take the time to pick them up and look at them. I want to give us the space to really think about these questions.
What bread do we choose to eat? Do we turn to the scriptures at any other point in our week? Do we only get this on Sunday morning? Are we choosing to listen to the culture on TV or though social media too much? Do we choose the bread which gives life? These are all important questions to answer.
Do we really believe in Jesus? Is our life right now run on faith or fear? Do we trust God to be with us no matter what may come? Do we set our eyes on the things which are eternal, instead of what is only here and now?
Do we give the bread that is life to others? Are we kind? Have we reached out and done something for someone else? Do we give of ourselves or are we hunkered down saying there is not enough?
Being intentional means we wrestle with the questions which bubble up from reading a passage. Being intentional means we hear this passage again and again in new ways which sometimes lead us to more questions. Remember, don't be afraid to ask and answer. Don't be afraid to wander into other things which stop you and you have questions about. Don't be afraid, believe.
Believing is not something we do to get rid of all obstacles, instead believing takes us to the place where we encounter our questions. Where we can examine ourselves and our life. Once we have done this we will find the bread we need for everyday living. Present to us in everyday, common bread.
For the next few weeks we will be concentrating on this theme of Jesus being the bread of life. There is a choice we can make with this. We can skip around from the Old Testament to the Epistle reading and ignore why the lectionary has brought us here for so long or we can mine the depths of each passage hoping to find some theme we can individually bring out. The thing is this doesn't get us to really take a look at what we are in, or that we seem to be pulling at the same thread throughout John's gospel. The only way we can truly walk with this passage is to be intentional about it. It is taking up a practice, much like we are doing with exploring St. Benedict's rule. In this spirit we may find exactly what we are meant to from this passage and these next few weeks.
John's gospel is full of symbolism. If we pay attention to the signs we may hear in it what the writer was trying to tell the audience, us. So we will pay attention to the things which John is setting before us. First of all there is the crowd. They were fed as part of the 5000 and they are searching for Jesus. Who else searches for Jesus in John's gospel? (disciples, like Nathan, Nicodemus, his mother, the disciples again, the woman at the well) We are also supposed to make ties back to Moses here in this passage because of the manna and the feeding. People are equivocating the two miracles. All of these are pulling us toward the theme of belief.
Belief is a big theme in John's gospel. If you believe you will have living waters he tells the woman at the well. He tells Nicodemus that those who believe will be saved. In this those who believe will never hunger or thirst again. Belief is what we have been studying all week in Vacation Bible School.
Meg, the character in A Wrinkle in Time must believe in herself, faults and all. She finds at the end believing in the power of love is what is needed most to save the world from It or the darkness. This is another theme in John, the light in the darkness and the darkness can't overcome it.
What bread do we choose to eat? Do we really believe in Jesus? Do we give the bread that is life to others? This passage can get us to really think and puzzle over these questions, if we take the time to pick them up and look at them. I want to give us the space to really think about these questions.
What bread do we choose to eat? Do we turn to the scriptures at any other point in our week? Do we only get this on Sunday morning? Are we choosing to listen to the culture on TV or though social media too much? Do we choose the bread which gives life? These are all important questions to answer.
Do we really believe in Jesus? Is our life right now run on faith or fear? Do we trust God to be with us no matter what may come? Do we set our eyes on the things which are eternal, instead of what is only here and now?
Do we give the bread that is life to others? Are we kind? Have we reached out and done something for someone else? Do we give of ourselves or are we hunkered down saying there is not enough?
Being intentional means we wrestle with the questions which bubble up from reading a passage. Being intentional means we hear this passage again and again in new ways which sometimes lead us to more questions. Remember, don't be afraid to ask and answer. Don't be afraid to wander into other things which stop you and you have questions about. Don't be afraid, believe.
Believing is not something we do to get rid of all obstacles, instead believing takes us to the place where we encounter our questions. Where we can examine ourselves and our life. Once we have done this we will find the bread we need for everyday living. Present to us in everyday, common bread.
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