“To Be Satisfied”
A sermon by Sid Burgess for Edgewood PC, Birmingham, AL
August 2, 2009
Text: John 6:24-35
Retired Presbyterian pastor and denominational leader Benjamin Sparks tells a story set in Asia during the great Christian missionary thrust of the 19th century. In those days many people flocked to the new churches in China and elsewhere because they were hungry, and needed rice to feed their families.
They converted, were baptized, joined the church and remained active members as long as their physical needs were met through the generosity of the congregation. But once their prospects improved and they and their families no longer needed rice, they drifted away from the church. Hence, missionaries called them ‘rice Christians.’1
In today’s gospel story, John the Evangelist tells a story about a crowd of folks we might call “bread Christians.” They were there the day before, on the other side of the lake, for the bread miracle--5,000 people, fed from a boy’s five barley loaves. The crowd tries to turn this ultimate “dinner on the grounds” into a political rally. John says they wanted to make Jesus king. But our Lord slips away, alone, to a mountain retreat. Later, in the dark of night, Jesus and the disciples are reunited on the waves of a stormy sea, and land in Capernaum. Meanwhile, back at the site of the impromptu banquet the crowd awakens to find that their “breadwinner” has eluded them. These folks--by now considerably less than 5K, I would guess--commandeer a couple of boats and give chase.
They apparently know they are onto something big. After all, if
Jesus can turn water to wine, as John says he did for he wedding at
Cana . . . . If Jesus can turn water to wine surely he can turn
Roman soldiers into Roman candles. If he can run the money changers
out of the temple, as John reports Jesus doing at the outset of his
ministry . . . .
If Jesus can send the money changers packing, surely he can drive
those greedy absentee landlords off the land. If he can multiply
loaves and fishes surely Jesus can make a dry and barren land
blossom with bountiful crops of fruit and grain.
So it is no wonder that these folks are reluctant to let Jesus out of their site. But they may just be one variation on the theme of Rice Christians. Perhaps, Miracle-bread Christians. We might know them all too well as Clubhouse Christians-- “church as clubhouse.” Or, Entertain-me, “Jesus rocks!” Christians. Or, “What-have-you-done-for-me-lately” Christians. But even never-miss-a-Sunday Christians, pledge-keeping Christians can become dissatisfied, disillusioned, distracted.
In the unlikely event there may be one or two such people here today . . . . On the off-chance that one or two of us might just be a bit unhappy, maybe just a bit frustrated with life as we know it--in the Church or outside the Church--Jesus offers these words of encouragement: “Very truly, I tell you,” Jesus says. “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.”
Food that endures. Food that will satisfy our insatiable appetites. A meal that will sustain us through the hectic days of our lives; the church, through the lean years; and, the nation, through economic recession. Where do we get it, Jesus, this “food that endures?”
Who’s got the menu? Are there coupons? Which store has it on special? Can you get it at the drive-in window? And, of course the key question of our age, do they take credit cards?
Not to worry, Jesus says. The food that endures now and forever, the Son of Man will give (to) you." Jesus says, I’m going to deliver to all who ask. And what’s more he says, I’m going to pick up the tab. This food that lasts is yours simply for the believing.
How beautiful are the words, how sweet the thought! But thank God for that bunch back in Capernaum. They are not reluctant to ask the tough questions. This mysterious, “bread” metaphor is just a bit too thin to slice! So they say, “Give us a sign, serve us a sample of this ‘food that endures.’” After all, Moses fed the folks for forty years and you, Jesus, have catered just one big meal. Give us a sign, the people insist.
Listen carefully as Jesus responds. There is bread--bread you can bake and butter and eat, warm and fresh, but never have enough of. And then there is bread--the bread which comes down from heaven, Jesus says, and gives life to the world. Gives abundant life to all of creation.
Think about it. Where do you think all of this came from? The bounty of God’s good creation. The forests and fields, the lakes and seas, the mountains and dry land. Where do all the trees and shrubs, the green grass and the ‘lilies of the valley?’ Every living creature, big and small? Your own life, and the lives of those you love? All of it, all of life, the good earth and the universe itself . . . . All of the above comes as a gift from Holy God. All of it, all of creation, is sustained by the air and water and food-- the bread from heaven--which gives life to the world. Not a one-time-only special. Not just a biblical miracle. Not just 40 days, or 40 years, but daily bread--daily sustenance--from heaven for 4.5 billion years and counting.
“Very truly, I tell you,” Jesus says, “it was not Moses who gave
you the bread from heaven, but it is--present tense--it is my Father
who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is
that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” What
an awesome sign! In our time, for all time. In our place, for all
places.
And it is yours for the believing! Yours for the believing that what
God has provided is enough--quite sufficient for all the teeming
masses of the world if we will only live simply so that others may
simply live. With this “bread. . .”--the innumerable, incalculable
gifts of creation . . . . With this “sign,” comes the work. All of
humanity has useful work to do: the Bible says humankind has all of
Creation to “keep and to till.” So long as we preserve and work and
share what we have, we shall have food to eat, water to drink, plus
friends and family to love and to be loved by. We shall have enough,
and so shall “they.”
And yet, many of us just cannot be satisfied. Just can’t get happy. We always want more. We have a restlessness that will not go away. We have food, but who wants to cook? Most of us have jobs, but all too often we feel overworked and underpaid. We all have family, but never, ever, enough love. We seek the Holy One of God, the Messiah, God’s anointed, and the best we can find is Church--the flawed faithful.
Something is surely missing here. There must be a loose connection somewhere. Jesus says, ‘God gives us bread from heaven.’ That is, the gift of life, and the resources to sustain life--all of Creation, in fact. What’s more, through Jesus, God gives us eternal life--relationship with God--life with God, which shall not perish. All of this is free for the believing. And even the believing is God’s gift, too, and not a goal for human achievement.
So, what’s missing? What is standing in the way of our happiness? Or, perhaps, who is standing in the way? Who’s blocking our view? Who’s hoarding this “bread of heaven?” Who’s holding us back from the abundant life Jesus has promised us in Holy Scripture?
I can’t say who might be standing in your way, but I caught a glimpse of my nemesis this morning. He was right there when I was trying to shave, starring back at me from the bathroom mirror. Now, he’s not all bad, this white-haired old man with glasses. He has his good points--I surely hope--but he never seems to be entirely satisfied. Never seems to have enough. Enough money, time, talent, and faith . . . . Never enough love, respect, or appreciation. My nemesis says whatever it is, it’s just not enough.
On a good day, I wipe the fog off the bathroom mirror, and then I see Jesus. I see him and I hear him reassuring me that, truth be told, I already have enough. I hear Jesus telling me that God has provided all that I need--and more. All of the gifts of Creation, for those who will keep and till the earth. Plus, rescue from preoccupation with self, and safe passage into the community of faith where life with God begins and never ends. Here in Christ’s church where the people of God eat the bread of heaven together and together--week by week, Sunday by Sunday-- learn what is means to be satisfied.
To Jesus Christ, who loves us
and freed us from our sins by his blood
and made us to be a kingdom, priests of his God and Father,
to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Rev. 1: 5,6
1 Sparks, O. Benjamin, “Pastoral Perspective,” John 6.24-35, FEASTING ON THE WORD, Year B, Vol. 3, p. 308.