Psalm 51 Deuteronomy 26:1-11 2 Corinthians 8:16-24 Luke 18:9-14
Sermon:
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
There is no captivity, there is no yoke, no bondage darker than the shadowy estate of slavery and the power that it has over men…
Yet, for every anguish of the spirit, for every deafening cry of the soul, there is an answer from our Lord, a God of liberty and freedom, that contends with the cause of His children and that strengthens and preserves them amidst their plight and struggle, amidst the challenges that overtake them and the hurt that burdens them, threatening to crush them under the weight of its bleak power. He hears the calls, the yearnings, the longing, and He responds with the force of His justice. “I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalm 118:5 and 6)
Here we come to that deep and abiding truth, we have had a God who, in His tender mercies, in His gracious precepts, has maintained the dignity of humanity and the integrity of life through His declarations of liberty through all ages, in all times. So much so has He stated the freedom of men, that He would give His only begotten Son, our Savior, Christ Jesus unto this world for the sake of freedom, setting to flight the bondage of sin, death and the Devil and its dark hold over us. Through the encompassing sacrifice of the Messiah we would find undeserved, unearned liberty that would wash us clean in the wonder working power of the blood of the Lamb.
]]>Psalm 53 Deuteronomy 13:1-11 2 Corinthians 7:2-16 Luke 17:20-37
Sermon:
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. Deuteronomy 5: 6-7
How important is the First Commandment? For many of us, it kind of gets jumbled up with the others of the first four commandments describing our duty to God, before we get to the seemingly more relevant ones, like not cheating or stealing or killing. But to God, it was so important that not only are we expected to die rather than submit to false gods, but we are also expected to fight to defend the community of faith against them.
In today’s Old Testament reading we see God warning the people of Israel against being tricked or seduced into the worship of false gods. He warns them that even if a person claiming to be a prophet produces miraculous signs but does so in the name of another god, that false prophet must be put to death. And even if those nearest and dearest to them try to lead them astray, they must put aside all pity and compassion and cast the first stone, putting to death any who would introduce false gods into the community of worship.
]]>Psalm 30 Deuteronomy 5:1-22 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 Luke 16:10-17
Sermon:
“And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire.” Deuteronomy 5:1-4
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen
I sometimes wonder…
I picture Moses standing there before the children of Israel, in his hand the Law handed to him by God at the heights of Sinai, and just find myself wondering. What must have he had been thinking?
Even now he had to be a million miles away from where he had thought he would be in his life, a million miles away from anything he had thought possible or planned for the days of his life. He stood before a people he was called to deliver, a people he had just lead from the land of Egypt, from the only place they had known, a land where their fathers and their fathers had been slaves, for generations abiding in the brutal captivity of the Pharaoh’s whip. It was the only life any of them had ever known, the only life they seen for themselves and their children. Now though he took them into the desert, he had parted the seas by the hand of God and stood at the front of the ranks of the now nomadic tribes.
]]>Psalm 119:25-48 Deuteronomy 4:32-40 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17 Luke 15:1-2, 11-32
Sermon:
When the movie Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, came out on DVD, my youngest son was repeatedly warned that he was not allowed to watch it, that it was too scary for him and he would have nightmares. He promised he wouldn’t, not even if my older kids rented it and saw it. But sure enough, one night when they rented the DVD and were watching Sweeney Todd turn his victims into meatpies, my son was hiding behind the couch, watching every gory detail. And sure enough, he had nightmares for weeks, and my older children would tease him by sneaking up behind him and shouting “Meatpies!” at him. When I took him to get a haircut before Christmas that year, he ran screaming out of the salon, crying that he didn’t want to be made into a meatpie. Needless to say, he has never lived that down, and every time he goes in for a haircut now, the stylist laughs and reminds him of that incident, that was funny for her but embarrassing for him.
This is a relatively small incident, but then my son is only 7 years old, and faces a long lifetime in which he will make his share of poor choices and suffer regrets, hopefully none more serious than this, but almost certainly they will happen. And no matter how far he will think that he has put them behind him, they will have a way of sneaking up on him and coming back to haunt him, just as they do for all of us.
]]>Psalm 114 Deuteronomy 4:9-14 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 Luke 14:25-35
Sermon:
“And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, if any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.” Luke 14:25-30
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
It is a high cost… it is a heavy price and a deep burden…
Having seen the signs and the wonders performed in the miracles of the Lord the people, they followed Christ, longing to touch a corner of his robe or to have his eyes look upon them and see them. Many of them lost and confused, hurt and afflicted, suffering amidst pain and sorrow, the searched for a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.
Then would come this rabbi, this son of a carpenter from Galilee, born of meager estate in Bethlehem. They would watch as he would heal the sick, as he would feed the masses with nothing more than a few loaves of bread and some fish, as he raised the dead as they laid waiting to be taken to their grave, the tears of sorrow filling the eyes of those who loved them. Never had they seen anything quite like this before, never had their eyes beheld such wondrous things as this young man did. Nor could perhaps understand why he, despite the miracles he performed, would not seek honor and glory for himself.
]]>Psalm 22 Ruth 4:1-17 1 Timothy 5:17-25 Luke 14:1-11
Sermon:
When we last saw Naomi and Ruth, the two women were at the low point of their lives: Naomi’s husband and sons were dead and she was left destitute in a foreign land; Ruth’s husband, one of Naomi’s sons, had left her a widow without a child to carry on the family name. Left with nothing but their love for each other to sustain them, Naomi and Ruth travel back to Israel where they will have to depend on the kindness of their neighbors to keep them from starvation.
Tonight, however, we get to see the happy ending to this story, but before we can do that, we must endure some suspense. In chapters 2 and 3 of Ruth, an important character enters the scene: Boaz, a rich relative of Naomi’s late husband. Boaz shows his kindness to the two women by letting Ruth glean in his fields during harvest time, so that she might be able to provide for herself and Naomi. Gradually this sense of compassion grows into something more, and as tonight’s reading begins, Boaz is ready to marry Ruth, not only out of a sense of duty as her kinsman-redeemer, but out of a deep and abiding love.
]]>Psalm 13 Ruth 2:14-23 1 Timothy 3:1-16 Luke 13:18-30
Sermon:
“And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke 13:22-24
Grace, mercy, and peace from God, our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
He would come to save all of fallen humanity. He would suffer humiliation, affliction, torture and torment, living and dying for the sake of all of our sins, all of our transgressions and iniquities, making us pure and holy, redeemed and righteous in the eyes of the Lord God Almighty. After all “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Yet, despite the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, despite his all encompassing sacrifice, despite the fact that he would come for the salvation of all, not all will stand before the throne in the last days and be judged as clean, washed in the precious blood of the lamb. It is, as we read in our Gospel text today, a narrow door, a strait gate, to which, in those final days of that resurrection, many will try to enter into and not all will be able to.
]]>Psalm 4 Ruth 1:1-18 1 Timothy 1:1-17 Luke 13:1-9
Sermon:
Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.* Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1
For Naomi, it must have seemed as if God had completely abandoned her: her husband dead, her sons dead with no children of their own, and their two young wives to provide for. Besides the personal grief of seeing her family devastated, she now faced an unenviable future as a penniless widow in a strange land, reduced to begging or starvation.
But as bad as this was, it was a fate that was common enough for women of her day, and which at her age she probably wouldn’t have to endure long before she joined her family in death. What particularly grieved her was the fate of her two daughters-in-law, young widows who had lost not only their beloved husbands but all chances for future happiness. Under the law of Moses, if they remarried, their first son would be considered the child of their dead husband, so that his name would not forgotten nor his line become extinct. Few men would be willing to marry them under these circumstances even if they were wealthy heiresses; as destitute beggers, their chances of finding a new husband were virtually zero.
]]>Psalm 141 Isaiah 66:1-6 2 Timothy 4:1-8 Luke 12:32-48
Sermon:
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Matthew 25:1-13
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
Waiting…
Longing and waiting…
In the earliest days of the church the difficulty wasn’t the martyrdom, it wasn’t the suffering that could be inflicted by men or by the forces of this world. For these things too should pass. Though, as the stones hit against St. Stephen, there was little doubt that pain gripped his body; though, as the wooden nails ran through the hands and the feet of St. Peter and St. Phillip, there was little doubt that pain shot through every inch of their flesh; though, as the bare steel of the sword ran through St. Paul’s body, he could feel the life drain from his body; it wasn’t death that they feared. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21).
On that day of their death, though the work they could have done amidst the world for the glory and the sanctification of the Lord in praise for His great mercy and love, as they spread the gospel message of Christ Jesus, was done, they would be once more in the presence of the Lord, amidst the Saints and the Apostles, the Prophets and the Disciples that went before them. On that day they would join the Savior standing before the throne of God in Paradise.
No, the true difficulty laid in the waiting and the longing for that day of Christ’s glorious return.
]]>Psalm 130 Daniel 3:1-18 2 Timothy 2:14-26 Luke 11:53-12:12
Sermon:
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Luke 12:4-5
For most of those present, it must have been an easy decision: fall down and worship the statue or be thrown into the fiery furnace. It’s not surprising then, that as we read in the book of Daniel, that “as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.” (Daniel 3:7)
All except three faithful Jews brought to Babylon as prisoners but now raised to positions of authority in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused the King’s order and were brought before him to face their doom.
]]>Sermon:
“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107:1-8
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
Life, amidst this world, is hardly an easy experience at times…
For the children of Israel this was no exception. They wandered… nomadic, with no home to call their own, they wandered through the desert, the tent their shelter, their possessions whatever they could carry with them. Even when they had found for themselves a land that seemed to welcome them in, it was not long before the generations passed and the lives of their fathers were forgotten. Under the task masters’ whip they found themselves, beaten and wounded, used as slaves to build the cities for the honor of Pharaoh.
Finally delivered from the hands of that cruel fate, once more they would find themselves wandering. Forty years in the desert, the wind and the sand beating against them, the fear of hunger and starvation, thirst and dehydration weighing on them.
]]>Psalm 46 Isaiah 40:28-31 Revelation 7:9-17 John 11:21-27
Sermon:
In the ancient Greek epic The Odyssey, there is a riveting scene where Odysseus, anxiously trying to find his way home after ten years of war and ten years of wandering, meets the spirit of Achilles, that great warrior killed at the end of the Trojan War, in the midst of Hades. It is a painful encounter, with Achilles surrounded by the spirits of those brave men who gave their lives in that conflict, once in the flower of their youth and strength, now mere wraiths wandering eternally, as if in a bad dream from which they can never wake. Achilles sums up his unhappy existence to Odysseus: “I would rather be the lowest slave among living men instead of a King among the Dead.”
If this were all our brave men and women who have given their lives for our country had to look forward to, it wouldn’t be much of a reason to celebrate their memory every year as we do today on Memorial Day. It would be kinder to let them be forgotten, to let their families forget their faces rather than picturing them wandering as disembodied ghosts for all of eternity. If that version of the afterlife was true, then there truly would be nothing worth sacrificing one’s life for, since it would all end in futility and hopelessness.
]]>Psalm 91 Ezekiel 1:28-3:3 Hebrews 4:14-5:6 Luke 9:28-36
Sermon:
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Ephesians 4:11-13
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
For Ezekiel it had to have been a frightening thought…
In the quiet of his surroundings a voice would cut through the darkness and speak to him. He would be called by the Lord to go forth into the land to preach and teach the Children of Israel, to call back a rebellious people to the God of their Fathers, the God that delivered them from the hands of their captors and their slave masters. Though he knew the Lord and that the power of His might was great, it had to be an overwhelming task to him.
]]>Psalm 79 Leviticus 25:33-55 James 1:1-15 Luke 9:18-27
Sermon:
When I was a teenager I was constantly arguing with my mother. Many times I would think confidently that I was ahead until I would make the mistake of asking Why? one time too many. Then she would roll out her heavy-duty discussion-ending ultimate appeal-to-authority answer: “Because I am your mother, who carried you in my womb for nine months and went down to death’s door to deliver you. That’s why.”
Although I would roll my eyes at this dramatic account of my coming into the world, it did have the desired effect of reminding me that whatever disagreements I had with my mother, she had done something for me that, combined with her continuing love and care, demanded my trust and respect and obedience.
We see something similar in today’s Old Testament reading. When God commands the Israelites to treat the poor and enslaved among them fairly and humanely, He reminds them that He is the Lord God who brought them out of Egypt into the Promised Land, a summary version of the events of the Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea, His continuing love and care throughout the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. God reminds His people of these events to show that He is not commanding them out of caprice or as a tyrant, but as someone who proven Himself worthy of their trust and respect and obedience.
]]>Sermon:
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” The Epistle of St. James, Chapter 2, Verses 14 through 18
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
Faith without works is dead? What does that even mean? We are told in St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians that “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” So then why… Why would we somehow come to believe that faith without works is dead? After all, it is not by our works that we are saved, no man’s deeds alone can earn for them their eternal salvation. This can only come as a free gift of grace from God through the power of His Spirit calling us to the cross of Christ.
Amidst our Gospel lesson today, we hear the answer, “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have..”
]]>Psalm 49 Leviticus 19:1-18 Colossians 1:24-2:7 Luke 6:27-38
Sermon:
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28
Throughout the Scripture readings for today, we see a strong theme of justice, of living rightly with our neighbors. In the passage from Leviticus we see God spelling out the details of the Law that was handed down at Mt. Sinai, the details that would make Israel a nation which would glorify the Lord by its righteous behavior.
In this passage we see that God truly knows the hearts of men and closes several of the loopholes through which fallen human nature would attempt to wiggle. The general principal is given: for example, do not steal. But then He gives specific rules for those situations which He knew some men would consider gray areas: do not defraud your neighbor, do not cheat your workers out of their wages. Do not show favoritism to either the rich or the poor, but judge fairly, based on the truth, not on social status.
]]>Psalm 9 Daniel 4:19-27 1 John 3:19-4:6 Luke 4:14-30
Sermon:
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2 Peter 2:1-3
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
Test the Spirits…
Amidst our ranks, amidst our numbers there will always be false prophets, false teachers who take up the word of the Lord, the Gospel of Christ, and use it not as that liberating, binding force that frees us from our captivity to sin and offers us the freedom of the soul that comes through salvation but rather as a means to their own ends. Ambition, self interest, wealth, they guide the steps of those who walk down not a path of righteous but a road of iniquity seeking to manipulate the faithful to follow them for their purposes and their gratification.
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]]>Yet, amidst the flock, there are thieves and wolves, seeking to steal us away, to lead us unto the slaughter, claiming that they are our Shepherd, that they know what is best for us and what we need. They use cunning words and clever strategy, claiming they speak for the Good Shepherd, yet while perverting His word, seeking to lure us away without even a second thought about it.
Each of us, we must be guided by the word, we must not give in to false doctrine or false teachers, we must seek God’s will and to walk in His path, to learn of Christ and to know the Spirit. This that we may be prepared for this false shepherd’s who serve not God’s way but their own.
Readings:
Psalm 128 Jeremiah 25:30-38 Romans 10:14-21 John 10:1-18
Sermon:
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:9
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus gives us our most beloved image of Him, that of the Good Shepherd, who is willing to lay down His life to protect His sheep. It is easy to picture Our Lord searching for the lost sheep, or carrying the injured lamb on His shoulders, bringing it safely home. We are reminded of other famous shepherds in the Bible: of Moses leading his flock to water in the desert before hearing the voice of God in the burning bush, or David killing the lion and the bear threatening his sheep. We are told in Psalm 23 that God Himself is our shepherd, leading us to good pasture and fresh water, His rod and staff defending us from attack.
We all know what a good shepherd looks like, and what he does, but what are the qualities of a good sheep? Not much is required, simply that they recognize the voice of their shepherd and follow him, not allowing themselves to be deceived by imposters.
]]>In God we have firm foundation, a refuge and a shelter that protects us from the troubles and the woes, the hardships and the challenges of this world. He is there for us always, in good times and in bad, and though we may find that things just don’t seem to go the way that we had hoped or planned, it doesn’t mean that He is not that rock of ages that we can anchor ourselves to, nor does it mean that He isn’t there.
Ever present, ever vigilant in our lives, He guides us and protects us throughout this world and the challenges that we face in it, showing His love, grace and mercy unto us, offer to us His salvation, a promise given unto all humanity even at the time of our first fall.
Trust therefore in the Lord and His plans for your life knowing that He will never fail you, nor will He forsake you. He will always be beside you to lead your spirit home.
Readings:
Psalm 107:1-32 Jeremiah 23:1-8 Romans 8:28-39 John 6:52-59
Sermon:
“Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. ” Psalm 62:1-6
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
It is on a solid rock that we, in our faith, must find our foundation, knowing that there we will find our strength and our salvation, that, as the waters of this world rise and the tides beat against us, we may know that we will have our refuge, protected by the love, grace, and mercy of our Lord through the power of His Holy Spirit.
]]>We may not hunger in that starvation that is felt by those in who live on the streets or those who live in those countries where there is not enough food to feed their people, we may not have to go to bed with a stomach still growling, looking for some form of sustenance. But spiritually we do live in a world where so often we abide in a spiritual famine where we crave the bread of life but, blindly, we do not see the manna from Heaven, God’s love and truth, mercy and grace, compassion and adoration for us, for what it truly is. Christ tells us that he is the spiritual bread of life, that those who feed on his salvations shall find their lives renewed but often times we do not see it for what it is.
Still, to find the peace and the comfort that we so desire we must seek that manna, that bread of life, that well spring of living water, that we may find our bodies and our spirits sustained, never thirsting or hungering or craving for that which will give us health and wellness of soul.
Trust therefore in the words and the promises of the Lord, look for Christ, meditate on His Word and seek, in all things, the Spirit, knowing that God will provide unto you all good things that you so need in your life.
Readings:
Psalm 119:121-144 Jeremiah 18:1-11 Romans 8:1-11 John 6:27-40
Sermon:
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35
Today’s Gospel reading continues the story of Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the 5000. The witnesses to this miracle correctly connect it to an earlier miracle in Israel’s history, God’s gift of manna to the wanderers in the desert. They mistakenly think, however, that Jesus has come to provide physical bread for them to eat daily, not realizing the spiritual significance behind the miracle.
It’s easy to see why they would be excited by this sign, and long for a Messiah who would never let them go hungry again. Throughout history, and to this day, bread is considered the “staff of life,” and the times of plenty are far outnumbered by the times of want. Whether because of war, or famine, or natural disaster, a majority of the world’s population finds nothing unusual in being hungry.
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