Note: This sermon was preached at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, Kitchener, at an annual joint Holy Eucharist on the 1st Sunday of August, using Lutheran liturgy and presider, and an Anglican preacher.
If you were paying attention last Sunday, you might noted that the Gospel reading had switched from the Gospel of Mark to the Gospel of John. We have been reading Mark almost exclusively since the beginning of Year B of the Lectionary on Advent Sunday last year. But, during Year B, the year of Mark’s Gospel, the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel is read on five Sundays in July and August. Similarly, in other years, readings from John are selectively interspersed into the readings from Matthew and Luke.
There’s are reasons for that. If you check what would have been read last Sunday if we had continued in Mark, you’d find the feeding of the multitude. But in Mark this is just one of a series of miracles, without explanation. In John the 6th chapter tells the same story (the feeding of the multitude of 5000), and then follows a long explanation in which Jesus relates this miracle to the Eucharist. In fact, much eucharistic theology is based on the 6th chapter of John. The Sunday readings are intended primarily for the Eucharist, hence John is read, instead of Mark.
But that leaves open the question of why 3 lectionary years, rather than 4, one for each Gospel. There is nothing mystical or deeply theological about the three year cycle. Other systems, the Canadian Book of Common Prayer for one, use a one year cycle, and there are other patterns also in use. I have not found any “official” explanation of the Common Lectionary (original or Revised) using 3 years rather than 4, one for each Gospel. I have my suspicion that it is to make reasonable sure that folks whose main biblical input are the Sunday readings get at least some notion of a proper Christology, a correct understanding of who and what Jesus is. Specifically that he is at once and equally both a fully normal human being, and the fully divine Son of God. And it is fair to say that our understanding of the humanity of Jesus comes mainly from the 1st three Gospels, and our understanding of the divinity of Jesus comes mainly from the 4th Gospel. (Mainly, though not exclusively.)
Think for a moment how we would envision Jesus, if our only knowledge came from John’s Gospel. I suspect we would think him as someone whose feet never quite touched the ground, and who never answered a straight question with a straight answer, but always came back with something that wasn’t quite fully responsive but also with much deeper meaning than the questioner really wanted. Not trying to be irreverent, but, a sort of 1st century Yoda – and the 1st three Gospels are the corrective antidote for that. And today’s Gospel illustrates that very nicely.
Last week’s Gospel was the feeding of the multitude. This week’s is a bridging passage between the miracle and Jesus’ explanation of it. And typically, the common folk are making common folk comments and asking common folk questions, and Jesus is giving not quite responsive, but deeply meaningful, and yes, theological replies. And those are just as valid today, in our world, as they were for the people of his time, and their world.
The setting is Capernaum, probably the synagogue. A crowd has followed Jesus after they were fed in the desert, and reading between the lines, what they really want is more food. When they catch up with Jesus, they don’t come right out and say that; they engage him in small talk. “Say, when did you get here?”, pretending surprise at the “coincidence” of seeing Jesus again so soon. But Jesus won’t have it. “You’re looking for me, but not because you saw my miracles and believe who I am, but because you want me to supply you with more bread.” Jesus is disappointed that they are interested in him only to satisfy their material needs.
Jesus is probably still disappointed today. It does not take much to notice that there is huge interest in the supposed by-products of Christianity; personal happiness, self-fulfilment, perhaps success, or health, often wealth. Much of what you see and hear on religious television has been called “the Prosperity Gospel”; the supposed good news that if you follow God’s rules (as interpreted by the TV preacher), and/or give money to God (by means of the preacher’s bank account), you will be happy, healthy, and wealthy! (A theologian friend, expert on religious television, calls what is sold there American civil religion, and that it has the unfortunate property of acting like a vaccination against the real thing.) Far fewer seem interested in the real thing, real Christianity, and its call for unreserved love of God, and an equally unreserved love of all people, with absolutely no reward promised; except possibly a cross. Jesus still offers humanity food that endures to eternal life, as he did at Capernaum, and humanity continues to seek food that perishes; possessions and power, satisfaction and happiness; wealth.
Once the crowd realizes that Jesus is not going to feed them, they change the subject. Perhaps he will teach them how to please God. “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” What do we have to do that will please God? What are the rules?
It’s a question that is still asked, and there are all too many ready with answers. Whether it is someone’s idea of moral or ethical behaviour, someone’s standard of proper Christian piety, or someone’s prejudice about the only way of experiencing Christian conversion and Jesus Christ, they are ready to tell us exactly what are the works of God; lots to give advice on how to earn God’s good graces. Some even have political agendas; vote for us and you will please God. And unfortunately, lots are willing to take the advice.
Jesus’ answer to the crowd’s question is just as valid today as then. There is only one work that is the work of God, and that is believing in the One that God has sent. And believing does not mean giving intellectual agreement in some academic way, it means acceptance of Jesus Christ with all one’s mind, and heart, and soul, and making Christ the most important thing in life. That is what is pleasing to God.
But that does not mean that nothing else will be done, that good works are not going to happen. If one genuinely believes in the one sent by God, then one cannot help but do good works. The kind of faith Jesus speaks about will always lead to action. But not to earn God’s favour, or to earn one’s way into the Kingdom. That action is a response in gratitude and love to what God has done for us in Jesus. It is an inadequate “thank you” to God for his incomparable good work in Jesus, it is a consequence of belief in Christ. And it has absolutely no expectation of reward.
That kind of unselfish, loving, thankful action is very difficult to carry out, but it is this kind of faith in action that Jesus asks. Without this kind of unselfish, loving, thankful service to others and the world, faith is dead, and a dead faith is not the faith asked by Jesus.
Well, by this time the crowd is fed up with Jesus. Not only will he not feed them, he will not even tell them what the rules of the new faith that he is trying to sell them are. Feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fishes is no longer enough, and so they ask Jesus for another sign, a really spectacular miracle, to prove that they should believe him. After all, Moses had fed their ancestors in the desert for forty years, and Jesus only fed them once. They were already followers of Moses, why should they now follow Jesus, after such a small miracle?
How universal and how timeless is the need of humanity to look for the spectacular in faith! How universal and how timeless is the need for proof that the god we are following is the right God! How universal and how timeless is the need to be certain of our faith – think about that for a moment!! And unfortunately, that usually leads some to following the latest charismatic preacher, or the latest religious guru who has done the market research and promises more than Jesus ever did; something that satisfies, leads to self-fulfilment, is enjoyable, makes sense! Unfortunately, that leads to having faith only if it produces results!
Jesus will have none of that from the crowd in Capernaum, or today. The bread that fed the people of Israel in the desert was not provided by Moses, but by the God. Now God is providing Jesus, the true bread from heaven. Jesus is all the world needs; no spectacular miracles, no proof ahead of time, no certainty. Proof and certainty come only after the risk of faith has been taken. Only for those who accept Jesus in faith, and live the life that Jesus asks, and do not look to Jesus to provide for their worldly needs and desires, will it gradually and slowly, over a lifetime of risky faith, become clear that Jesus is indeed who he claims to be.
So, do not labour for food which perishes, do not put earthly possessions ahead of spiritual values. Do not do good works to please God, but do works of thankfulness for what God has done for you in Jesus. And do not ask for miracles or proof that Jesus is the one you should follow, but trust the promise that he makes to you.
If you can take that kind of chance, if you are willing to risk all that you have and all that you are, with no promise of reward, with no rules except to love God and your neighbour, and with no proof that you are doing the right thing, then you may just find, slowly but certainly, that Jesus is the bread of life, that those who come to him do not hunger, that those who believe in him do not thirst.
Copyright ©2018 by Gerry Mueller.