Circling with John into the Bread of Life

Bonnie's sermon can be listened to here

For the last five Sundays we have circled around Jesus “the bread of life”. It began on Passover with Jesus feeding the 5000 in an outrageous act of uncalled for generosity. This whole section is set at Passover – the foundational celebration of God’s liberation of these once slaves – with the hope of liberation from the current oppressors; and of Moses’ role as their first great prophet, the law giver.

We have slowly walked from there to this week’s reading, circling around and reworking this story of feeding so many and God’s feeding mana in the desert. It culminates with “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”(vs 51) and that is just way too weird for a lot of those who had been following him enough to be called disciples. And most drift off back home, to their lives of longing and ???

Following Jesus can be hard work. Ask those first readers of John’s gospel. Persecutions, martyrdoms, ostracism. None of that was on the plan. They are wavering. Is this Jesus really worth all the bother? Too many had walked away and the future looked bleak. John is writing his gospel for those who have stayed but who wonder. This is a gospel of hope and encouragement. Jesus is the one in whom they should trust and shape their lives around. To know, to believe is to trust. Jesus is the bread that we are to gnaw at and shape our lives around. Jesus is the one who shows us our deepest longings and in an outrageous act of uncalled for generosity liberates us from all that enslaves us today.
“Where else shall we go? In Jesus we have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that he is the Holy One of God.” (vs 68 and 69).

Karoline Lewis[1] reminds us that this whole episode ends at verse 71 with the promise of betrayal. John leaves us in a space of confidence and doubt, faith and abandonment. She suggests this is the place of discipleship. She makes some great points.

I am not preaching this week so this is my only input on this weeks readings.


[1] https://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=5211

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