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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Get those PSA Blood Tests Done Boys!

I had a strange conversation a few months ago. I was lying back in a chair, naked from the waste down, holding a nappy over my bits while I waited for the skin under my bits to go numb enough from liquid nitrogen or some such thing, so that they could inject the local anesthetic and then punch a couple of holes through to the prostate. All in all a fun experience. And while I waited the nurse made small talk and asked what I did. "I'm retired", I replied. "Oh, what are you planning to do now you are retired? any travel?" "Turns out not" I said, "It seems I'm just keeping my dairy open for dealing with health things." And I am still keeping my dairy open and still dealing with them. This journey began last year. I was already dealing with two other things, including a lump in my parotid gland which has been slowly growing there for about 3 years. When I got back from being overseas on sabbatical my doctor called me in to talk about that an
Read more

What a Ride! - Thankyou and Goodbye!

Image
You can listen to this sermon here   Gate Pa - Ascension Sunday and Easter 7 Year B, 2024 Readings: Palm                            Psalm 1 First Reading:             Acts 1:1-11, 15-17,21-26                     Bible Page 884 Second Reading:        1 John 5:9-13                                       Bible Page 991 Gospel:                         John 17:6-19                                        Bible Page 879 What I want to say: A sermon to say thankyou -           To explore the process we are all going through – and that it is ok -           Use the ascension to invite us all to trust God in all this -           Offer some thoughts about what the future might be What I want to happen: People to embrace all that the liminal space might offer with thankfulness, hope and trust. The Sermon 1.      Introduction: Pancake Monday in 2012 – nearly 12 ½ years ago Bishop David Rice installed me as vicar of Gate Pa Telling everyone I didn’t know much about vicaring -          Outraged some
Read more

"Just Enjoy The Coffee"

I was just sent this on Anglicans All. Being a coffee enjoyer and a Franciscan I enjoyed it. I hope you do to: Even if you are not a coffee drinker...Have a good day!!!! A group of graduates, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain ,plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite, telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee, the professor said: If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the simple and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more ex
Read more