Messages, Meditations, and Musings on the Life of Faith by Rev. Dr. Scott E. Olson, Interim Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church, Preston, MN

Sunday, August 12, 2012

"The Bread of Life, Part 2" Sermon Pentecost 11B (Lect. 19)

“The Bread of Life
Pentecost 11B (Lect. 19)
August 12, 2012
John 6.35, 41-51

“I am the bread of life,” Jesus says, “… the living bread that came down from heaven … and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Today we have the third in a series of five readings from John 6 in which Jesus explains his mission from God using the metaphor of bread. Last week we explored what Jesus means by being the bread of life, discovering that Jesus is God’s revelation to humanity that assures us of God’s provision to give us what we need. Today we are going to chew on the second half of Jesus’ statement, what he means by living bread.

The crowds are still following Jesus as they did since Jesus fed 5,000 of them with five loaves and two fish. But, through his use of the word Jews, John signals there are some who are not on board with who Jesus is and what he is doing. “Jews” is the term John uses for those who resist Jesus’ message, most often applied to the religious leaders of the day. They can’t get their heads around who he is and are going to become particularly upset as Jesus unpacks what he means by giving his flesh. There has been no small amount of discussion among modern readers about what Jesus means here by giving his flesh. Does flesh refer back to John 1, the incarnation, where the Word became flesh? Is flesh a sacramental reference to Jesus’ real presence in Holy Communion? Or is the flesh he gives suggests his crucifixion on the cross, the ultimate sacrifice? I think the answer is, “Yes.” Jesus is referring to all three.

When we think of Jesus’ promise of life, we often think in one of two directions. First, we think that Jesus promises to give us more of what we have right now, and perhaps much better. He gives us the “good life” on steroids. Second, we think that Jesus is talking about life after we die. However, a careful reading of John, not to mention the other Gospels, shows us that the life Jesus promises is not more of the same or something off in the future. The abundant life Jesus brings is fundamentally different and right now. It is true that Jesus promises us resurrected life, but that promise has meaning for us today, not just at some unknown future.

Perhaps two negative examples, which show why Jesus’ kind of life is so important, will help us get a handle on what this means for us. The first example comes from within our own ranks, those who call themselves Christians. We can’t hardly pick up a newspaper or turn on a TV without seeing Christians who attack people of other faiths, or even groups within their faith, with messages that are oppressive and downright hateful. We have Christians picketing the funerals of fallen soldiers while hurling epithets. Aside from the fact that very little love is being expressed, you have to ask, is this real life?

The second example comes from Andrew Root, professor at Luther Seminary, who is an observer of current culture and society. Root observes that it used to be that our identity came from what we did, our occupations, and the roles we filled. However, more and more, peoples’ identities are coming from what they consume, such as cell phones, computers, and all things “i.” This goes far beyond materialism or consumerism, which are problems in and of themselves. But, because of the rapid pace of technological change, our identities can’t keep up. We are always buying trying to hold on to who we are as it keeps slipping away.

I think that the true, abundant life Jesus brings is the presence of God that helps us be the kind of people that God intends us to be, a people who are called to love God and love what God loves. True life is given to us by asking what God is up to in our world and how we can join that work. True life is found in using the gifts that God has given us so that we can give ourselves away for the sake of others. True life comes from serving those in need, as some of our young people discovered this past week as members of CSI-Mankato, Christ’s Servants Involved. True life comes from an identity as a child of God who, because of God’s love, is able to share the love of God with others.

God gives us glimpses of this new life here and now. God gives us both a foretaste of that new life and strengthens us for it in the living bread of Holy Communion, Jesus’ flesh for us. Next week, we’ll talk more about Jesus’ invitation to the table, but for now, we eat for life. Where is God showing you the new life available right now in Jesus? Come and be fed with the Bread of Life. Amen.

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