Sermon on John 6: 1-21

9^th Sunday a. Pentecost |  07/25/21 | Sermon on John 6: 1-21; 2 Kings4:42-44; Eph. 3:14-21 |  by Brad Everett |

The lectionary this Sunday presents us with two stories of miraculous feedings. The first is from the Old Testament and tells how a man from Baal-shalishah brought the first fruits from the harvest to the man of God, the prophet Elisha. This was an offering, not his entire harvest. Just a portion to honour God and God’s prophet, 20 loaves of bread and some ears of grain in a sack. But rather than use it for himself, Elisha instructs his servant to put the loaves and grain before the hundred people who were then gathered with him.

 

The servant hesitates—there isn’t enough food there to feed 100 people.  Elisha repeats his instructions but this time with the addition, the Lord has said “They shall eat and have some left.” So, whether it was a matter of obedience to Elisha or trust that God had really spoken, the servant did as he was told and the 100 ate, and there was even some left over—according to the word of the Lord.

 

The story from the New Testament is on a larger scale. Here, roughly 5,000 people followed Jesus to the other side of the sea of Galilee because of the healings he was performing. Knowing full well the miracle he was about to do, Jesus tests Philip and asks him where they might buy bread to feed the throng—probably because they were likely near Philip’s hometown of Bethsaida and he might know where bread could be found.

 

Philip doesn’t even bother with the question of where—looking at the crowd he raises the question of how? Even if they could find a place with that much bread, how would they purchase it? It would cost 200 denarii, roughly half a year’s wages to feed so many people, and he knew that even if the Lord and the disciples all pooled their funds at hand there wouldn’t be enough.

 

Another of the disciples, Andrew found a boy who had planned ahead and brought five small barley loaves and two small fish—but that wouldn’t feed the 12 let alone this mass of people.

 

Rather than argue the point or try to explain, Jesus instructs the 12 to have the crowd be seated on the grass. Leaving the small boy’s lunch with the Lord they begin to get everyone is settled. In language echoing the communion liturgy, John describes Jesus taking the bread and fish, giving thanks and distributing them to everyone seated. And not carefully rationing it out a portion to each, but giving as much as each one wanted, so they might eat their fill and be satisfied.

 

The meal ended, Jesus tells the 12 to pick up the fragments of the five barley loaves so none of it would be wasted. When they were done, there were 12 baskets full—just in case there was any doubt as to the miracle they could see the leftovers were more than what they started with. Further, the word used here for basket here describes the kind used to pack a lunch—so each of the disciples had enough to eat as well.

 

Note a couple of details that can be overlooked in these stories. First of all, the servant and the disciples were never expected to solve the problem of feeding the crowds on their own or to act on their own authority, but were simply asked to do as their masters instructed them.

 

Second, in both stories neither the servant or the disciples were asked to give up anything that was theirs—it wasn’t their food they were being asked to provide, but again just to do as they were instructed—putting the donated 20 loaves and grain in front of the 100 or getting the 5,000 seated.

 

Further, their questions and queries as to how this was all going to work out weren’t dismissed, but neither did they necessarily receive detailed explanations. Elisha simply told the servant what the Lord had said, and Jesus had the 12 prepare the crowd to receive what he had prepared for them.

 

Finally, it’s hard to say exactly why Elisha’s servant and the disciples obeyed their masters. There is nothing definitive in the text to indicate their motives—nothing that says they acted out of fear, simple obedience, habit, love, trust etc. Just that they did as they were asked and because of it God acted.

 

As we look at these texts and see ourselves and situations reflected in these passages, there is the clear sense they are calling us to greater obedience to Jesus—to be willing to do whatever he asks simply because he has asked. Which, to be fair, can seem overwhelming (‘oh my goodness what is Jesus going to ask me to do? How will I ever manage?’ And then we go down the rabbit trails of all the things Jesus might ask, and all the ways we just know we couldn’t ever do any of what we are imagining, all the while overlooking the basic fact that all this is pure speculation as Jesus hasn’t even made a request at this point.)

 

But today’s reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians gives us some deeper perspective. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers (and all believers for that matter) is that we might be we might be strengthened in our inner being, with power through the Holy Spirit, and that Christ dwell in our hearts through faith as we are rooted and grounded in love. That we may have the power to comprehend the breadth, length and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge that we might be filled with the fullness of God.

 

Or in less poetic, more direct language, that the Holy Spirit might help us to grow in our knowledge and experience of the love of Christ. Not that we will ever understand or comprehend it exhaustively, but that we would as much as we are able under the guidance of the Spirit. And as we do, we are filled with the fullness of God.

 

The more we are filled with God, the less room there is for other, less life-giving things. So for example 1 John talks of perfect love casting out fear. Since God is love, the more we are filled with the love of God, the less we are adversely affected by fear (fear of failure, fear of the future, fear of the past, fear of situations, fear of ourselves, or whichever particular fear happens to harass you). The more we are filled with the love of God the easier, the more eager we are to obey the Lord, because as we know and experience His love, our trust grows that whatever he is calling us to do is his best for us. And by best, I mean the opportunity to further grow and experience his love for us and those around us.

 

Notice the disciples’ reaction when they see Jesus walking across the sea in the stormy night. They pushed off from shore thinking that when Jesus withdrew from the crowd, he was just going to walk around the lake and catch up with them later. But then it’s dark and rough seas blow up and they see someone or something walking across the lake their first reaction is terror (what would you think if caught in the same situation?) But as soon as they hear his voice and the words “It’s I, don’t be afraid” they aren’t, because they recognize their master and know it’s going to be alright. They surely don’t understand the situation but they know who is with them and it will be ok.

 

Just a few hours before Jesus allowed them to participate in the miraculous provision food, not just for the 5,000 but for them as well, out of five loaves and two fish. They heard his words, they watched his actions—they knew and experienced for themselves the love of God in Jesus and as this love filled them fear and doubt diminished and they were more willing and able to serve and live as he called them to. Of course, this wasn’t without fits and starts, stumbles and falls, but even then the love of God helped them get back to their feet and try again.

 

So too with us. It’s not about doing more to get Jesus to love us or striving to trust more fully to show him how faithful we are. It’s about growing in our experience and knowledge of his love for us. As we grow in that and are, as St. Paul says, rooted and grounded in that love, we can follow and serve, keeping near Christ and resting in his peace.

 

Pr. Brad Everett

Calgary, AB, Canada

e-mail: everettsts@gmail.com