Sunday, August 26, 2018

To whom can we go? - Sermon on John 6:56-69 - 08.26.2018

Listen to the gospel and the sermon here. 

John 6:56-69
56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever."59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"61 But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you?62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.64 But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him.65 And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father."66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.67 So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." 

Today is our fifth and final week with a gospel lesson from the sixth chapter of John.  For more than a month we’ve been reading, hearing, and discussing the 6thchapter of John.  The entire chapter is dedicated to a discussion about Jesus being the bread of life, a new manna from heaven for all people.  A heavenly bread that offers eternal life to all who eat of it.

In today’s final installment, the sixth chapter of John culminates in a moment of decision for the dedicated crowd that has been following Jesus.  As Jesus wraps up his discourse on heavenly bread, he connects the dots between God providing bread from heaven and him being the bread from heaven. He then goes so far as to teach that eternal life is synonymous with the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood. 

This whole thing started 60 verses ago as Jesus crossed to the far shore of the sea of Galilee to find a moment of rest.  He climbed the hillside and barely sat down before he saw a great crowd of people following him. Jesus tested Philip.  Philip, how are we going to feed these people?   Recall Philip saying, Jesus even if there were a place to buy enough food, we don’t have the money.  There aren’t enough resources. You’ll remember that Jesus then takes a small amount of food, 5 loves and two fish, from a boy in the crowd.  He lifts it up, blesses it, breaks it, and feeds the crowd. All eat enough that they are fed to satisfaction, and the disciples collect 12 baskets left over.   It was a moment of pure abundance. 

In that moment of feeding on the mountainside, the crowd received not only food to eat, but affirmation of their decision to follow Jesus.  They had let everything behind, family, work, and home to trail Jesus. To see what sign he might offer next. This feeding event served as a catalyst for the crowd.  

So over the last 5 weeks Jesus taught about the bread from heaven and the bread of life.  He’s taught us about the benefits of the bread from heaven, living bread and everlasting life.   He’s named himself as the new manna, the bread from heaven that will feed and give eternal life. 

And in today’s final segment of this entire discourse, this decision making moment, Jesus makes one final connection that some consider to be one step too far.  “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”  “I am the bread from heaven and those who eat of my flesh and drink of my blood will have eternal life.”   …Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood will have eternal life.

There’s a popular anecdote that circles around with this text.  I don’t know if it’s true, but the story goes that as a pastor was presiding over the Eucharist one Sunday morning, he referenced this passage of scripture.  And once he lifted the bread and the wine and said whoever eats of this flesh and drinks of this blood will have eternal life. And almost immediately a young girl in the front of the church exclaims, eww yuck! 

Flesh and blood…ew! Yuck!  Can’t fault her. When we really think about it her response seems rather appropriate.  I would imagine that within the gathered crowd, at least one person audibly gagged or scoffed at the idea of gnawing on Jesus flesh and blood.
And it’s not just that Jesus’ proclamation sounds distasteful, but the crowds gathered would have easily made the connection to the Old Testament in which such an act was considered cannibalism.  It was unlawful and unclean. And in this culminating moment, when many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"

Some Left
So it is this moment in the sixth chapter of John, when Jesus proclaims that eternal life comes through the eating and drinking of Jesus’ flesh and blood that some of the disciples say, “nope, I’m out.”  

This teaching is too hard.  It’s too far. It’s too much.  Feeding us on the hillside with such little food is one thing…healing people is one thing…preaching bread from heaven is one thing... but chewing our your flesh for the promise of eternal life is where we should draw the line.  So Jesus, thank you for this adventure, I appreciate the fish and the bread, but we’re going to head back now.

Hard teaching
"This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"  Jesus offers his whole self, body and blood as nourishment for the journey. Like manna pouring from heaven for the Israelites wandering in the desert, Jesus offers himself as food for the journey.  His own body and blood to sustain and nourish them. I don’t blame them for leaving.  That is a hard teaching to hear. 

Honestly, I find comfort in their honesty and conviction.  These disciples who had dropped everything to follow Jesus were buying in whole-heartedly.  They were growing in faith, listening and learning...seeing and believing...but this moment was too far, the teaching was beyond their comfort or belief.  It complicated their understanding thus far.  So they walked away. 

Who among us, despite our life in faith hasn’t walked away? Or at least been tempted to walk away? Thanks Jesus, it’s been interesting and enlightening, but I’m just not with you anymore?  That teaching is too hard. I can’t accept it.

Being baptized, confirmed, or even a regular worship-attendee doesn’t make us immune to the difficult moments in life in which we can’t accept Jesus’ teaching. The deep, vulnerable moments of life that challenge our comfort or conviction. Moments when faith seems distant, arbitrary, or trite.  

When the teaching of Jesus is hard to hear. To know. To believe. I suspect we’ve all been there...ready to walk away...when the teachings of Jesus are hard to believe and we refuse to accept them. 

Jesus teaches eternal life even through death, but when you’re standing bedside by a loved one at or in the waiting room during an emergency.  

God created all things good and for good, right?  Yet we life in fear of that creation... violent hurricanes, like Irma, Katrina, and Lane...wildfires consuming California and forgiving no one in the way, earthquakes, volcanoes and typhoons…

We know good and well that Jesus teaches that we should love god and love our neighbor, but headlines...every single day challenge our faith school shootings, mass tragedies, senseless violence, wandering refugees, desperate immigrants.  

Jesus teaches peace, yet faithful as we may be we have never known a time without war or fighting.  Teenagers today have never lived a day without us being at war. 

Jesus offers healing, but even the strongest in faith shutter at disease, illness, and addiction. 

Jesus teaches of an inclusive kingdom, but our society and culture celebrate exclusivity.  

Faithful as we are, the world thrives on diversity, disparity, inequality, injustice, and oppression. 

Jesus teaches us who we are, but even our very identity in Christ is at risk when overwhelmed with loneliness, exile, bullying, despair, and depression. 

For me, it was 2007.  4 agonizing years of wandering in and out of hospitals, clinics, trials, and treatments, and cancer ended my mother’s life.  Absolutely the most brutal, pain staking moment of my life. And I knew the Jesus taught eternal life.  I knew that Jesus was abiding in my mother.  I knew that God loved me and my mother. I knew, even though I didn’t want to admit, that God didn’t cause my mom’s cancer or even take my mother’s life.  And if I had any reason or motivation to walk away from God during those 4 years, they were affirmed on January 30, 2007. It was a decision moment. Where a vulnerable moment of life directly challenged my conviction of faith.  Death and grief were too heavy for me to keep on following. The teachings were too hard, and I couldn’t accept them. 

In these vulnerable, decisive moments of life, when the teaching of Jesus seems so hard and our faith is challenged...the easy response is to walk away.  Turn around. Thanks, Jesus, for the journey thus far, but I think we’ll bow out now. 

... 
And yet, here I am.  Here each of you are.  Here we are. Again and again.  Choosing to walk on this holy ground, to be in the presence of the Lord.  To hear, pray, sing, confess, eat, and drink. 

To follow, if even hesitantly, to follow Jesus. Listening to the teachings and promises, regardless of how much we may resent them at times.  But why? Why would we keep coming back?

67 So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." 

You notice that Peter didn’t answer yes or no.  Peter, without hesitation says, “Lord, where else would we be?  Where else would we go? To whom else would we turn?” 

You. You alone have the words of eternal life.  The world may challenge that at every turn, but you Lord, you are the Holy One of God.  You alone have the words of eternal life. Where else would we go?

Peter isn’t saying that they have no other options.  Well, Jesus, you’re our last and only choice so there’s no reason to leave.  No, Peter confesses that Jesus, despite the hard and challenging teaching, Jesus is the Holy One of God.

And sure being a follower may be characterized by risk.  It means confessing teachings of faith that rub up against a culture and society.  It means pushing back against a world that that is so quick and so ready to render faith in Christ obsolete. .  

Certainly we don’t always understand.  In the synagogue that day, they couldn’t understand Jesus offering himself, body and blood, as nourishment and as promise of everlasting life.  We still don’t fully understand it. 

We may not always understand Jesus’ command to love or show peace.  We may not get turning the other cheek or serving the last, lost, and least. Because sometimes the teaching seems too hard to accept.

Yet here we come again and again, following Jesus, not because we’re out of options, but because deep within, Christ has claimed us, and in Christ we have no need, no desire to walk away. 

We may never fully understand that power of God, but we come again and again, following Jesus as best we can. We listen.  We taste. We see. We tell. In this moment we experience Jesus, through flesh and blood, bread and wine. God only knows exactly what happens in that meal.

But Deep within our core we come with sure and certain hope to experience Christ.  We come again and again.

Because to whom else can we go?

Lord, you and you alone have the words of eternal life.  Amen

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached Aug. 26, 2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran JAX, FL

Monday, August 20, 2018

This is Christ's Table - Sermon John 6:51-58 - 08.19.2018

Listen to the gospel and the sermon here. 

John 6:51-58
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"53 So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day;55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." 

This is Christ’s table and Christ is the host.  All are welcome to the altar rail, to stand or kneel as you are able.  Communion will be served by intinction. You may take the bread, dip it into the wine or grape juice, and consume.  

Communion is something we do every single week during worship.  It is an essential part of our worship service and an even more important practice in our Christian living.  For most Christians, Communion is considered a sacrament of faith, therefore it is a transformational experience within our worship.  In that significant moment, when the body and blood are offered and consumed, we partake in a heavenly banquet. With all the saints, past and present.  We receive a glimpse, a foretaste of the feast to come. And it is so much more than just a ritual of eating and drinking together. When the elements of bread and wine are given, we not only consume them, but the very presence of Jesus consumes us.  Christ fill us with grace and forgiveness, promise and hope. In the sacrament of communion we are reminded of God’s enduring promise of fruitful, eternal, and everlasting life. That whoever eats of this bread and drinks of this blood will have eternal life.  There is a reason we commune every single week.

Certainly the risk is then that such a regular practice can become routine.  Mundane. Expected and uneventful. We risk going through the motions, doing what we’ve always done and will always do without fully appreciating or accepting the promises expressed in communion.  We risk becoming indifferent or apathetic to the significance of the meal, rarely pausing to consider the gift we’ve been given. There is a reason we commune as often as possible. 

For us, as Lutherans, communion is one of two sacraments: Eucharist and Holy Baptism.  I suspect we’re familiar with both sacraments, we’ve seen them done and participated in them, but how often do we deeply reflect?  Intentionally dwell on their significance? How often do you faithfully process what takes place in the sacrament of Holy Communion?

Alright, put on your catechism hat for a moment of Lutheran 101 review.  For us, as Lutherans, What makes a sacrament a sacrament? Is it the ritual?  The words? The motions? Is it because Luther said so? I won’t ask you to answer out loud, but think for a moment, what makes a sacrament a sacrament.  Specifically, for today’s purposes, what makes communion a sacrament? After all, if we are to participate in the rite of Holy Communion every single week, one might argue we should understand it’s significance as best we can.   Luther actually says, “it is contempt for the sacraments that condemns, not lack of the sacraments” 

I see some minds turning.  What do we believe makes a sacrament a sacrament?  Luther teaches, and the church confesses that there are three criteria, components that make a rite a sacrament. 

First, there should be a physical element.  An earthly, visible element. Something we can see, touch, or even taste.  This is the component we’re most familiar with, right? Bread, wine, and water. Done.

Second, a sacrament is something Jesus commands us to do.  We might easily recall Jesus’ commissioning the disciples where he commands them to go out into the world, baptizing all nations in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit.  We might also easily recall Jesus commanding the disciples on a Thursday night in an upper room to “do this in remembrance of me.” A command by Jesus. 

So far, a sacrament is commanded by Jesus...go and baptize...do this in remembrance of me... and it has some type of physical, earthly, element...bread, wine, and water.

Arguably those two are the easiest for us to reflect upon and understand.   But it’s the third component that is so often overlooked. 

Third, a sacrament is connected with God’s promise, the word of God, which gives faith.  A sacrament, and in today’s case, communion is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given to us.  This means that by Christ’s command and through the earthy element, God’s promises are given to us. Graced upon us. Washed over us.  Consumed within us. 

Element, commanded by Jesus, Connected to God’s promise. 

For the last 5 weeks we have been trudging along in the 6th chapter of John.  It all started a few weeks ago as Jesus climbed the hillside for a bit of rest and the crowds followed him.  Jesus tested Philip and asked how they would feed everyone. So from 5 loaves and 2 fish Jesus blessed, broke, and fed all 5000 until they were satisfied.  They collected 12 baskets of leftover food. From the point on the crowd, especially the Jewish authorities have been entrenched in a conversation about Jesus and bread.  About Jesus and being fed. About Jesus and being filled with life.

We’ve heard Jesus say, “I will give you bread from heaven.” and “I am the bread of life”  ..Jesus makes the connection and says “I am the bread from heaven. He says “I am the living bread” and today he tells them “The one who eats this bread will live forever.” 

Our tendency whenever Jesus talks about bread is to interpret it in light of communion.  We understand him to be making allusions to the last supper and the institution of communion.  And that’s an easy connection for us to make. But if we consider the crowds gathered on that day, they have no memory, experience, or even concept of Jesus and the last supper becasue it hasn’t happened yet.  In fact, as John goes on in his gospel writing, there is no account of the final supper. No command to “do this in remeberance of me.” So chapter 6 is it. This is John’s moment of teaching with regards to Jesus and the bread of life.  This idea that Jesus, God’s son, is a sustaining source of life, a new manna from heaven. Jesus is the bread of Life, from God, for all people, by which we are fed and nourished and gifted eternal life. That is Jesus has been teaching in the 6th chapter, and it is what we have been unpacking the last few weeks.

And today’s excerpt from the 6th chapter of John narrows in on that third criteria of a sacrament.  The promises of God within the meal. Whereas the disciples and authorities are concerned with what the bread looks like and how they will receive it, Jesus offers a litany of benefits to eating.  

“Whoever eats of this bread will live forever”
“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life”
“I will raise you up on the last day” 
“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them” 
whoever eats me will live because of me” 
“The one who eats this bread will live forever." 

Jesus’ focus is on the promises received in the eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ.  Jesus is proclaiming a promise of life. God’s promise of eternal life. Jesus is focused on life and living, now and in the future.  Present and not yet. For all who eat and drink will be filled with the grace of God and lifted up on the last day.

These are the gifts and promises of God given at the altar rail.  Promises of eternal life in Christ. Promises of health and salvation.  A promise that as much as we consume the bread and wine, Christ consumes us.  Fills our very being to the fullest with grace upon grace. In this meal, it is God’s promise to abide with us forever and ever amen.  When we but taste the bread and wine, the body and blood of our Lord, we join the whole company of saints in celebration of an eternal promise.   Like the Israelites desperately wandering the in the wilderness, God provides manna from heaven, food for the hungry, strength for the weak, hope for the journey.  Christ is our manna from heaven, the very sustenance by which we live, breath, and have our being. 

And we journey to the altar rail, where one and all come to Christ’s table.  Christ invites us to come, taste, and see not because that’s what we’ve always done.  Not just because Christ commands it. Not just out of guilt, routine, practice, or obedience.  We come to the altar rail, arms stretched out, because deep within we are desperate for the promises of God.  Desperate for the body and blood of Jesus to fill us again and again with grace, mercy, forgiveness, hope, and life.  We are wilderness wanderers, and we should be racing to the altar. Fighting our way to the front of the line, not because there won’t be enough to go around, but because we feel that we can’t get enough of what God promises in this holy sacrament.

Throughout the gospel Jesus regularly encounters people of God around the table.   Jesus accepted an invitation to dine with Levi, a tax collector. He accompanied Zacchaeus and remained at this home.  Twice in Luke’s gospel Jesus dined with Pharisees and risked ridicule. On the road to Emmaus Jesus accepted an invitation to dine with mourners and hear their story.  Again and again Jesus shares in a meal with sinners, tax collectors, lawyers, rich elites, poor peasants, oppressed, and the outcast of society. 

And in the end, it is Jesus who flips the script and becomes the host.  In this meal, Jesus host. Jesus prepares a banquet, a feast, and invites all people to experience the gift of grace.  And this table is open, welcoming, and unconditional. Christ welcomes all to the table that is abounding in steadfast love and overpowers all boundaries.  It is christ’s table and Christ is the host. All are welcome to come, taste, see, and be consumed with God’s promise of life and life everlasting. 

And friends, when we truly reflect, embrace, and embody the fullness of God’s promises in this meal we are changed.  We are transformed. We are made alive in Christ, here now and forever. In the meal Jesus nourishes us in faith, forgives our sin, and empowers us to be faithful witnesses of the good news.  The sacrament is life-giving not only because Jesus is the host, but also because Jesus is the one given. The bread from heaven. And whoever eats of this bread will live forever. This is the promise of God, and the reason we come again and again to the rail, every time we worship.  

Amen.