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"To Whom Shall We Go"
PENTECOST 12B
August 22-23, 2009
John 6:56-59
In the Name of Jesus. Amen. Even before the church of Jesus Christ was born, it began to decline. John writes, When many of Jesus’
disciples heard [Jesus’ teaching], they said, “This teaching is
difficult; who can accept it?”... Because of this, many of Jesus’
disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked
the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him
[with those powerful words we sing each week as we prepare ourselves to
hear the gospel], “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of
eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy
One of God.”
All through John, Jesus’ enemies were complaining, grumbling, rebellious. We get pretty used to that. But we are a bit stunned when we read that complaining, grumbling, rebelliousness can be found not only among “them,” the outsiders, but among the disciples themselves, among us, within us. Are we the disciples who turn and leave, or those who, with Peter, confess that Jesus is the one – the only one – with the words of eternal life? Before we answer too quickly, remember that we also know how the rest of the story unfolds. Peter, who here expresses such profound faith and loyalty – even Peter – betrays Jesus in the end. Over the last several weeks, we’ve been making our way through chapter 6 of the gospel of John – the great “I am the bread of life” narrative. It began with a huge crowd that needed to be fed, and was fed by means of a miracle; a crowd which remained interested enough to follow Jesus, almost to the point of hounding him, even across a lake. Many more than “the twelve” were following Jesus, were signing on as disciples, at this point. Not only did they see him as a great prophet, they wanted to “take him by force and make him king” in v. 15. The last two verses of the chapter, which were chopped off of this morning’s reading for I-don’t-know-what-reason, read: Jesus answered Peter
[after Peter’s declaration], "Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one
of you is a devil." He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for
he, though one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
If success is measured primarily in numbers, then Jesus, according to the 6th chapter of John, is NOT on a promising trajectory. A trend chart would show a meteoric rise, followed quickly by an equally rapid dive. After all, if Jesus’ disciples have been scandalized by what Jesus has said, what will happen when Jesus “ascends” to the cross? If they can’t see the glory of God in the miracle-performing flesh and blood of Jesus, how will they possibly be able to see the glory of God in the crucified Jesus? Jesus asks his disciples this morning, after they complain that his teaching is difficult, “Does this offend you?” The word translated as “offend” is the Greek word: skandalon. In English – scandalize. What is it about Jesus – his life, his teachings – that offends, scandalizes us? Perhaps, unlike the disciples, we find great comfort in Jesus’ teaching about being the bread of life, by which we will live forever. Perhaps our sensibilities are offended, we are scandalized, when we picture Jesus on the cross, but theologically we have come to accept the necessity of Jesus’ suffering such agony on the cross in order to meet sin and death on its own terms and conquer it. But what about when Jesus says, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?” (Matthew 16:24-26). What about when he calls US to deny/die to OURselves and follow only him? Are we a bit scandalized by Jesus’ call to be so single-minded in our discipleship as to throw off all the plans we’ve already made for ourselves in order to live a life of radical servanthood after the manner of Christ himself? Remember the opening words of our Baptism liturgy? God,
who is rich in mercy and love, gives us a new birth into a living hope
through the sacrament of baptism. By water and the Word God delivers us
from sin and death and raises us to new life in Jesus Christ.
Not the same life we would have lived anyway, but now with the promise of heaven tagged at the end. This new birth, this deliverance from sin and death, this raising us to new life in Jesus Christ allows us to live a different life than we would have, a life without fear of the future. Baptism into Christ allows us to give ourselves away for the sake of the divine, unconditional love of Jesus, because eternal life means being in relationship with the living God, an eternal relationship God established with you when you were baptized. This eternal, living relationship with God, in Jesus Christ, changes everything! Everything! But for the disciples, even having participated in the miracle of the feeding of the four thousand from a few loaves of bread and fish, what Jesus was teaching was just too strange; and he was asking just too much. I can see it all now. One day, in the not-too-distant future, we 21st century disciples of Jesus will come up with a less demanding form of discipleship, a “new & improved” worship style which will sweep through all the denominations of the Christian church. It will be called “McWorship.” It will be a drive-thru “fast worship” facility, and it will promise that you can “have it your way” and BE on your way in 30 seconds or less. You will be able to select from the menu-of-sins and order exactly and only the words of forgiveness YOU feel you need to hear. As you drive forward, your favorite hymn will be played for you through a small, outdoor speaker. At the first window, a little drawer will open out, into which you can drop your offering (depending on how many McWorship meals you are receiving – a cash-for-services type of thing). At the next window, you can receive your “finger-lickin’ good Holy Communion Meal Deal”, complete with a “McWorship Toy” for kids over 3, and your favorite Bible verse printed on the recyclable bag. Then, off you go, on your way to the golf course, the shopping mall, the lake, the family reunion, or to work, without the inconvenience of having to dress up, sacrifice an hour or more of your Sunday morning, or even get out of the car! It will advertise: Open 24 hours to suit every schedule! Non-denominational! Pay only when you come! No membership required! Sounds more than a little sacrilegious, doesn’t it. We all know that the living bread of Jesus – Holy Communion -- is not religious fast food. This is not an eat ‘n run happy meal. This is the bread of life, the meal that draws us into an abiding relationship with Jesus, who is, himself, the heart and the gift of Holy Communion. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven,” Jesus says. “Whoever eats of this bread will live forever...” Communion is life-giving because, just as any intimate meal with a lover, a friend, or family, it draws us deeper into relationship with Jesus, so that we may "abide" in Jesus. To abide in Jesus means to remain in Jesus; it means to continue to be secure in Jesus, even when life has beaten us up. Discipleship is nothing less than participation in the life and the death of Jesus himself. And it is Jesus’ participation in your life, your death. Jesus says, “Remember, I took this life of yours and these struggles of yours and made them my own.” Communion is life-giving because you will not receive eternal life some day in the distant future when you die, or when Jesus comes again. The promise of eternal life has been already been given to you in your baptism, to enjoy and live now. In other religions, the relationship with god is usually based on something the worshiper has to do, like: proper worship, sacrifice, or other behaviors. In Christianity, the relationship is based on what God has done -- loving the world, taking flesh and living among us in Jesus, dying, and rising again, victorious over sin and death. Those who eat the bread that Jesus offers freely will live forever. The word Jesus uses here, “eat,” isn’t the nibbling on a little tea sandwich kind of eating. It means to “chew" or "to gnaw" or "to eat audibly." That is my only objection to our universal practice of serving flat, tasteless little wafers, or tiny little pieces of bread, and a thimble-full of wine at the Lord’s Supper. It looks and feels more like a snack than the “feast of victory.” The word Jesus uses here for “eat” means to eat heartily, not just nibble and sip; to eat as though life depends on it, because it does. When Augustine, one of our “church fathers,” celebrated Communion, he pointed first to the sacred elements on the altar and said, “Behold, the body of Christ.” He then pointed to the worshipers and said, “And you are the body of Christ.” Next, he invited the worshipers, “Come, eat what you are.” And finally he encouraged them, “Go forth to become what you eat.” You are the Body of Christ, each one a member of it. You are members of one another. This DOES offend, scandalize those who only want to see the church as a religious country club, or as some sort of holier-than-thou closed society where “sinners” are not welcome, or, at the other extreme, as a bunch of hypocrites. As the body of Christ in this place, we are called to die to ourselves over and over again, for the sake of the life of the world. As Jesus took our lives and struggles and made them his own, may we swallow a bit of human pride and be, ourselves, Christians, truly “little Christs,” through whom those who don’t know the Jesus we have come to love, can meet him -- the one who satisfies our spiritual hunger and thirst in ways the world cannot. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen. Rev. Joan Gunderman, Senior Pastor
Lutheran Church of the Cross, Nisswa, Minnesota |
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