John 6:1-21
1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also
called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they
saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and
sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the
Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him,
Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to
eat?" 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to
do. 7 Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread
for each of them to get a little." 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon
Peter's brother, said to him, 9 "There is a boy here who has five barley
loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" 10 Jesus
said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass
in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took
the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were
seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied,
he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing
may be lost." 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the
five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14
When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is
indeed the prophet who is to come into the world." 15 When Jesus realized
that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he
withdrew again to the mountain by himself. 16 When evening came, his disciples
went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to
Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea
became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about
three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the
boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, "It is I; do not be
afraid." 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately
the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
"There
is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among
so many people?"
·
The Gospel
today tells us of an amazing miracle which was misinterpreted. Jesus gave them
bread and fish – all they could eat – and they wished to make him king since he
could continue to do this. He could be their “bread king” and supply them with
all they needed every day. However… Would they tire of barley loaves and dried
fish? Would they cry out for variety? Would they eventually resent their “bread
king” for giving them what they need but holding back on what they might find
they want? Jesus knew his audience and literally ‘headed for the hills’ when he
realized the crowd would demand that he be king.
·
The crowds
thought this was the Kingdom and that it had arrived. Jesus didn’t agree; he
knew that there was more to the Kingdom than eating and drinking. True, the
loaves and fish are a sign of the Kingdom, but they are not the Kingdom itself.
·
As I said,
there is lots more to the Kingdom of God than just eating and drinking.
·
The boy’s
bagged lunch (I like to think that is what it was) was enough for Jesus to work
with. As one take-home lesson, please never think that what we have to
share will not be usable to further the Kingdom. What we offer sincerely will
never be refused or wasted. After all, the boy’s lunch of 5 pieces of pita
bread (that’s a loaf, by the way) and two fish was enough with Jesus to feed 5
thousand people, and the key word there is “with Jesus.”
·
Whatever we
might have to offer and share will be enough for Jesus to work with and do a
lot with. But whatever we offer will remain a sign of the Kingdom, and not the
Kingdom itself. Signs are what we have now, for the fullness of the Kingdom is
still to come. Signs point the way and in some cases, signs are the way of
bringing us into the presence of God’s Kingdom.
·
The signs
among us are many… if we have the grace to see them. The sacraments, the Word
of God, the community of the Church, any event or idea or action that turns our
thoughts and hearts to the love of God or that inspires us to be that love of
God in the world around us. These are the signs that surround us and can be
seen and comprehended through faith… with Jesus.
·
Today we have a wonderful sign of the
Kingdom among us. It is not the multiplication of loaves and fish… although
that would certainly make the luncheon after the service simpler and less
costly, as well as very interesting. No, it is the welcoming of a young child
into “the household of God.” It is a sign like no other that the Kingdom is a
gift rather than a thing we build for ourselves or God or a thing we earn by
our goodness and our works. All we can do in Baptism is receive and dedicate
our lives to gratitude and grateful service.
·
I’d like to say that I’m grateful to
Amanda and Michael and all their families… and to MacLean for letting me and all
of us be witnesses to this in-breaking of the Kingdom of God into our days.
·
Many of the
signs that surround us point to things beyond us. The larger signs – like the
Scripture and the Sacraments – not only point but they carry us to what is
pointed at. Even further, they take us beyond that to service in our daily
lives. The Scriptures help to define us and give us a path to follow. The
Sacraments nourish and help us on our disciple’s way. This is how the Kingdom
can be known. This is now the Kingdom breaks into our lives and fills us with
wonder… and still they are not the Kingdom.
·
John’s
Gospel spends time on these signs for the purpose of the Gospels is to carry
the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who were not present at the events of
Jesus’ life with his disciple so they too can become disciples. At the end of
his Gospel, John says that Now
Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not
written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through
believing you may have life in his name. (John 20: 30-31)
·
What will
the Kingdom be like? We have clues and hints from the Scripture and the life of
the Church. Without guessing at details – for they would be only guesses – We
can take today as a sign of the Kingdom Coming… A child receives the gift of
new life in Christ, a community is present and celebrates in joy this event and
remembers the event of the live-giving Cross and Resurrection. We sing, we
pray, we enjoy each other’s company… and we eat. Remember, the Kingdom is often
likened to a banquet. So let’s look for the signs, the signs that give us hope,
direction, and the presence of our loving God.
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