Sermon for Sunday 26th August 2018
Readings:
Joshua 24.1-2a & 14-18
Eph 6:10-20
John 6:56-69
May I speak in the Name of the Eternal Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen
In todays’s Gospel, we continue the theme of the last four weeks where we’ve heard Chapter six from John’s Gospel. Jesus has spoken of himself as the Bread of Life
and of the need to eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have eternal life.
The paradox or of this chapter is perhaps the difference between those who despite their doubts, believe that Jesus was sent by the Father and therefore the Messiah, and those who
find it hard to believe, and eventually decide that it’s too hard and leave. it also reflects some of the rejection by Jesus’ own people of his teaching, a rejection that eventually took him to the Cross.
It reflects the dilemma that faces everyone who is a follower of Jesus, perhaps like doubting Thomas, needed to see before he believed1,
yet we who have not seen, but believe, are blessed as Jesus told the disciples before his ascension2.
Yet, among the apparent rejection, God continues to work with the word of Truth and life, through Jesus, who isn’t about to back down.
What we believe is at is at the centre of our Lives as Christians. Our current Pilgrim course on the Creeds has reflected how deeply felt individuals beliefs are, but also how complex
the concept of what we are called to believe can be.
My own simple description of this dilema would be
I make connections with the great old Hymn, Abide with Me.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, Lord abide with me!
Jesus demonstrated his compassion for others, he associated with the poor, vulnerable and outcasts of the society in his own time5.
He tells us to care for each other, particularly the foreigner, or stranger6. he described that care in the parable of the “Good Samaritan78”.
Today’s gospel tells us of his concern for the eternal life of all of God’s people, and he chose language which deliberately challenged his listeners to highlight it.
Some of Jesus’ followers were uneasy with what he had been saying, it all seemed to hard to do, or to understand. They left9
‘This is intolerable language’, some of the Apostles grumbled, ‘How could anyone accept it?10’
Jesus knew full well they were grumbling, Yet, he did not make any effort to soften his teaching in order to hold on to his followers. 11.
He insists that the words he has been speaking, all his words, are “spirit and life”. He wasn’t failing in his teaching, the crowd and followers were failing in their ability to accept and to understand it.
Jesus turned to the remaining Twelve apostles, his core group, and asked them, ‘What about you? Do you want to go away too12?’
He was prepared to suffer losses even from that core group rather than compromise on the teaching that he had given, to do otherwise would have been a betrayal of the words of truth
that he spoke. Truth received from his Father.
You will note that Jesus is giving his disciples a choice?
His whole ministry has been about giving those who hear his teaching choices, one way to eternal life is through him. Any other way, may mean seperation from him for ever.
Peter’s response was telling , ‘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 God13.’
Jesus had lost a whole swathe of his following, but not the twelve selected disciples14. Yet, later, at the time of
his passion Judas betrayed him15 and Peter denied him.
If success is to be measured by numbers, by the end of his earthly life, in human terms Jesus might have been seen as a failure, but we know that is far from the truth. After Pentecost,
his followers quickly numbered in hundreds and thousands.
Jesus died to give us new eternal life and we are the fortunate recipients of that sacrifice.
Jesus’ life shows us that the value of something does not bear any necessary relation to the number of people who support it. Popularity does not necessarily show where truth
is to be found.
God is working in the midst of our apparent failure and rejection. The church is still called to see that that the Word of Life is doing its work around us, among us, and within us.
We follow Jesus not because he was or is popular but because, in the words of Peter in the gospel, we recognize that he has the message of eternal life, or in the language of Jesus
himself in that same reading, we acknowledge that the words that he speaks are ‘spirit and life’.
We will find some of Jesus’ teaching very challenging. We may be tempted to say, in the words of some of the disciples, ‘This is intolerable language. How can anyone accept it?’
We all need Jesus to do both for us.
We need his comforting and sustaining presence when we are afflicted, but sometimes we need his disturbing presence in our comfort.
It has been said that the true sign from God in Chapter 6 of John’s
gospel is Jesus’ broken body and blood, which flows from his Riven side20.
The teaching and the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus challenges us to believe in faith.
The presence of Peter the denier and of Judas the betrayer, at the end of this text is a striking note of hope. Our natural inclination is to turn and leave,
to avoid the difficult call and above all to avoid the cross. Yet the Word, the Spirit, and the Father continue to call, and enlighten, and draw us to new life.
The Eucharist is the primary moment when we commit ourselves again to the Lord’s vision for our lives; it is our weekly opportunity
to make our own those words of Peter in today’s gospel, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life.’
I pray that we will continually receive that message of eternal life.
Amen
1 John 20: 24-29
2 John 20:29
3 John 14:20
4 John 10:10
5 Matthew 9:10-17,Mark 2:15-22,Luke 5:29-39
6 Matt 25:25-36
7 Luke 10:25-37
8 10 And as he sat at dinner[a] in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting[b] with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ 12 But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’
9 John 6:64
10 John 6:60
11 John 6:62
12 John 6:67
13 Jon 60:69
14 John 6:66
15 Luke 22, Matt 26, John 13:18-30
16 Isaiah, 55:8-9
17 James 1:9
18 Finley Peter Dunne, 20th Century Humourist about 1910.
19 James 1:10
20 Quoted from CT 24th Aug 18, Item on the weekly readings.
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