July 30,
2000
John 6:1-21 (CEV)
Jesus crossed Lake Galilee, which was also known as Like Tiberias.
A large crowd had seen him work miracles to heal the sick, and
those people went with him. It was almost time for the Jewish
festival of Passover, and Jesus went up on a mountain with his
disciples and sat down.
When Jesus saw the large crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip,
"Where will we get enough food to feed all these people?
He said this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was
going to do.
Philip answered, "Don't you know that it would take almost
a year's wages just to buy only a little bread for each of these
people?"
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the disciples.
He spoke up and said, There is a boy here who has five small loaves
of barley bread and two fish. But what good is that with all these
people?"
The ground was covered with grass, and Jesus told his disciples
to have everyone sit down. About five thousand men were in the
crowd. Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God.
Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with
the fish,, until everyone had plenty to eat.
The people at all they wanted, and Jesus told his disciples to
gather up the leftovers, so that nothing would be wasted. The
disciples gathered them up and filled twelve large baskets with
what was left over from the five barley loaves.
After the people had see Jesus work this sign, they began saying,
"This must be the Prophet who is to come into the world!"
Jesus realized that they would try to force him to be their king.
So he went up on a mountain, where he could be alone.
That evening, Jesus' disciples went down to the lake. They got
into a boat and started across for Capernaum. Later that evening
Jesus had still not come to them, and a strong wind was making
the water rough.
When the disciples had rowed for three or four miles, they saw
Jesus walking on the water. He kept coming closer to the boat,
and they were terrified. But he said, "I am Jesus! Don't
be afraid!" The disciples wanted to take him into the boat,
but suddenly the boat reached the shore where they were headed.
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1.
It was almost time to remember the Exodus from slavery to freedom.
This can be recognized in the movement from hunger to enough.
Here we have another manna scene. What seems insubstantial and
inconsequential adds up to more than enough. As we wonder where
in the world we will get the resources to aid folks to freedom
(which comes in many different arenas of life) a first action
is recognizing we don't have enough according to our usual ways
of measuring. Our usual fashion is to claim life is a zero-sum
game -- if I give you something I no longer have it and feel deprived
so I must get more than you. According to these rules we don't
have enough for ourselves, much less anyone else. Another way
must be found.
2.
A new way needs new eyes. Our usual eyes see deprivation and loss.
Our new eyes will begin with thanks. To be thankful is to not
be constrained by the usual ways of thinking. To be thankful is
to be open to what can still happen which is not bound by the
past. Several years ago the United Methodist Women used a slogan,
"For all that has been, thanks!; for all that will be, yes!"
This attitude is prelude to a surplus of health.
3.
As per usual, it is hard to live with new eyes. We keep looking
at the future from the perspective of our past. The best folks
knew to do was to proclaim Jesus as King. As Samuel the Prophet
warned when he anointed Saul as Israel's first king, "A king
will conscript and tax you and finally you will cry out for GOD
to save you from the king." Using this model, this whole
Jesus is King business is very strange. It would lead GOD to cry
out against Jesus. A new model of leadership is needed. So Jesus
moves off, alone. Pray for new eyes which will see leadership
in new ways.