Joseph Peters-Mathews

The sermon for Sunday, August 15 was preached as a response to John 6:51-58. The Rev. Joseph Peters-Mathews, vicar of the congregation, wrote the sermon. In his absence due to illness, Senior Warden Gavin Smith read the sermon. The sermon was based on the below manuscript. In John today, we have the recast of what […]

Here Jesus is alluding, as well, to manna being God’s wisdom, teachings from God that are eaten with the mind and draw one closer to God. In saying here that he is the Bread of Life, while quoting the prophets saying, “and they shall all be taught by God” Jesus is saying that his teachings following him believing in him bring eternal life.

Paul writes that the tents of our lives, these puffs of wind when compared to the cosmos pass away. Paul isn’t concerned about growing weak in old age, he’s concerned about whether we use our days to share the good news that Christ is risen from the dead trampling down death by death and to those in the tombs bestowing life!

The disciples witnessed loaves and fishes and healing and still said, Give us a sign! Then Jesus switched it up metaphorically– I am the bread; come to me and you will not hunger or thirst. Yikes, no more fast food to easily satisfy our hunger; no more big gulp to quench our thirst. This is a whole new order of sign!

The Good News here, is that Jesus is the son of God, and that that’s weird. The miracles today aren’t for setting us up to get what we want or to be shamed or to be disappointed. The gospels, all four of them are about Jesus the God man who initiates the heavenly banquet where rather than struggling for a mouthful of bread feeds everyone until they’re full.

Eventually, though Jesus dismisses the crowd and sends the disciples to rest. He sends them across the lake to rest together and to find time for isolation. Jesus himself goes off to pray by himself. Rested and renewed, when Jesus and the apostles get out of the boat they get right back to work.

Just as John preached and was offered up, Jesus preached and was handed over, so too does Jesus ask us to follow: to preach, knowing that we may be handed over. We are proclaiming, along with Jesus that God’s reign is at hand with our sock box and pantry whose installation details are being worked out. The sharing that those inspire and invite are following Jesus on his way.

Paul, having been a disciple for a while now isn’t told to dig deep and find the answer within. “My grace is sufficient for you.” There is no platitude about finding the good or looking for the silver lining. Jesus doesn’t advise Paul that his suffering will add to his dignity. “My grace is sufficient for you.”