After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 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?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 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. 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. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 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.”
John 6:1-21
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. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 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. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
My sermon from the 11th Sunday after Pentecost (August 4, 2024) on John 6:24-35.
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I don’t follow every sport but when the Olympics kick off, my daily mood is dictated by how well team USA does in mixed doubles badminton, marathon race walking, and in the Women’s Kayak Four 500m canoe sprint. The Olympic games, at their best, transform our innate competitiveness into a collaborative spectacle where we raise each other up rather than teach one another down. And one way we do that is by how varied sports can be. Our attention is usually focused on the individual athletes themselves. But getting to the Olympics takes a lot more than simply doing really well at some national events. A recent news article in the Washington Post described, in detail, what some athletes need to do to make sure their gear makes it to the games. Unlike a swimmer or a sprinter who can pack their jersey in their carry-on luggage, a pole vaulter, an equestrian, and a paralympic wheelchair basketball player tend to carry a few more things. These athletes, who spent years training their bodies to do incredible things, sometimes spend roughly the same amount of time trying to get their gear to an international competition. Olympians tend to be more than simply amazing athletes; they’re also their own roadies, equipment managers, and travel agents. Standing on the Olympic stage is an incredible accomplishment; but it takes more than just winning a competition to make that future come about.
Over the last few months, we’ve spent the majority of our time listening to Mark’s version of Jesus’ life and ministry. But starting today and through the end of August, we’ll spend most of our time in John, chapter six. This is the beginning of John’s version of the only miracle that appears in all four versions of Jesus’ life. And it starts with Jesus, his friends, and a large crowd, sitting on a mountain. We would expect, I think, for Jesus to head to Jerusalem since the festival of Passover was near. He chose, however, to stay on the road – inviting folks far and wide to discover what the kingdom of God was all about. Jesus, throughout his journeys, regularly drew religious leaders and those looking to grow in their spiritual life to him. But the vast majority of those who came to see Jesus simply hoped he could heal them. The crowd who came to see Jesus while he was sitting on that mountain top was not some anonymous mass of humanity looking for only one thing. It was, instead, a community of individual people who had their own stories, histories, and experiences. When Jesus looked up at them, he knew they were more than simply whatever it was that brought them to that place. They weren’t there to simply showcase the kind of healing he could do. They were real people who deserved to be cherished and known. In their worries, fears, and needs – Jesus recognized how they longed for a future where they could safely belong. He wasn’t interested in only their current moment; he wanted them to have what they needed to live into what they could be. He knew they would need words, encouragement, and their own gear to enter into the future that had already come. Jesus, then, became his own event planner, roadie, and equipment manager. He paid attention to what he and his friends had – and what the large crowd would need. Jesus didn’t just see them – he looked up to them – which is, quite frankly, a difficult thing to do when you’re already on-top of a mountain. Yet this looking up wasn’t merely a physical act – it was also a metaphorical one since looking up was what a student would do when they connected with the One who they wanted to learn from. Jesus didn’t just see the crowd; he wanted to connect with those within it too. And when they showed up, he invited them to assume the pose of every disciple by sitting down next to him. Their healing would matter but it wouldn’t be the end-all/be-all for what their future might be. And that’s because the One who was with them, the One who already saw them, and the One who would give them all that he had – including his words, his forgiveness, his body, and his blood – would now carry them into a different kind of future – one that will never end.
Now having what we actually need to live into that future isn’t always easy to figure out. We know we at least need the basics – like food, shelter, safety, and a community who we can count on when things get hard. But we also need those more intangible things that let us be honest about who we truly are. We need the space, courage, and strength to confess we’re not always the hero we imagine ourselves to be. And our own selfishness, self-centeredness, and sin can be a tool that distorts our own understanding of who our God truly is. We need more than simply a few words, a couple of teachings, and a verse taken out of context to live into whatever future might be. What we need are our own tools, gifts, and spiritual gear to transform our lives and our souls – Which is what God, in Jesus, does. It begins with a bit of water and words poured over us, claiming and including us in what God is already up to. These tools are then expanded as we grow into a community of faith who love and serve and remind ourselves that we are never finished in becoming who God calls us to be. We are fed through words and songs, scripture and good news, and the commitment we make to each other to not let this current moment be the only moment that shapes who we get to be. Our journey isn’t easy and it might feel as if the spiritual gear we carry isn’t big enough to face all that life might bring. And when that happens, we might doubt our faith, our strength, or even that we’re loved. But if an Olympian has to stuff two disassembled BMX bikes into suitcases to get them to Paris; if the kayakers have to rent boats that barely float because the one they stored in a nearby country over a year ago couldn’t, because of brand new custom regulations, cross over the border; and if a $7,500 specialized wheelchair for basketball has to fly over the ocean sandwiched between the luggage tourists packed for the flight, you – as you are right now – have all you need to be the beloved child of God you truly are. You are loved; you are valued; and, in your baptism, God proclaimed how you were necessary for God’s future to be made whole. And when that future feels scary or small or way too short – trust that the journey you are on isn’t only about today but includes the forever that God, in Jesus’ birth, Jesus’ death, and Jesus’ resurrection, has already begun.
Amen.