Homily preached by Brs. Simeon & Luke e.f.o. at Maroubra on Sunday 2nd August 2015
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| Andre-Rublev's Saviour |
TENTH SUNDAY
AFTER PENTECOST.
Gospel: John 6: 24-35
"Lord, give us this bread always"
May
the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy
sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer. Amen.
Last week we heard the amazing episode of Jesus feeding the 5000. He took the tiny amount of loaves and fishes and multiplied it into enough to feed all the people on the hillside with food to spare. Jesus suddenly had people wanting to be around him, he had crowds following him and they wanted more. They wanted more food and more miracles and more shows of his authority.
Today
we hear Jesus tell the people what they really need. He tells them that they are wrong to look for
food again. He tells them that they
should not actually be looking for physical food; they should be looking to be
fed by the Holy Spirit. He tells them
that the bread they are searching for is not the food but himself.
Many
sought Jesus out because he offered them something no one else could give -
bread from heaven from the very hand of God himself. When Jesus had performed
the miracle of multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish to provide a
refreshing and satisfying meal for more than 5000 people ( John 6:1-15), they
wanted to make him their king - no doubt because they wanted more. When Jesus
withdrew from the crowd and quietly returned to Capernaum to be with his twelve
disciples, they ran to seek him there (John 6:24-25). Jesus met them with a
probing question - “are you looking for physical food that perishes or
food that gives eternal life?”
Jesus' question to the crowd, and to each one of us as well, echoes the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy" (Isaiah 55:2)? There are two fundamental types of hunger - physical and spiritual. Only the Lord Jesus can satisfy the hunger in our heart - the hunger for truth, life, and love. Jesus alone can satisfy our hunger for truth - because in him alone is the Truth which is found in God. Jesus alone can satisfy our hunger for life - because he alone can give us abundant life - the supernatural life of God which transforms us now and lasts forever. Jesus alone can satisfy our deepest hunger for love - the love of God that knows no end, that never fails nor forsakes us, that outlasts sin and death. Jesus alone can satisfy the eternal hunger of our heart, mind, and spirit.
“I am
the bread of life,” Jesus tells the people. “Whoever comes to me will never
be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” He is
offering the people himself. He is the imperishable bread that nourishes and
sustains imperishable life.
Jesus
makes us the same offer. He offers himself to us in every one of our relationships:
family, friends, strangers, enemies, those who agree with us, and those who
disagree. In every situation and each day of our life we choose the bread we
will eat, perishable or imperishable. In so doing we also choose the life we
want.
Theresa
of Avila's prayer book contained a bookmark which she wrote: Let nothing
disturb you, let nothing frighten you;
All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for.
Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices.
As we
leave this place of worship today, I
leave this with you and for me to ponder throughout this week....
“Do you hunger for the bread which comes down
from heaven and thirst for the words of everlasting life?”
Amen.
