August 10, 2018 · Ordinary Time (after Pentecost) · Year B
I Am - John 6
Jesus declares 'I Am the Bread of Life' in John 6, drawing the crowd into a deeper encounter with divine identity. The sermon explores what it means to hunger for something beyond the ordinary, using the Wizard of Oz as a lens for the journey toward the living Christ.
Scripture:John 6 · 2 Samuel 18:5-33 · Psalms 34 · Ephesians 4:25-5 · John 6:35,41-51
mysteryincarnationidentity
I Am
Tony E
Dillon Hansen
12
August 2018
A reflection based upon 2 Samuel 18:5-33 • Psalm 34 • Ephesians
4:25-5:2 • John 6:35,41-51
Will you pray with me? May the words of my mouth
and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our Rock,
Our Redeemer. Amen.
I
remember growing up every year there was a broadcast of a movie called Wizard
of Oz. Dorothy is constantly dreaming of a wonderful place “over the rainbow” only
to find herself there and realize there is a complicated world there too that
ha characters looking suspiciously like people from Kansas. I was always scared
of the tornado that propels Dorothy into Oz. I remember watching with intensity
as the band grew together on the journey to the Emerald City along the yellow
brick road. Actually I was a bit disappointed when the Wizard reveals his true
self.
For
today, I would like for us to consider a reason why Jesus uses the words “I
am”, a predicate nominative. When Jesus reveals who he is, we won’t be
disappointed.
With that let’s recap…
It is
near Passover. Jesus has performed a couple signs like feeding five thousand
and walking on water. Now, there is something like a paparazzi of a crowd that
is following Jesus everywhere. Jesus has
become something of a rock star. Still, people are not satisfied; they want
more.
The
people see striking parallels to the stories of Moses in the wilderness. Yet, people have missed the point of the
manna and the signs Jesus performs.
That
is easy to do because people do this all of the time. We love signs, symbols
and traditions, but we misread them. (Consider How many of you consider a stop
sign on a deserted road to be a suggestion?) The people even get rude with Jesus. Jesus uses
the opportunity to teach an important lesson.
The Sign of Manna.
Jesus
wants us to look beyond the symbols and rhetoric. This is difficult for people because we as
humanity love our symbols and rhetoric. With those bits, we use those things unfortunately
to divide. We like to determine between
who has versus has not; who knows and those who do not. (Clearly, if you know our traditions then you are one of us.)
Traditions
have put obstacles to access to God.
What is your sacrifice? Do you offer the correct animal? Did you honor the symbols correctly? Did you
purify yourself? Do you even know what that means?
Jesus
flips the symbols.
Jesus
flips tradition.
Instead
of telling parables about someone else, Jesus uses a stronger example:
himself.
Without
the sharing of himself, God remains behind curtains in the temple or lurking
over mountaintops. God in the wilderness
with Moses is hard to see, hard to access.
God’s image is even scary (like
the “scary” Wizard of Oz that doesn’t want to be bothered.) That is quite
different from what God really does because God loves each of us as a parent
loves their children.
Jesus embraces
and embodies the symbols and says the bread of God, the bread of life is right
here. Specifically, “I am the bread of life” or “I am the living bread…”
So
instead of being aloof in the sky and the mountains, Jesus tells us that God is
right here, right now – inside. The purpose of the manna was to demonstrate
that God is here and listening. God uses the bread to help us grow in love of
God and neighbor.
The manna
is how God shared fulfilling love. Love fulfills every day. Sharing involves
community. This is the power of communion because God shares and wants people
to share that love together. We are more than ourselves and lonely thoughts
because we learn and grow together. Even more so, that shared love and
community sustains us.
I am…
Further,
it is no longer about privilege to access because when you say “I am” a child
of God, you have access to that wisdom and community.
Think
about it, “I am” is taking power from afar to right here in Jesus, in me and in
you. We not only share that love, but we embrace and embody that love and
community.
(The revelation of the Wizard of Oz
was the lion had courage, the tin man had a heart and scarecrow had brain all
along. The Wizard just provides symbols of that which they already had.) In our
lesson,
Jesus
is giving us permission. Jesus invites us to community and to embody God’s work
in ourselves. Jesus gave us power to learn
God personally.
Eating
of the bread or manna is learning the love of God. One who trusts can be fulfilled in the community
of love, of God. (Trust is faith -- that you will understand and be satisfied.)
Do you
trust God to fill you with hope and inspiration?
Try
it, just stop and breathe in and let God be!
Even
more, how do you as a child of God, share with others?
How do
you provide hope and inspiration to those around you?
You
have been invited to the table to say “I am a child of God”. (How awesome is
that?) When you have a seat at the table, you have power -- With power comes
great responsibility.
This
means that we do not just settle with only our own knowledge and experience to
guide us. Our own is incomplete and does
not give absolute answers or foolproof plans.
God wants us to question the experience and share in community. Wisdom will be revealed to ones that trust (e.g. give oneself over to the Way of God.)
This Way
and path is ready for us, and with faith, great will guide us on this journey of
life. With Jesus, we are invited to participate in that community of wisdom--
with whole heart and “bread of life.” We can become that which God calls of us.
Expression.
You
and I are children of God, but how do we express that? how can I be the best
that God has to offer?
Ephesians
reminds us of a few ways we can express that life in community of God in this
world. “…be imitators of God, as beloved
children, and live in love, as Christ loved us…”
Yes, “I
am” one who knows pain – so did Jesus.
“I am”
broken and sorry for my wrongs.
“I am”
looking for answers, for hope.
“I am”
one who fails.
And
Yes, I am sharing my gifts
“I am”
one who learns.
“I am”
one who teaches, who creates,
“I am”
one who laughs and cries.
“I am”
one who gardens.
“I am”
one who cooks.
“I am”
a listener.
“I am”
an expression of God’s love right here on Earth
I am a
child of God.
Are
you?
Oh
child, I believe you are!
(We don’t need to travel down
yellow brick roads to find out who we are.)
Share
what you are and be joyful.
Be God’s
wonderful expression
and
always remember that you are a worthy, beautiful child of God!
Thanks
Be to God.