+In Nomine Iesu+
Pentecost 10
St John 6:35-51
9 August 2009
There is nothing more elementary in life than hunger and
thirst. If these are not taken care of, you die. No food,
no drink youre dead . Simple as that.
<>
But, if our body needs nourishment, does not our soul
also? Yes! However, somehow the physicalspiritual union
in life has become disconnected for many. What God created
as one has been divided. Large portions of mankind seem to
suffer a type of bipolarity. We have neatly placed the
spiritual part of life into one area, and the physical into
another. And never, it seems, are the twain to meet.
<>
Look into scripture, though, and you will find nothing
resembling such an absolute division. In fact, scripture
revels and delights in the union of physical and spiritual.
Man is constituted of body and soul. Still, one person.
Christ and His people one body. Man and woman one
flesh. Body and soul one individual.
<>
Hunger and thirst are apt words to describe both physical
and spiritual needs. But, it is precisely here in the
tangible, earthly nature of religion that we stumble.
So, what does Jesus speak of in John 6? Bread. Is there
anything more basic than bread? Anything more earthly?
<>
And Jesus doesnt just mention bread. He speaks of it
at length. All of John 6 is called the Bread of Life
discourse. How can it be, then, that for some, true
religion is devoid of earthly, physical components? That
for many, true religion is all about feelings, and
thoughts, and emotions and nothing more? Such thinking
is totally foreign to Jesus. Totally foreign to Scripture.
Remember, the God who made heaven and earth is the same God
who redeems us body and soul. The same God who will one day
raise us up bodily, and reunite body and soul for a new and
everlasting life.
<>
Jesus in himself is the perfect union of heavenly and
earthly. Heavenly Begotten of the Father before all
worlds . . . as we confess in the Creed. And, earthly
Born of the Virgin Mary. But it isnt the
heavenly nature of God that is problematic for people. We
kind of like the idea that gods are heavenly other
worldly. If they remain heavenly they are remote out of
the way. To have a god that is only heavenly keeps him (or
her, or it!) at a safe distance. With a purely heavenly god
off someplace else were left alone to do our
thing, live life as we want. Human nature doesnt really
want a god that gets too close too familiar.
<>
Christian lives are lived bodily. That entails
responsibility. Responsibility to God in our neighbor. Our
spouse. Children, workers, friends, fellow church members
even enemies. Sin is fleeing from those
responsibilities. As the saying goes, if it werent for
the people, this world would be a pretty agreeable place.
<>
When you think of the Ten Commandments, what do they deal
with? The most basic aspects of bodily life. Authority.
Life and death. Sexual relations. Property. Reputation.
Hardly a day goes by when some or all of these
dont come into play. To keep or follow the commandments
for ourselves much less for the benefit of our neighbor
leaves us drained. We become exhausted. Always playing
catch-up. Always on the verge of throwing in the towel
giving up. Not only are our souls parched our bodies
are run ragged. We thirst. We hunger. But not just any
old food will do. Refreshment is needed, but its a
refreshment we are incapable of providing.
<>
In our text today what do we find? Grumbling. And what
causes grumbling? Unease. Mankinds carefully built wall
separating the heavenly from the earthly has been breached.
God no longer deals with us from a safe distance.
Five times the word comes down is used of, and by,
Jesus. The location of God has become very specific. God
is here in the flesh and blood of Jesus. He is the bread
of life that has come down. What we most needed
has come to us. Wasnt our idea. We didnt go looking
for it. Werent even aware. God didnt ask us.
Didnt wait for us to figure it out. Rather, God supplied
the solution to the need in spite of us. Jesus comes as our
true rest both for body and soul.
<>
Still the grumbling continues, doesnt it? Is not
this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we
know? Hes human, this Jesus. Physical not a
phantasm, an illusion. Tangible not ethereal or
abstract. We know his parents, the crowd contends.
How can He say: I have come down from heaven?
The crowds are dismissive. They always are. What do we
often hear today? How can a little water poured over
someones head do anything? How can one dry, little
piece of tasteless bread and a jigger of wine do
anything? How can a pastor or anyone else for
that matter assume to speak for God and forgive sins?
Dismissive. The world is always dismissive of Jesus and
His ways. Times have changed, but the grumbling continues.
<>
Jesus comes down from heaven. Yet, He is born into time
of the Virgin Mary. In His person, Jesus unites
heaven and earth. To us who are incapable of ascending
Jesus descends. Jesus steps into our shoes. Into our skin.
<>
Life under the Law is relentless. Perfection,
perfection, perfection thats always the demand. We
are running up a hill that has no end to it. Conceived in
sin, we run as cripples. The moment we think we have done
some great work thats the moment our work becomes a
sin. Weve looked into our self our work and in
that moment pride overtakes us. Thinking weve made great
strides in our uphill run we find instead that weve
done nothing but slide backwards.
<>
But Christ has come. Has come down. In our skin He has
lived perfectly under the Law. Thoughts, words, deeds
all perfect. And all this not for himself. No, for us.
Your substitute under the Law. Born of the Virgin Mary.
Real body. Real blood. Real life.
<>
Now, to have lived perfectly under the Law is fine.
Congratulations Jesus! But what about my sins? Our sins?
Thats what Jesus life was all about. Living a life
that would deal once-and-for-all with our sins. Actively He
lived under the Law. Passively He took into Himself our
sin, our death. He was condemned in our place. He is our
substitute in two ways. He actively fulfilled the Law for
us making us perfect and holy. And, He passively took
our sins to Himself and received the punishment they have
earned. The result? The same. We are made perfect and
holy as a consequence. Jesus is the Bread that is baked on
the cross by the wrath of God the Father directed against
our sins. Jesus true man and true God. And on the
cross, true atonement is accomplished.
<>
This was precisely the will of our Father in heaven. A
will with which Jesus was in perfect agreement. And now,
everything that Jesus does He gives to us. In Holy Baptism,
all of Jesus work is given to us. There our thirst is
being quenched. And in the Holy Supper, again, all that
Jesus has done is given to us. There our hunger is being
satisfied.
<>
Jesus says, I am the living bread that comes down from
heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live
forever. By means of Gods word of promise I am
the Lord, your God by means of that promise we are
ushered from the thirst-quenching water of Baptism to the
life-giving bread of the Lords Supper. And, as we
consume the bread and wine we are in turn consumed.
Consumed into Jesus. Because He lives you shall live
also. The Bread of Jesus the flesh of Jesus is life
giving. The baptismal water in which Jesus meets us is life
giving. His Word His promise does it all. Here is
life, because here is forgiveness.
<>
Heaven and earth are full of the glory of God simply
because heaven and earth have been brought together in
Jesus. We live heavenly lives here on earth. Not because
we in ourselves are so great. No, but because
Christ lives in us. His Holy Spirit has taken up residence
in us in the temple which He, Himself, has created
redeemed and claimed. Body and soul. Together.
Nourished. Thats you. Redeemed by Jesus the Bread
of Life. Redeemed for the life that will appear on the Last
Day.
Amen
+Consummatun est, in omne tempus+
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