Bread of Life

Jesus had just fed 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. The crowd that followed him was so amazed by this miracle that they can’t get enough of Jesus. Hungry for more they went to Capernaum looking for him. The gospel reading reminds me of the opening scenes of the movie musical “Oliver.” which is based on Charles Dickens classic “Oliver Twist.” The movie begins at the orphan and pauper workhouse in early 19th century London. After a day of hard labor in the mills hundreds of ragged skinny little boys descend down several flights of stairs in lock step with empty bowls in their hands ready to receive their tasteless, colorless daily gruel.

In unison the miserable little boys sing,

“Is it worth the waiting for
If we live till 84
All we ever get is gruel
Every day we say a prayer
Will they change the bill of fare
Still we get the same old gruel.”

I imagine the crowd of people that were chasing after Jesus were also suffering from a similar hunger. Under the tyranny of Roman occupied Palestine, most of Jesus’ audience consisted of poor people living under the thumb of Roman imperialism. Scholars note that in the first century under Roman rule, a small elite class controlled all the production of wealth, resources and land. Those who were not of the elite class, which was most of the population of Palestine, lived in wretched poverty. The majority of the people living in under the Roman Empire lived in misery, danger, fear and despair. These people who suffered exploitation by the powers that be clamored after Jesus with such a hunger because they wanted someone powerful to hang all their hopes on. The people rejoiced, “This man can feed 5000 with only five loaves and bread and two fishes, this man can make the lame walk, this man who could heal the sick and even raise the dead, surely this man can save us!” Like the orphans in “Oliver” sang ever so wistfully:

“Food Glorious food.
What we wouldn’t give for
That extra bit more
That’s all we live for
Why should we be fated to do
Nothing but brood on food
Magical food
Wonderful food.”

The miracles of Jesus gave the crowds the hope that Jesus was their Messiah who would take back the throne of David and take away power from the Roman government.

However this was not what Jesus was all about. Jesus performed miracles not to t satisfying the people’s immediate needs but to give them signs of what Jesus was all about. Jesus the son of God was brought on earth to spread the good news of God’s love and grace for all of God’s creation. Instead the crowds thought of him like we think of the convenience of a fast food drive up window. Need some food, just come on down to the son of God and his miracle of multiplying loaves and fishes will feed you and 5000 of your closest friends. Are you crippled, lame or just fallen and can’t get up, well just pull on up to the magical Jesus and he will make you walk again. Has your child suddenly died for no apparent reason, well mourn no more because Jesus the short order miracle worker will raise her from the dead. After each miracle the crowds chase after Jesus with their hands held out and like Oliver they say, “Please sir, I want some more..”

Just as our mouths water as we wait in the fast food drive-thru lane in anticipation of the burgers, fries and soda that will immediately satisfy our physical hunger so too the crowd’s mouth’s watered at the witnessing of Jesus’ miracles. However, like fast food, the miracles do not give us what we need for long term sustenance. The effects of miracles are short term, those whom Jesus healed from sickness got sick again, if not with the original malady…they became sick with another. The newly walking lame eventually grew old and became crippled again. And the child whom Jesus raised from the dead, well she grew up and eventually died of natural causes. And gospel shows us that the ones whom Jesus fed with the loaves and fishes became hungry again.

Many of us suffer from our own unsatisfied hunger. We crave for things such as financial security, physical well-being and peaceful relationships. We chase after things thinking that they will make us happy. We think we will be happy when: we get that job, buy that big house, or the fastest car. When we attain these things, they don’t seem to give us satisfaction for a long time and so we continue to chase after things that are bigger, better, faster than what we already have. We buy self help books and turn to folks such as Dr. Phil and Oprah hoping it will provide us with the healing that we hunger for. The overwhelming problem of this human condition of wanting comes from our feeling alienated from God. This alienation can cause a deep sense of not being good enough and to escape this feeling of inadequacy we turn to things to make us feel better. Some have become addicted to things such as alcohol, shopping, over-eating and other maladaptive behaviors to fill up their emptiness. Underneath it all the wanting is the longing to have a connection with something which is greater than ourselves. Jesus offers us that connection. He shows us how to have a close and abiding relationship with God. In the gospel Jesus instructs us, “Do not work for food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” We know that Jesus had a close abiding relationship with God. God was not some distant other presence up in the sky someplace, but someone whom Jesus held close to his heart, so close that he called him Father. In his claim, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Jesus promises that if we follow in his example, we too can have that same close and abiding relationship with God.

Today we break bread and drink of the fruit of the vine to celebrate Jesus…the bread of life who came to us both divine and human to share in our lot. He came not to impress us with miracles, but rather to impress us with his relationship with God. It is this relationship that will become the “meal” that sustains our souls, bringing us wholeness healing and growth. When our souls are fed and filled by a close and abiding relationship with God, we may still go through hunger, illness, lameness and yes even death. But one thing we will never ever be is – empty.

We come to the communion table to connect with God and to know God through his son Jesus. We gather around this table knowing that Christ is the host, Christ set this table and Christ welcomes us all and following Christ’s example we invite those who feel disconnected from God to know God through our communities of faith. Not because we think that Jesus is a magical miracle worker, but because he shows us how to have a relationship with God. We invite people to know God the same way we do, through a man whom we know as the bread of life, whose ministry was about love and justice. And emboldened by the promise of new life that Jesus gives through rising again on Easter morning, we know that hope is alive and that grace abounds. May it be so. Amen.