Look for Jesus?

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus replied, “I assure you that you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate all the food you wanted. Don’t work for the food that doesn’t last but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Human One will give you. God the Father has confirmed him as his agent to give life.” They asked, “What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?” Jesus replied, “This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent.” They asked, “What miraculous sign will you do, that we can see and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” Jesus told them, “I assure you, it wasn’t Moses who gave the bread from heaven to you, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said, “Sir, give us this bread all the time!” Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:24-35, CEB)

Why do you look for Jesus?

Ok, maybe we aren’t really looking for Jesus. But why do you follow Jesus?

Do you follow God as fire insurance? Your get out of Hell free card punched?

Do you follow Jesus for what you get? Answers to prayers, help finding your keys?

These people in the reading were looking for Jesus because he was healing the sick and giving them food.

But it isn’t about the miracles or the feeding. It is about love.

Love is what we get from God and not because we follow or do something. Because we are created by God.

I follow Jesus because I know no matter what I do, I will be accepted and loved. I do not know any place else that will happen or with anyone else. All humans will let us down, but God never will. Follow and seek God because God will never let you down.

Loving People. Loving God.

A little yeast…

When the disciples arrived on the other side of the lake, they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch out and be on your guard for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “We didn’t bring any bread.” Jesus knew what they were discussing and said, “You people of weak faith! Why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you don’t have any bread? Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves that fed the five thousand and how many baskets of leftovers you gathered? And the seven loaves that fed the four thousand and how many large baskets of leftovers you gathered? Don’t you know that I wasn’t talking about bread? But be on your guard for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he wasn’t telling them to be on their guard for yeast used in making bread. No, he was telling them to watch out for the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:5-12, CEB)

Once you mix the yeast in, it is impossible to get it out.

Once you allow the false teachings to take hold, it is impossible to get rid of them.

Watch out for a little false teaching and how that will spoil the whole batch.

Follow God, even when those around you aren’t.

Speak the truth even when those around you aren’t.

Loving People. Loving God.

wait for each other

This is why those who eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord inappropriately will be guilty of the Lord’s body and blood. Each individual should test himself or herself, and eat from the bread and drink from the cup in that way. Those who eat and drink without correctly understanding the body are eating and drinking their own judgment. Because of this, many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few have died. But if we had judged ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. However, we are disciplined by the Lord when we are judged so that we won’t be judged and condemned along with the whole world. For these reasons, my brothers and sisters, when you get together to eat, wait for each other. If some of you are hungry, they should eat at home so that getting together doesn’t lead to judgment. I will give directions about the other things when I come. (1 Corinthians 11:27-34, CEB)

Wait for each other.

Do not eat the Lord’s meal in vain. Do not be a glutton and eat more than your fill.

We all need the grace this meal gives and anyone hoarding or hogging the supper will be judged for that.

Share like Christ.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Look out for others…

Now I don’t praise you as I give the following instruction because when you meet together, it does more harm than good. First of all, when you meet together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it. It’s necessary that there are groups among you, to make it clear who is genuine. So when you get together in one place, it isn’t to eat the Lord’s meal. Each of you goes ahead and eats a private meal. One person goes hungry while another is drunk. Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on God’s churches and humiliate those who have nothing? What can I say to you? Will I praise you? No, I don’t praise you in this. (1 Corinthians 11:17-22, CEB)

Paul here is giving the Corinthians a hard time because those who were not working were gathering together and eating and drinking all of the Lord’s Supper before all the gathering members were there. So those better off were not waiting for those working for a living and were not saving them anything to eat.

When we think only about ourselves, we are not doing what God has called us to do.

We are not caring for others, and not sharing love.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

scarcity…

Late in the day, his disciples came to him and said, “This is an isolated place, and it’s already late in the day. Send them away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy something to eat for themselves.” He replied, “You give them something to eat.” But they said to him, “Should we go off and buy bread worth almost eight months’ pay and give it to them to eat?” He said to them, “How much bread do you have? Take a look.” After checking, they said, “Five loaves of bread and two fish.” He directed the disciples to seat all the people in groups as though they were having a banquet on the green grass. They sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. He took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them, broke the loaves into pieces, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. Everyone ate until they were full. They filled twelve baskets with the leftover pieces of bread and fish. About five thousand had eaten. (Mark 6:35-44, CEB)

We tend to be a people of scarcity. Where will we get enough food to feed all these people? Do you want us to go off and buy bread worth eight months’ pay? How are we supposed to do this?

When confronted with something that seems insurmountable we question how it will happen.

And yet our God is not a God of scarcity, but a God of abundance.

We are an abundance people.

We need to say, God, I can’t wait to see how you use us to do this.

God I can’t wait to see how this happens.

How can we move from a people of scarcity to a people of abundance?

Loving People. Loving God.

I will visit…

That’s why I’ve been stopped so many times from coming to see you. But now, since I don’t have any place to work in these regions anymore, and since I’ve wanted to come to see you for many years, I’ll visit you when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while I’m passing through. And I hope you will send me on my way there, after I have first been reenergized by some time in your company. But now I’m going to Jerusalem, to serve God’s people. Macedonia and Achaia have been happy to make a contribution for the poor among God’s people in Jerusalem. They were happy to do this, and they are actually in debt to God’s people in Jerusalem. If the Gentiles got a share of the Jewish people’s spiritual resources, they ought to minister to them with material resources. So then after I have finished this job and have safely delivered the final amount of the Gentiles’ offering to them, I will leave for Spain, visiting you on the way. And I know that when I come to you I will come with the fullest blessing of Christ. Brothers and sisters, I urge you, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggles in your prayers to God for me. Pray that I will be rescued from the people in Judea who don’t believe. Also, pray that my service for Jerusalem will be acceptable to God’s people there so that I can come to you with joy by God’s will and be reenergized with your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. (Romans 15:22-33, CEB)

Paul has wanted to go to Rome but never made it as of the writing of this letter. Romans is a letter Paul wrote to a community he did not help start nor have an on going relationship with.

To me that is kind of like a national gathering in the church where you meet someone you you are social media friends with. Paul knew about the church and was introducing himself and wanted to meet them IRL. I meet a lot of people I am Facebook friends with at Youth Gatherings or other gatherings of the church. We have a connection but have never actually shared a cup of coffee.

Who would you like to visit but haven’t been able to?

Who could you sit at a table over a cup of coffee and talk about life and faith?

Who would you build up and help be a beacon for love in the world?

May you be at peace and know God is always with you.

Loving People. Loving God.

concern

I was very glad in the Lord because now at last you have shown concern for me again. (Of course you were always concerned but had no way to show it.) I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance. I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. Still, you have done well to share my distress. You Philippians know from the time of my first mission work in Macedonia how no church shared in supporting my ministry except you. You sent contributions repeatedly to take care of my needs even while I was in Thessalonica. I’m not hoping for a gift, but I am hoping for a profit that accumulates in your account. I now have plenty and it is more than enough. I am full to overflowing because I received the gifts that you sent from Epaphroditus. Those gifts give off a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice that pleases God. My God will meet your every need out of his riches in the glory that is found in Christ Jesus. Let glory be given to God our Father forever and always. Amen. (Philippians 4:10-20, CEB)

Paul here tells the Philippians that he knows how to live and survive with plenty and without. But he sees that they are concerned for him and they are showing that concern.

Do we show the concern we have for others? I have had people ask me if I am seriously doing ok with some of the things I post on social media. I post things about depression, anxiety, and all kinds of mental things. I post these sometimes for myself, as I am dealing with something. Sometimes I post them for my children as they have and still deal with demons. Sometimes I share them because it is good for all of us to know. But I always appreciate the concern I receive from friends and family. This is showing the love of Christ and is something we all should do.

Do you show concern for others?

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Miracle

After this Jesus went across the Galilee Sea (that is, the Tiberias Sea). A large crowd followed him, because they had seen the miraculous signs he had done among the sick. Jesus went up a mountain and sat there with his disciples. It was nearly time for Passover, the Jewish festival. Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” Jesus said this to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “More than a half year’s salary worth of food wouldn’t be enough for each person to have even a little bit.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, “A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass there. They sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread. When he had given thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, each getting as much as they wanted. When they had plenty to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves that had been left over by those who had eaten. When the people saw that he had done a miraculous sign, they said, “This is truly the prophet who is coming into the world.” Jesus understood that they were about to come and force him to be their king, so he took refuge again, alone on a mountain. When evening came, Jesus’ disciples went down to the lake. They got into a boat and were crossing the lake to Capernaum. It was already getting dark and Jesus hadn’t come to them yet. The water was getting rough because a strong wind was blowing. When the wind had driven them out for about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the water. He was approaching the boat and they were afraid. He said to them, “I Am. Don’t be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and just then the boat reached the land where they had been heading. (John 6:1-21, CEB)

Why do you believe in and follow Jesus?

Here the disciples, particularly Philip, didn’t get it. They were with Jesus and knew what he could do and yet still questioned things.

I have seen many miracles in my time and I still think about things in a human manner and question how things will work.

When the disciples saw Jesus on the water as they were crossing the see, Jesus said to them, “I AM.” At least the translation above says that. The NRSV says, “It is I.” The CEB gets the words, and the NRSV has in a footnote that in the Greek is is I Am. I Am is what God said to Moses when Moses asked what God’s name was. Jesus literally said, I’m God, don’t be afraid. The disciples still didn’t get it and I doubt we would either.

We are each a miracle and a vessel of God’s love to the world.

Don’t doubt that God is with you and try not to get in the way of God working through you.

Loving People. Loving God.

fed

In the meantime the disciples spoke to Jesus, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” Jesus said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” The disciples asked each other, “Has someone brought him food?” Jesus said to them, “I am fed by doing the will of the one who sent me and by completing his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘Four more months and then it’s time for harvest’? Look, I tell you: open your eyes and notice that the fields are already ripe for the harvest. Those who harvest are receiving their pay and gathering fruit for eternal life so that those who sow and those who harvest can celebrate together. This is a true saying, that one sows and another harvests. I have sent you to harvest what you didn’t work hard for; others worked hard, and you will share in their hard work.” (John 4:31-38, CEB)

How are you fed?

And what does Jesus mean by “I am fed by doing the will of the one who sent me and by completing his work.”

Does he mean physically fed or emotionally or spiritually or something else?

We need to eat physical food or our bodies will start to eat themselves from the inside out, but we also need to feed our mental, spiritual, and emotional lives.

How are you fed?

By sharing love and grace and showing the world that hate will not win.

Loving People. Loving God.

tolerant…

Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people. The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17, CEB)

Be tolerant with each other. It seems we as a society in the USA have forgotten how to do this. But to see how we need to really understand, tolerant.

According to m-w.com tolerant means willing to accept the beliefs, feelings, habits, or behaviors of another group, culture, etc. as legitimate even when they differ from one’s own. There are many groups pushing for one religion to be the main understanding in a country that is founded on the separation of church and state so there would never be a state religion. If you do not conform you need to go back where you came from. One group was seen recently holding signs that said mass deportations. This is not tolerance. This is hatred and pushing something that is not a part of what we are called to be as followers of Christ.

Also according to m-w.com tolerant means permitting or accepting something (such as a behavior or belief) that one does not like. We can not make everyone else like us, and really how boring would that be if we were all alike? I mean seriously I really don’t want a whole bunch more of me running around.

We aren’t all supposed to be the same or even alike. We are each a beautiful creation of a master creator, that stitched us all together to make their image! We are a part of the image of God and without everyone the image isn’t complete and we are not the image of God. We need everyone who is a child of God, which is everyone.

Be tolerant and forgive as God forgave you and love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.