More than Spiritual

John 6:51-58

Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan

Jesus’ lengthy speech in the 6th chapter of John is called the “Bread Discourse.” We have heard significant pieces of it over the past few weeks. We first heard the section reporting his feeding of the 5000, showing he is a prophet like Elijah, Elisha, and Moses. And we learned the importance of Leftovers. Next we heard him proclaim he is the Bread of Life, so we understand he is more than mere bread. He feeds our spiritual hungers and more. He satisfies our deepest hungers for the sacred presence of God within our hearts and souls. Last Sunday, Rev. Tom Messick continued the investigation into the bread discourse, inviting us to think about the insufficiency of our faith and the abundance of God’s grace. Today we continue the push into deeper understandings of Jesus as the living bread which gives life for the world. Although the Gospel of John begins by painting a portrait of Jesus as the eternal Word of God, the only begotten son of the Almighty, we are quickly told that Jesus is more than divine, even more than spiritual. If we recall the start of the Gospel of John, we hear that Jesus, the holy and eternal Word of God, through whom all creation happens, takes on human flesh and dwells as one of us. Our minds call up an image of Christ, giving up the security of heaven to pitch the tent of a physical body among puny fleshly people. Jesus “moved in with us,” someone said. Gave up divine comforts to cast his lot with humanity; to feel human fatigue, frustration, desires, impatience, joy, hunger, anger, happiness, and pain. As we listen to Jesus nearing the end of the bread discourse, we rightly remember, he offers more than spiritual bread. As important as the spiritual is, Jesus took on real flesh. From the 6th chapter of the Gospel of John, listen for the word of God.  

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”  

Jesus is talking about life, but if we get honest, most of the time, it looks more like death is winning. Look around. The forces of death seem to be having their day. The life Jesus encouraged the Church to spread around the world hasn’t gained much ground lately. Things instead look pretty grim.

Since this discourse is all about bread, let’s think about daily bread. If Jesus comes in physical flesh, what about physical bread in the world? What about food insecurity? Exact statistics about food insecurity are difficult to obtain, but international experts estimate 3.1 million children still starve to death each year. This doesn’t count children who die from measles or diarrhea or are permanently disabled by malnutrition – just flat-out starve to death. 3.1 million, which is about 350/hr or 6/minute. Which 6 children would St Andrew be willing to let starve this minute? We learned at the beginning of worship that together, people in our congregation have 65 grands and great grandchildren. Certainly we would not allow six of our grandchildren to starve this minute. But every one of the 6 children who will, is someone’s grandchild.

Although this is a terrible statistic, the happy truth is, there is enough food in the world for everyone. Shamefully what is lacking is willpower. We can stop starvation, and we don’t. We can discover oceans of water on Mars; but we choose not to get the surpluses of food to children who will die without it. It’s choices, church.

The United Nations claims over 1 billion tons of food are wasted every year, which is about 1/3 of all food produced for human consumption. In some countries the waste is the result of lack of refrigeration, transportation issues delaying getting food to market. But in the U.S., with none of those excuses, we waste about 40% of our total food supply. Things go bad in our refrigerators, food gets thrown away in grocery stores, we leave significant portions on our plates in restaurants. Farmers worked all spring and summer; it took water to grow the plants and land which was cleared; then it took energy to get the crops to market. Glorious, abundant food. And then we throw it away. Up to 400 lbs/person/year. When children are starving in a world where there is enough food for everyone, to our shame, death seems to be winning.[1]

But Jesus brings eternal life. He promises that those who feed on him will live forever. Which is good news for those who have no hope for a full life with enough to eat on this side of the grave. They can look forward to having a heavenly home, someday. Through the years, people have criticized those aspects of Christianity which promised “pie in the sky, by and by.” They argue against those who claim that life might be hard now, but Jesus will eventually reward you with a banquet and a time of rejoicing the other side of the grave. Some people think such promises are foolhardy, used to trick people into being content with whatever horrible circumstances life dishes out. But the truth is, if your life is dominated by misery and pain, you need to be able to sense the presence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ as a companion through the trials now and also trust he will be there to greet you at the door of heaven. Such faith helps believers survive unsurvivable hardships. Think of an innocent person on death row, whose execution date approaches; or the parent of a terminally ill child, who grows weaker; or a young woman who has been sold into the sex trade with no hope of escape. Having faith in the eternal care of Jesus might help keep their sanity. Might even save their life. If you live in such excruciating circumstances, you can cling to the promise of receiving nourishment from the life of Jesus Christ, come down from heaven, which promises life in the hereafter. Can’t you hear their prayers? “Jesus, I need to sense your presence; Help me know you see me as innocent and pure; and please promise me that I will see my child in the life to come.” The passage tells you twice – whoever eats of this bread, is consuming the very presence of Jesus. You will live forever. Pretty glorious promise. Jesus brings eternal life.

However, Jesus also promises life now. To receive Jesus means something for our physical life here, too. After all, the Divine Word became flesh, by choice. When we take the presence of Jesus Christ into our being then we share in the life he gives for the world. The plan is for the love of God to be spread throughout the world, to bring wholeness of life to each person. The sustenance of Jesus is for life in the world, now. When we think back to those 3 million starving children, remember what Mahatma Gandhi said, something like: “God would not dare appear to starving people, except in the form of bread and work.”

The Word of God has come in physical form, although not actual bread. However, we can say he has put skin in the game. He calls us to take his flesh into our flesh; to co-mingle with his being. So then our flesh will be involved in bringing his life to the world.  We know there are Christians all over the world involved in trying to overcome hunger. Some work with feeding programs; others focus on water conservation and well digging. Still others are scientists studying crop development, while others work with new farming techniques. They fight to keep children alive. Why do they bother? Because they have received holy, living bread.

When we experience Jesus, through his teachings, his stories, through prayer, through contact with his Holy Spirit, we realize God has met us in our physical life, now. God has taken a chance with us, placing sacred power in these puny, earthen vessels. One of the commentators calls the Gospel of John “scandalously carnal and incarnational,” fleshly physical, because Jesus wants each of us, body and soul, to have full lives. Full spiritual lives, connected to the grace and love of God, but also healthful, whole physical lives, connected to the life of the world in Jesus.

So, here’s a challenge for us, as we consider Jesus’ love for those 6 children every minute. Every month at the Table, we take within us the presence of Jesus, which has come to bring life to the whole world. We already know our actions have consequences. What if we decided individually and as a congregation to waste less food? To support All Faiths Food Pantry more significantly or some international hunger program? We could put a second basket on the Brunch table to collect for All Faiths or add a figure to our offering check noting it is for UCC Global Ministries global food security. What if, instead of shopping at the grocery store for dinner, we shopped on our own pantry shelves or in our refrigerator, eating food we already paid for, before it expires? What if we took the children of the world into account as we dealt with food in our lives? Bread for every person means life for the world, which is exactly what Jesus Christ wants. The Bread of Life for the world because Jesus promises life now.

[1] Much of this information came from the Recycle Track System website.