Sermon
for Lent 4, Laetare, March 27, 2022
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and
Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
John 6:24-36 24When the crowd saw that
neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to
Work for the Bread Who gives life everlasting.
Dear disciples of the
Bread from heaven,
We will soon enter the time of year when many people, and
many of you, will be working overtime to produce food for the coming year. Whether you are farming or merely planting a
garden, spring planting means many extra hours of work tilling the soil,
eliminating and inhibiting weeds, and getting seed into the ground. The question I have for you, today, is why
are you doing this work? Why do you do
anything, or everything, you do?
It is
often said that, regardless of how many hundreds of religions sprout up in our
world, there are in essence really only two—the religion of “do,” and the
religion of “done,” which is true Christianity.
All the pagan religions, and every religion that doesn’t worship the
Triune God, are mere human efforts to do something to make sure that life here
on earth is better. Regardless of what
gods they serve, those pagan religions serve only the god of the belly. Pagan worshippers strive (in whatever way
their religion dictates) to make sure that their works satisfy their deity in
the wishful thinking that this will help the fields produce good crops, keep
their enemies at bay, and in some cases, earn a future in some kind of heaven. In any case, success or failure is thought to
depend on what you do to please an imagined god.
Our text,
this morning, serves as a pretty good contrast between the two types of
religion. Here, Jesus invites us to
choose wisely, and to Work for the Bread Who gives
life everlasting.
The
events of our text take place the day after Jesus fed five thousand men plus
many women and children with just five barley loaves and two small fish. It was a tremendous miracle far beyond the
scope of imagination. Yet, it brought a
curious response from many of the people.
Instead of listening to the message Jesus was bringing, they saw the
cheap and easy food, and that is all they wanted from God’s Son. Of course, the chief problem is that they
still didn’t recognize Jesus as the Son of God.
As you
heard in our Gospel lesson a few moments ago, Jesus had left those people
behind because they desired to make Him their bread king. They didn’t believe in Him as the Savior sent
from heaven, but still they wanted Him to satisfy their bellies. Though claiming to be of the faith of
Abraham; in reality, they believed and acted like pagans. Thus, Jesus answered them, “Amen, Amen, I
tell you: You are not looking for me because you saw the miraculous signs, but
because you ate the loaves and were filled.”
As is so
easily the case, those people were concerned primarily with earthly
things. We know how easy it is to fall
into this trap. Making a living requires
lots of hard work for most people.
Furthermore, our world is full of many troubles that consume our
attention: the struggles of health, a desire to keep up with successful
neighbors, wars abroad and disputes between neighbors at home, life and death
issues along with many other troubles keep our eyes focused on this life. Jesus recognized the pagan thinking in their
reality. He invites them to change their
focus, saying, “Do not continue to work for the food that spoils, but for
the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal
of approval.”
While
this statement may challenge us, we must remember why Jesus came into the
world. Jesus didn’t come to make this
world a rose garden. Rather, Jesus came
to rescue us out of this world condemned by sin. Also, it’s not that God doesn’t care about us
here on earth, just that He wants something so much better for us. Remember, Jesus had previously said, “Seek
first the
The
crowd’s reply shows us the nature of their faith. They said to him, “What should we do to
carry out the works of God?” Their
thought process led them to assume that they had to please God. This pagan thinking seems sincere. The trouble is it assumes that what we do
will control God and bring Him under human authority. It gets reality backwards, so they didn’t
recognize the gift Jesus came to give them which is forgiveness and eternal
life. Only Jesus could please God as
necessary to rescue mankind from the curse of sin. Only Jesus could give us salvation and a home
in heaven.
Jesus
answered them, “This is the work of God: that you believe in the one he sent.” Here is the reality, salvation comes only
through faith in Jesus, but even that is not a work any of us can do. By nature, we were dead in sin. By nature, we were under the devil’s control,
and he causes people to believe they can control God and their destiny. However, no one ever saved himself from the curse
of death that sin brings. It is only by
the work of God that anyone will be saved as St. Paul noted in his letter to
the Ephesians: “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and
this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that
no one can boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9)
Still
mystified by Jesus and His words, Then they asked him, “So what miraculous
sign are you going to do, that we may see it and believe you? What miraculous sign are you going to
perform? Our fathers ate the manna in
the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to
eat.’” That crowd had just witnessed
one of the greatest miracles ever, plus the countless healings Jesus performed
daily for those who came seeking His help, yet the pagan mind couldn’t
recognize Jesus. The warning for us is
that we don’t follow the same false path.
How easy it is for us to see the troubles in our world as though God is
punishing us. How easy it is to
challenge God to prove Himself as those people did. Huge is the crowd of people still today who
demand proof that God is doing His job.
They see the sins of mankind and question how God can exist if He allows
this wickedness to continue. How could a
loving God allow starvation, cancer, hatred, discrimination, pandemics, and the
brutality of wars to exist? Yet, all of
these things are consequences of sin in the world.
The crowd
asked for a sign like that which Moses had proclaimed to Israel. They demanded daily bread by miraculous
intervention. Again, the people were
focused on their bellies, so Jesus said to them, “Amen, Amen, I tell you:
Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the real
bread from heaven. For the bread of God
is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Our chief problem isn’t that God has failed
in His providence; rather our problem is sin and the condemnation it
brings. Therefore, fulfilling His
Father’s gracious plan, Jesus came to restore peace between God and the human
race and to give us life everlasting.
God wants to deliver us from the darkness, death, and pain so endemic to
this world.
Therefore,
in answer to those skeptical Jews, who didn’t believe what He was teaching,
Jesus told them, “I am the Bread of Life, the one who comes to me will never
be hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.” In His sermon on the mount, Jesus declared, “Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be
filled.” (Matthew 5:6) It is the
same message. God wants us to be focused
on a life that far surpasses the frail existence we know here today. The life of God’s people is more than money
and goods, more than food for the table and peace between nations. It is so much more than serving our
bellies. Jesus came to be the source of
our everlasting peace and hope. He came
because our sins required a payment, and because we need to be holy to spend
eternity with our Creator.
All
religions other than faithful Christianity preach works that you are required
to accomplish in order to have a future.
Jesus came preaching what He was doing for you and me and the
world. Every word that comes from the
mouth of our God is food for the soul.
Every action of Jesus’ life is the holiness we need before entering the
glory of heaven. Finally, the three
years of Jesus’ ministry as the Teacher of Israel led up to His sacrifice as
the Lamb of God. With His holy life
lived for you and me, Jesus then took our sins to the cross, and by His death,
the wages of sin has been paid.
My
friends, this spring, you may be tempted again to put your relationship with
God on hold while you strive to do the things you need to do in your
vocations. As a former farmer, I know
those temptations are strong. My point
isn’t that you have to follow a strict regiment to serve your Lord. Rather, my invitation is to keep your focus
on Jesus in everything you undertake.
Remember who you serve—not the god of your belly—but the true God who
gave His life so that you will be holy before His Father. Start each day remembering the sacrifice
Jesus made to give you life and peace.
Take moments to consider and remember His words of promise and His
resurrection from the grave through which God certifies to the world that
Jesus’ victory over death and the devil is complete. Remember Jesus’ continual invitation, “Come to me all you who
are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Never
forget that no matter what happens here on earth, our God has a plan to take
care of you. By the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, St. Paul assures us, “What then will we say about these
things? If God is for us, who can be
against us? Indeed, he who did not spare
his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also
graciously give us all things along with him?” (Romans 8:31-32) Through whatever trials the world throws
against us, our God will provide just as He always has, and should He allow us
to face hardships or whatever disaster might befall, remember that Jesus has
already done everything needed to give you eternal life. His death paid the full penalty for your
sin. His life is counted to you as your
willing service to God. Jesus’
resurrection from the dead assures you that all sins are forgiven.
Dear
friends, by the work of the Holy Spirit in Word and Baptism, God made you His
own dear child by working the faith in you to believe in Jesus as your
Savior. Remember Jesus’ promise, “I
am the Bread of Life, the one who comes to me will never be hungry, and the one
who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Then, trusting in Jesus as your Savior, go out confidently and
faithfully in your vocations as you Work for the Bread Who gives life
everlasting. Amen.
The peace
of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.
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