Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
John 6:35-51
• Stop me if you’ve heard this before… (said Jesus,
never). Quite the opposite.
Let anyone who
has ears listen.
Jesus repeating I am bread of life… Repeating for emphasis, for truth, for
encouragement. Let anyone who has ears listen. Let anyone who has ears listen.
Story of eagle,
raised by turkeys. Mother eagle knew it would die before eaglet hatched, so it
left egg in turkey nest. Eagle hatched with turkeys and was treated like one,
acted like one. Ate seeds, grains, grubs, worms. Flew a few feet at a time. No
mirror, but a sense of not being home. Visited by free eagle, who frightened at
first (young eagle both curious and resistant), recognized, encouraged, brought
mice, encouraged, still frightened, brought rabbit, encouraged, taught to fly
(bird of prey picking up eaglet and flying! Can you imagine?) and set free.
Limitations of
this story (all of humankind is in this boat), but good points (sense of
belonging elsewhere, all made to soar). Jesus guides, frees. And we (humans)
are not meant for here forever, but for a time. We set aside what we know, when
we see and trust Jesus, who feeds us with kingdom food. Drawn out of our
comfort (must God be comfortable? Seminary student: I’m not comfortable with a
God like that: assumption that we should find God comfortable)
• As bread dough is kneaded, slowly working its rising,
so does God work in us. Our food (bread) is not the bread of this world but
divine sustenance. Our work to do the will of the one who sent us (6:38)
• Not one and done, but compelling, drawing. Desire to
receive, to understand, to experience more fullness.
• straight into communion liturgy.
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