Sermon on John 6:1-15

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

At the nonprofit I worked at before I started seminary, I did some event planning. It was fun—I liked the fastpace and getting to work out all the details. But, no matter how many times I did it or how far in advance I made all the preparations—no matter what,—the night before, I would get this sudden feeling of panic:

·       Did I order enough breakfast sandwiches for the board meeting?

·       Will there be enough entertainment for the guests at the fundraiser?

·       Are we going to run out of sodas?

·       Is there enough money in the budget to make this a successful event?

·       Why do I do this to myself?

No matter how many times I had planned events that went smoothly, I would get that clenching feeling in my stomach, that tension in my shoulders.

I always had this nagging fear of scarcity—of there not being enough—and it would all be my fault.

If Jesus had come up to me and asked me to feed 5,000 people with no planning time and no resources, I think my head would have exploded!

Yet, that is exactly what Jesus did to his disciples.

“Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”

Poor Philip—I really resonate with him here.

He knew what it would take to feed those people: more than 6 months’ wages.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me, Jesus. We can’t do it. There’s just not enough.’

Fortunately, Jesus had a plan B.

The people were fed; there were tons of leftovers.

The feeding of the five thousandis one of the most well-known of Jesus’ miracles, but it had the disciples pretty freaked out.

The disciples didn’t really get yet who Jesus was. So, they came into the situation with a sense of scarcity and fear.Understandably!              

Jesus shows signs throughout most of the Gospel of John, leading up to an understanding of his identity as the Messiah, the Son of God.

But the disciples didn’t see the whole picture yet.

They, like the crowds, knew that Jesus could do amazing things. They had seen him heal people and teach powerfully.

This, though, was new territory.

This story—and the whole of John’s Gospel—speaks to who Jesus is.

The disciples saw Jesus acting mercifully and powerfully.Jesus saw the people’s need and satisfied it.

His disciples were unable to imagine a solution. They didn’t know yet that they were dealing with an abundant God. A Creator God, who didn’t stop creating and acting in the world after its birth.

This act echoes evokes the manna in the wilderness that God provided for Moses and the Israelites in our first reading today.

It also echoes the first reading from Second Kings that we read last week, when Elisha fed a hundred people.

And also Elisha’s teacher, the prophet Elijah, when he had the widow cook a meal during a famine that would have hardly fed her and her son, and the food lasted for many days.

God has a history of feeding people and creating plenty out of very little.

The crowds heard Jesus teach so wisely and then create an abundance of food, and they recognized that he was a prophet of God like Moses or Elisha. They knew the pattern of God feeding people. Jesus fled, because they wanted to make him king. They knew something powerful was going on.

But the disciples didn’t seem to quite see this yet. As we read last week, even after they saw this amazing act of plenty, they just kind of hung around after the crowds dispersed. They waited until it was dark, then they got in their boat and sailed away.

They were afraid when they sawJesus out on the water.They still didn’t get who Jesus was…

Now, we get to see the entirety of John’s Gospel, and others besides it, and the rest of the Bible, and two millennia of scholarship and tradition and art. We have a much bigger picture of who Jesus is than the disciples did.

And yet, I’m still afraid.

I still wrestle with scarcity and anxiety and insecurity and fear.

My head would still explode if Jesus asked me to feed 5,000 people.

It’s scary even recognizing that we’re in a new chapter here at First Lutheran with Lutheran Social Services no longer having an office onsite.

We have almost 5,000 square feet and 17 vacant rooms to fill, and our budget is taking a hit forall the time it’s empty.

That’s daunting.

But imagine what could happen if we really acted as if we had a God of abundance. Because we do!

We have a God who saw the great need of people and filled them. We have a God who multiplied a kid’s sack lunch into a meal for 5,000, with 12 baskets left over.

Now, I can’t do that. But what if we’re not meant to do it on our own? What if we are the 5 loaves and 2 fish?And when we work together and listen to the guiding of the Holy Spirit, maybe, maybe, we can do infinitely more than we can imagine?

Maybe, if we work with those sitting beside us, and five rows over, and our ministry partners here at Faith at First, and the church down the block, and the faith community of a different tradition on the other side of town, and the nonprofit in the next county, and the network in the next state, and so on, and if we keep imagining and listening and letting our fear get replaced by awe and joy, maybe, God can do wonders with us.

God has something in mind for our church house building. God will use all of us—our time, talents, and treasures, all of who we are—to make this community on Earth a little more as it is in heaven.

We are part of the Body of Christ, which spans the world and exists throughout time. We are not alone. We are filled with the Holy Spirit, who works in powerful and mysterious ways. We have a God who can do wonders with nothing more than a little kid’s lunch. And we are so much more than a little kid’s lunch.

Will you pray with me?God of Abundance, you cast out fear and anticipate our needs and the needs of those around us. Lead us in this new chapter to imagine and create with you in this place. Give us courage to share your abundance with others and continue to feed people body and soul. In your name we pray, Amen.

Sermon onJohn 6:16-21

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

Jesus had fed the thousands of people who had come to hear him speak. They were so excited that they wanted to make him king, and they weren’t going to take no for an answer.But Jesus wasn’t going to let anyone derail his mission.

So, when the disciples turned around, he was gone. They waited and waited and waited, but it was getting dark—what were they supposed to do now?

They decided to get in their boat and head back across the Sea of Galilee.

By the time they were several miles from shore, it was completely dark. A wind had come up, and the water was rough. Their stomachs, full of miraculous bread and fish, started to feel queasy. Their hearts were full of misgiving.

They probably should have stayed put on shore. There had been twelve baskets of leftovers, and they probably wouldn’t have been the only ones to camp out overnight.

But now, they were miles from shore, on choppy waters, in the dark, with no Jesus.

What were they supposed to do now? How would Jesus find them?

They must have felt lost and abandoned by their rabbi.

Except that he had not abandoned them.

Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice cry out amid the howling wind, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

Jesus had found them!

Except, where did he get a boat?

Wait a second, he had no boat!

There he was, walking on the waves like it was no big deal.

Except, of course, that it was a great big deal.

Not even the forces of nature could keep their rabbi from them.

Why not?The answer is in Jesus’ greeting: “It is I.”

It can also be translated, “I am.” As in: “I Am who I Am,” the name God gave Moses from the burning bush.

This is one of seven “I am” statements in the Gospel of John. We get to know God better through Jesus, and these are what Jesus tells us about God. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Jesus is the Bread of Life. And in this story, Jesus is the I Am.Jesus has authority over the water, because he is God. He created the water he walked on.

Not the late hour, not the low visibility, not the rough waves, not even the lack of a boat could keep Jesus from his beloved disciples.

He had not abandoned them and never would.

But even though we know this story, there are times when it feels like God has abandoned us or that God doesn’t care.

There are times in our lives when God feels distant.Maybe during health problems, maybe during a loved one’s decline or after a death, maybe during a job loss or the end of a marriage or relationship, maybe when a loved one becomes estranged, maybe in a season that doesn’t have a clear difficulty to point to but is still hard.

There are all kinds of times when it feels like God has abandoned us.

It can feel like we’re out on a boat in the dark facing big waves.

But Jesus is there on the waves right beside us, calling out to us.

Sometimes his voice is harder to hear over the wind, but he’s there.

Even now, he cries out, “I am—do not be afraid!”

Jesus is our fixed point in the chaos of our world.

This reminds me of something I’ve learned in ballet class, oddly enough. I started taking a beginning ballet class for the first time last year.

Ballet involves a lot of turning, and if you ever in your childhood spun in a circle until you fell over, you know that turning makes you dizzy.

I learned there’s a technique in ballet called “spotting” that helps with this. You keep your eyes focused on one spot and you turn your body as far as you can, then whip your head around until you’re looking at that one spot again. Spotting will make you less dizzy.

I have a long way to go on mastering spotting, and let me tell you from personal, often-repeated experience: when you don’t spot properly, you get very dizzy and you start going in the wrong direction.

When it feels like your world is spinning out of control, let Jesus be your spot. Keep your eyes focused on him. Keep whipping your head around until you can see him again.

Okay, that sounds great, but how do you actually do that? Most of us don’t literally see Jesus on a day-to-day basis.

True, but when times are hard, think about how you have encountered God in the past.

Have you found scripture or devotionals meaningful? What about music? Nature? Volunteering? Talking with a good friend who tells you the truth because they know you so well?

It’s easy to let go of these life-giving things during life’s storms, when we’re just trying to keep the boat from capsizing.

I’m not saying, “Just read your Bible and life will get easier.” We don’t have that much control, and God isn’t a magic fairy who grants our wishes when we say the right words or do the right thing.

The truth is much more complicated and much lovelier than that. God is not a vending machine; we have a relationship with God. Relationships are complicated, messy, and beautiful, even our relationship with God.

God is always with us, even and especially during hard times, whether you feel it or not. Even when God feels distant, God is here all around you. These life-giving activities, whatever they are for you, aren’t about getting God’s attention. They’re about God getting our attention.They’re about reminding us that God is already there, our anchor in the storm.

God is our steady presence, the spot we can look to with every turn life throws at us.That doesn’t mean everything will be easy or that if things aren’t easy it’s your fault for not focusing on God enough. Far from it.

The thing about spotting is that you still get dizzy, even when you do it right. Life is still hard. There are always going to be more heartbreaks that take us by surprise. But God is also always there to turn back to, to keep us less dizzy, to help us find our balance.

God doesn’t shy away from any part of what makes us human—God experienced the fullness of what it means to be human: the joys, the pains, the tedium, and the storms. Jesus is called Emmanuel, because it means “God with us.” We remember that especially during Advent and Christmas, but it’s always true.

God never abandons us. God is with us in our storms. God is the fixed point we can always turn to.

God is—do not be afraid.

Sermon onMark 6:30-34, 53-56

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

I got really excited when I read this week’s Gospel reading.

I thought to myself, “This is great! Jesus tells his disciples to come away and rest. This is perfect for our Sabbath theme!”

Two weeks ago, we read about Jesus sending out his disciples in pairs, empty handed, to go town to town sharing the good news of the Beloved Community and casting out demons and healing people.

Our story today begins with the disciples having returned from their travels. Jesus could hardly hear them as they talked over each other in their excitement to share all they had experienced.

So, Jesus said, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”

“This is going to be perfect,” I thought. “We can talk about retreats and camp experiences that can be so powerful in people’s faith lives. We can talk about how important it is to spend time away reflecting and encouraging each other.”

Jesus and his disciples got into a boat and started toward their destination. But when they got there, there was a huge crowd waiting for them!

“Okay,” I thought. “Their retreat didn’t go quite as planned, but maybe Jesus showed good boundaries and protected the time he had planned with his disciples. I’m sure they all needed to restore themselves and process everything that had happened.”

Maybe Jesus said, “Thank you for your attention, but I’m not available right now”?

No. He did not.

“He had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.”

Well, that’s nice, but that’s not showing us good boundaries, Jesus!

Then, the part we didn’t read today that comes in the middle of our readingis the stories of the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus walking on water. We’ll read both of those stories from the Gospel of John in the next couple weeks, but our reading today skips them.

Jesus didn’t only teach the crowds, he worked a miracle to feed them out of practically nothing and then defied the laws of nature to walk on water instead of relaxing in a boat. That doesn’t exactly sound restful!

Then, when our reading picks back up, it talks about Jesus being recognized everywhere he went. The disciples’ travels must have been successful, because everyone seemed to know Jesus and want him to heal them. It seems like Jesus must have been even busier than before their interrupted retreat.

So much for a good Sabbath story!

It seems like even Jesus couldn’t maintain good boundaries or carve out time for self-care! Most of us don’t have crowds of people following us around, but our lives feel just as busy. The line about “many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat,” resonates.

It seems like our world is moving faster and faster. Sometimes it feels like one wrong step and we’ll fall off the treadmill of life, making fools of ourselves and probably breaking something in the process.

There are plenty of suggested solutions, though. Everywhere you turn, there are articles and videos and bestsellers recommending another form of self-care: take a bath, have a cup of tea, wake up at 4 a.m. to journal!

That’s not even to mention the marketers who try to get us to believe that this candle, that planner, or this detox diet plan is the key to finally being calm, collected, and in control of our overloaded lives.

But when we try all the things and we’re still tired,

When we buy the products and services and we’re still anxious,

Then it must be our fault, right?

We’re just not upholding our boundaries well enough. Or we’re not finding enough alone time while simultaneously not sufficiently nurturing our important relationships.

We’re just not trying hard enough. Or maybe we’re trying too hard?

It’s a challenge to find real rest in our world today.

As much as I wanted our Gospel reading to give us an example of Jesus resting that we could hopefullylearn something from, this story isn’t really about rest.

It’s contrasting Jesus’ compassionate leadership with Herod’s violent reign.

We did an introduction to Ephesians last week, so we didn’t talk about the gruesome story of the death of John the Baptist from our Gospel reading.

Here’s a quick refresher: King Herod was hearing all these stories about the miraculous works Jesus and his disciples were doing, and he worried that maybe Jesus was actually a resurrected John the Baptist.

That doesn’t sound bad, except that Herod had been the one to order John’s death.

Herod’s wife, who had formerly been his sister-in-law, was not a fan of John, because he called out the political implications of Herod marrying her. His new marriage allied him more closely with the Roman occupiers.

So, when she had the chance, she got her husband to do what he had been too afraid to do: behead John the Baptist.

This story doesn’t seem like it has much to do with Jesus’ interrupted retreat, but there’s a literary device used commonly in the Gospel of Mark that links the two stories.

Officially, the literary device is called “interpolation,” but I prefer the less formal term “Markan sandwich.”

Basically, one story is sandwiched in the middle of another story.

We saw an example of this three weeks ago when we read the story of the woman with the chronic bleeding, which was sandwiched in between the two halves of the story of Jesus raising Jairus’s daughter from the dead. This sandwiching links the two stories into one unit—wraps them in butcher paper, so to speak—so that the reader knows to look at how the stories relate to each other.

In this chapter of Mark, the story of Herod having John the Baptist beheaded is sandwiched between Jesus sending out the disciples two by two and when they return.

By sandwiching these stories, the writer of Mark shows how very different Jesus’ compassion for the crowds was from Herod’s power hungry and violent rule.Instead of Herod’s bloody birthday party for the elite, Jesus fed the 5,000.

Even the line about Jesus seeing that “they were like sheep without a shepherd” recalls our first reading from Jeremiah, where bad leadership is described as bad shepherds who scatter the flock. Jesus came as the Good Shepherd to bring those who were mistreated by the bad shepherds like Herod and the dominating Roman Empire into the peace and fulfillment of the Beloved Community.

So, even though our reading isn’t about Jesus and his disciples going off on a relaxing retreat, maybe this story is about rest after all: the rest and peace Jesus brought the flock of people who found their hope in him.

We can turn to Jesus for rest and peace, too. That’s what Sabbath is for: to set aside time to enjoy God, to remember that we don’t have to do anything—God loves us because we are.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote a beautiful book called The Sabbath. He describes Judaism as a “religion of time” that “teaches us to be attached to holiness in time,” and the Sabbath as “our great cathedrals.” He says, “the likeness of God can be found in time, which is eternity in disguise.”

It's powerful to think of time this way and learn from our Jewish siblings. The dominant culture in the US is very concerned with constructing things, whether projects, buildings, careers, or bank accounts. But in Sabbath, we build a cathedral of time, we pause and dwell in the holiness of time.

Think of the last time you felt awe. Maybe it was in a beautiful church or a view of the ocean or a vast gallery in an art museum. Now picture that sense of awe in time instead of space. That is Sabbath.

We get to admire God, who is bigger than time and certainly bigger than anything we can accomplish by our efforts. We just get to enjoy and rest in God’s compassionate presence.

I hoped for rest for Jesus and the disciples in our Gospel story, but the rest in that story is for the crowds, the lost sheep who found a compassionate Good Shepherd to build a cathedral in time with.

I encourage you to find that holiness in time this week. Even if it’s only five minutes, rest, breathe, be in awe of God. Rest in the compassionate embrace of your Good Shepherd and be at peace.