Life to the World

"Life to the World"
a condensed version of the short sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on at the Community Ecumencial Thanksgiving Eve Service, Thursday, November 21, 2007 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "Life to the World"

This Evening's Sermon Scripture focus is from:
John 6:25-35

Jesus said to them -- "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Bread is both a symbol of life – and something that is necessary for life. Bread means nourishment to someone who is hungry.

Jesus talked about bread and nourishment to a people who sometimes, maybe often, wondered when their next meal was coming or where it was coming from.

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

We don’t really get that, do we? Hunger isn’t something most of us ever have to live with. As a matter of fact, instead of getting hungry again and again, we look for ways to eat less.

We’re not hungry – really. We’re stuffed and trying to find ways to get un-stuffed. We’re a nation bent on diet and weight loss. We have

Christian Weight Loss
Scientific Weight Loss
Miracle weight loss pills
The Grapefruit Diet
Lo-Carb diets
Dr. Phil’s Diet
Pat Robertson’s Diet
The Celebrity Juice Diet
The Zone Diet
And even The Bread for Life Diet

How are we supposed to understand a promise never to be hungry?

Maybe the people Jesus was talking to didn’t get it either. He did remind them of how the people of Israel ate manna in the wilderness – dependant on it for nourishment. They had just experienced the feeding of the 5000 when all they started with was 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Maybe they weren’t thinking about being hungry either.

I guess even the fullest of us do experience hunger pangs sometimes. Even if they don’t and can’t compare with someone who never gets enough to eat – even in our diet-crazed society we get a sensation that we need something – something to fill us up.

And we go looking for whatever that elusive thing may be. We’re looking to be satisfied.

When I’m thinner I’ll be satisfied
When I have more money I’ll be satisfied
When I look better I’ll be satisfied
When I get a better car I’ll be satisfied
When I get a promotion I’ll be satisfied
When my prayers are answered I’ll be satisfied

The people followed Jesus because they heard of the miracles he performed. And Jesus was a bit miffed that they came not because they understood what he did to be signs of God’s presence, but rather so that they could be satisfied by whatever Jesus did to fill them up.

I think when we thank God for our blessings – that we have enough to eat – that we have enough money – that we have been able to lose weight or buy a new car or that we’re healthy when we once were sick – we’re thanking God because we’re satisfied – filled up.

But what’s wrong with thanking God for our blessings? Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is about? Being thankful is what we’re supposed to do – especially when the alternative of thinking things like "I don’t have to thank anyone – I deserve this!" is so offensive.

But there’s something else here. It’s towards the end of this evening’s gospel reading from John 6:25-35, "the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Life to the world.

What kind of life does God give to the world?

We may have much – but in our world there is famine. Is that life?
We may have much – but in our world there is war and devastation. Is that life?
We may have much – but in our world there is too much illness and death. Is that life?

What does it mean, then, that God gives life to the world?

Is it eternal life? Is it life only to the ones who are lucky enough to live in a land of plenty? What does it mean?

I don’t have a satisfying answer.

In our world where we have enough and others don’t, I don’t have a satisfying answer.
In a world where we live in peace while others don’t, I don’t have a satisfying answer.
In our world where children die from hunger and disease, I don’t have a satisfying answer.

But here’s what I do have to offer:

"This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

I think Jesus point in our reading, and the point today is, "If we didn’t have the blessings – the stuff – would we still be able to be thankful?" Jesus was calling the ones who were following him for the stuff to think deeper – to really believe in him. And I think that as we come to genuinely and authentically believe in Jesus – the one whom God has sent to us, we’ll see how the "stuff" continually fades and the bread of life that brings life to the world never goes away. And while we’re on the journey to understanding and living that – we can share that life – the life that God gives -- with others.

I can’t answer the questions in our minds about how we can change the world so that hunger and disease and war will be gone.
I can’t answer the questions in our minds about how we can thank God for what we have while at the same time seek that all would have enough.

So we’re going to leave here tonight with questions. We have things to ponder and things that we will be moved to do this Thanksgiving season.

In all of it, let’s be sure to remember the two rules: Love God and Love one another.

And let’s trust God to be the author of what we do as God continues to give life to the world.

Close with prayer