6 SERMONS FOR THE PRICE OF 1...

There’s a huge amount of material and themes squashed into this morning’s gospel reading... These ”signs” which John records are there in order to teach us something about Jesus - who he is, how he works, and something which applies practically to our lives.

As we look at these incidents there are at least 6 themes which leap out - so you’re getting 6 sermons distilled into one! Lucky you!!

1 - GENEROSITY

It shows us something about the sheer generosity of God’s grace - it is abundant and unconditional (people were given more than they needed; there was no lunch time ‘means testing’ of holiness!). Part of our response to God is to rejoice in the abundance in our lives which God has lavished upon us; to learn to be thankful people, and to offer ourselves and lives back to him. (cf Stewardship packs!)

2 - COMPREHENSIVE CARE

It tells us that Jesus is interested in our physical bodies, not just our airy-fairy nebulous souls; it demonstrates physically last week’s discovery about Jesus’ compassion for people who were like shepherd-less sheep...

3 - LIVING BREAD

It shows us echoes of the Eucharist where Jesus offers us himself, the living bread “in whom all our hungers are satisfied” [Common Worship Eucharistic Prayer], and reminds us where to find the food we need for the Christian journey.

4 - TRANSFORMATION

It shows how Jesus takes the small, weak and insignificant things we offer to him and transforms them, and us, into incredible resources for the kingdom, regardless of our conviction of our own usefulness or adequacy. We don’t know the boy’s name, but we remember the incident!: we may not know the names of those who paid for this church to be built, but we remember the building! We may not know the names of those who prayed for us, but we rejoice in the faith we have discovered! Anything we have, anything we are, if offered to God has unlimited potential!

5 - LEADING BY EXAMPLE

It shows us how the crowd miss these points and want to make Jesus king by force and how Jesus rejects relationships which are violent, coercive or manipulating. We need to look at our relationships and ask whether they are indeed after the model of Jesus. Or do we use threat, or coercion, or violence (spoken, threatened or physical), or are we manipulative?

6 - NO FEAR

It shows us that fear is banished when Jesus is in the vessel with us. Can we listen for the voice which says “It is I, don’t be afraid!”. St John wrote in his epistle “Perfect love casts out fear...” (1 John 4.18)

Last week we thought about how the sheep who need the Good Shepherd were vulnerable to attack. This week, as we consider the feeding of 5,000 and the walking on water, let us be confident in our faith, in the signs that Jesus gave us, in the experience we have: but let us also humbly offer to Jesus our weak and frail lives, and as we place them in his hands to ask him to use us in the furthering of his kingdom to the glory of the God of Surprises!

Fr. Andrew Perry
Rector, St John the Evangelist, Pevensey Rd, St Leonards on Sea