Sermon - Year B, Proper 12
Written and Delivered by The Rev. Mary M. Phelps
Mark 6:45-52
Ephesians 2:11-22
Life can be unpredictable, and no one knew that better than the disciples who seemed to be on a roller coaster ride of physical and emotional highs and lows. They were exhausted but full of excitement as they returned from their missionary assignment of preaching, healing, and proclaiming God's word to all the people they met in the villages around Galilee. They shared their adventures with Jesus, and, as they talked, the adrenaline that had kept them going began to ebb. They just wanted a bath, a hot meal, and a soft bed for their tired minds and bodies. But that was not to be.
Thousands of people had gathered around Jesus and the disciples while they were sharing their stories. It was late in the evening and the bone weary disciples sensed that the people were hungry so they asked Jesus to send them all home. But Jesus insisted that they feed the people first, and hence, we heard about the miracle of feeding of the 5,000 last Sunday - a story that was really about the Last Supper and the Eucharist. Finally, stretched to their limits, Jesus had them get in a boat to go to the other side of the sea while he dismissed the crowds so that he could go up the mountain and pray.
I can only image that the disciples thought, "Okay, let's just get in the boat, go to the other side where we'll finally be left alone, and get some long deserved rest!" Thinking they had regained some control of their lives, the disciples mustered up another bout of energy, and they set out in the dark windy night to paddle across the waters. But getting to the other side was no easy matter because the winds were stronger than any of them thought, and for hours they were tossed around on the waves and blown off course.
Yes, life can be unpredictable, and I suspect, most of us don't need to be reminded of that. No matter how well we think through and plan out our lives, each of us knows that junk happens that can cause us to have to work out a new plan for our future. If things are going well for us, our lives usually move forward as we have planned, so, life's unpredictable moments are often the result of tragic or sad events.
We like predictability; the assurance that if we live a good life and plan responsibly, our life and the lives of those that depend on us, will stay on course with the guarantee that the future will be just as we have envisioned it to be. It is disheartening when our plans are derailed, and we often lose hope and doubt ourselves. Some people never get their lives back on track because they become influenced by the latest self-help book or person who claims they can show us how to get what we want in this life.
Yet, as Saint Paul wrote to the Ephesians, Christians who have developed a level of maturity in their faith realize that no matter what happens it is all part of our faith journey. That is not to say that those unplanned, and often unpleasant, events in our lives are easy to bear. Paul tells us we need to grow up; that these events are to be encountered head on and lived through instead of blaming, crying, and feeling sorry for ourselves.
Christians who have developed a strong faith know that we have what it takes to overcome adversity because we have Christ within us showing us how to do it and forgive and go on with our lives. It is in times of adversity that we live in what a friend of mine calls the "dark side of hope." We know Christ is with us and is reaching out to us to guide us through life's unpleasant side. It is Christ within us that never changes, and is never destroyed or lost. Perhaps the greatest challenge for any of us is not the unexpected misfortunes we encounter, but the face to face encounter of God in Christ. That is what happened in today's Gospel. It is not only a story about how the early church developed an understanding about who Jesus was, but it is also a story of the revelation of Jesus' divinity which is just as meaningful for us today as it was for the first century Christians.
There are many passages in the Old Testament about storms on the sea which are symbols of chaos and disorder. Only God could calm the storms. To understand Jesus walking on the water we have to remember God calmed the chaotic waters and separated them from the land to create the earth, God in Moses parted the Red Sea to save the Israelites from certain death, God through Joshua separated the waters of the Jordan River to bring the people into the land of promise. When Jesus calmed the sea as he walked on the water to his disciples he was showing them that he possessed the full authority and power of God.
Yet, when Jesus approached the disciples instead of recognizing him and knowing they were saved and shouting out "Thanks be to God!" they were terrified. They thought they were hallucinating and seeing a ghost. Jesus immediately calmed their fears by saying, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." As he climbed into the boat with them the wind ceased and the waters calmed. Mark tells us the disciples were shocked and amazed because they had not understood about the loaves.
This is a dramatic story, one most of us always remember because of the spectacular and symbolic miracle of Jesus walking on water. But walking on water isn't the heart of the story - the heart of the story is the loaves and what they meant for the people Jesus had fed earlier that day. The heart of the story is what the loaves mean for us today.
The 5000 people Jesus feed misunderstood the meaning of the loaves. They were astounded and thought that Jesus was their long awaited king. The disciples didn't understand the meaning either, and they were utterly amazed. We gather each week to celebrate the Eucharist; to be nourished in Jesus' abiding love so we can go out to love and serve him. We are expected to understand the loaves - the bread, the body of Christ.
To understand the loaves means that we know that Jesus is always with us no matter how far our lives have drifted off course from the plan we have mapped out. To understand the loaves also means that every good thing we have; all the benefits of life, every blessing and unexpected free lunch we receive, are signs of the greatest gift of all. That is the gift of a relationship with God. God is always reaching out to us with open arms, and he knows what each of us needs every moment of our lives. When you call out to God in prayer and receive the bread, a personal relationship between God and you is activated. God needs you to reach back to him with the understanding that whatever you receive isn't the final act of your prayer. We only cheat ourselves if we don't understand that all we are giving is intended to draw us into the very heart of God.
To understand the loaves also means that we know we are expected to be sent out to serve and pray with and for other people in places that it sometimes seems like God has forgotten. We need to pray for the whole world.
When we come to this table to be feed with the gift of the bread it is just as powerful, miraculous, and full of love as it was on the hillside on the shores of Galilee. For it is here that Christ feeds our hearts, not just with the gift of bread, but with the gift of Christ himself. It is a gift that will never be taken back, it is a gift you will never lose, it is a gift for you to share and receive every moment of your life. It is a gift for which we joyfully shout, "Thanks be to God!"
To understand the loaves is to realize God comes to us in the darkest and stormiest times of our lives. Whatever fears we have will be met by the love God gives us. It is to realize that whatever problems, hardships, or illness we face we are not alone. Jesus is walking with us in the storm. Even when the world around us seems to be falling apart and riddled with evil, there is God. God does care and God is concerned about everything that happens to you.
So even when you feel you are enduring the weight of the world on your shoulders, in the midst of the storms of your life, sit back and listen for God. Then from the depths of your soul you will hear Christ who says, "Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid."
Mark 6:45-52
Ephesians 2:11-22
Life can be unpredictable, and no one knew that better than the disciples who seemed to be on a roller coaster ride of physical and emotional highs and lows. They were exhausted but full of excitement as they returned from their missionary assignment of preaching, healing, and proclaiming God's word to all the people they met in the villages around Galilee. They shared their adventures with Jesus, and, as they talked, the adrenaline that had kept them going began to ebb. They just wanted a bath, a hot meal, and a soft bed for their tired minds and bodies. But that was not to be.
Thousands of people had gathered around Jesus and the disciples while they were sharing their stories. It was late in the evening and the bone weary disciples sensed that the people were hungry so they asked Jesus to send them all home. But Jesus insisted that they feed the people first, and hence, we heard about the miracle of feeding of the 5,000 last Sunday - a story that was really about the Last Supper and the Eucharist. Finally, stretched to their limits, Jesus had them get in a boat to go to the other side of the sea while he dismissed the crowds so that he could go up the mountain and pray.
I can only image that the disciples thought, "Okay, let's just get in the boat, go to the other side where we'll finally be left alone, and get some long deserved rest!" Thinking they had regained some control of their lives, the disciples mustered up another bout of energy, and they set out in the dark windy night to paddle across the waters. But getting to the other side was no easy matter because the winds were stronger than any of them thought, and for hours they were tossed around on the waves and blown off course.
Yes, life can be unpredictable, and I suspect, most of us don't need to be reminded of that. No matter how well we think through and plan out our lives, each of us knows that junk happens that can cause us to have to work out a new plan for our future. If things are going well for us, our lives usually move forward as we have planned, so, life's unpredictable moments are often the result of tragic or sad events.
We like predictability; the assurance that if we live a good life and plan responsibly, our life and the lives of those that depend on us, will stay on course with the guarantee that the future will be just as we have envisioned it to be. It is disheartening when our plans are derailed, and we often lose hope and doubt ourselves. Some people never get their lives back on track because they become influenced by the latest self-help book or person who claims they can show us how to get what we want in this life.
Yet, as Saint Paul wrote to the Ephesians, Christians who have developed a level of maturity in their faith realize that no matter what happens it is all part of our faith journey. That is not to say that those unplanned, and often unpleasant, events in our lives are easy to bear. Paul tells us we need to grow up; that these events are to be encountered head on and lived through instead of blaming, crying, and feeling sorry for ourselves.
Christians who have developed a strong faith know that we have what it takes to overcome adversity because we have Christ within us showing us how to do it and forgive and go on with our lives. It is in times of adversity that we live in what a friend of mine calls the "dark side of hope." We know Christ is with us and is reaching out to us to guide us through life's unpleasant side. It is Christ within us that never changes, and is never destroyed or lost. Perhaps the greatest challenge for any of us is not the unexpected misfortunes we encounter, but the face to face encounter of God in Christ. That is what happened in today's Gospel. It is not only a story about how the early church developed an understanding about who Jesus was, but it is also a story of the revelation of Jesus' divinity which is just as meaningful for us today as it was for the first century Christians.
There are many passages in the Old Testament about storms on the sea which are symbols of chaos and disorder. Only God could calm the storms. To understand Jesus walking on the water we have to remember God calmed the chaotic waters and separated them from the land to create the earth, God in Moses parted the Red Sea to save the Israelites from certain death, God through Joshua separated the waters of the Jordan River to bring the people into the land of promise. When Jesus calmed the sea as he walked on the water to his disciples he was showing them that he possessed the full authority and power of God.
Yet, when Jesus approached the disciples instead of recognizing him and knowing they were saved and shouting out "Thanks be to God!" they were terrified. They thought they were hallucinating and seeing a ghost. Jesus immediately calmed their fears by saying, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." As he climbed into the boat with them the wind ceased and the waters calmed. Mark tells us the disciples were shocked and amazed because they had not understood about the loaves.
This is a dramatic story, one most of us always remember because of the spectacular and symbolic miracle of Jesus walking on water. But walking on water isn't the heart of the story - the heart of the story is the loaves and what they meant for the people Jesus had fed earlier that day. The heart of the story is what the loaves mean for us today.
The 5000 people Jesus feed misunderstood the meaning of the loaves. They were astounded and thought that Jesus was their long awaited king. The disciples didn't understand the meaning either, and they were utterly amazed. We gather each week to celebrate the Eucharist; to be nourished in Jesus' abiding love so we can go out to love and serve him. We are expected to understand the loaves - the bread, the body of Christ.
To understand the loaves means that we know that Jesus is always with us no matter how far our lives have drifted off course from the plan we have mapped out. To understand the loaves also means that every good thing we have; all the benefits of life, every blessing and unexpected free lunch we receive, are signs of the greatest gift of all. That is the gift of a relationship with God. God is always reaching out to us with open arms, and he knows what each of us needs every moment of our lives. When you call out to God in prayer and receive the bread, a personal relationship between God and you is activated. God needs you to reach back to him with the understanding that whatever you receive isn't the final act of your prayer. We only cheat ourselves if we don't understand that all we are giving is intended to draw us into the very heart of God.
To understand the loaves also means that we know we are expected to be sent out to serve and pray with and for other people in places that it sometimes seems like God has forgotten. We need to pray for the whole world.
When we come to this table to be feed with the gift of the bread it is just as powerful, miraculous, and full of love as it was on the hillside on the shores of Galilee. For it is here that Christ feeds our hearts, not just with the gift of bread, but with the gift of Christ himself. It is a gift that will never be taken back, it is a gift you will never lose, it is a gift for you to share and receive every moment of your life. It is a gift for which we joyfully shout, "Thanks be to God!"
To understand the loaves is to realize God comes to us in the darkest and stormiest times of our lives. Whatever fears we have will be met by the love God gives us. It is to realize that whatever problems, hardships, or illness we face we are not alone. Jesus is walking with us in the storm. Even when the world around us seems to be falling apart and riddled with evil, there is God. God does care and God is concerned about everything that happens to you.
So even when you feel you are enduring the weight of the world on your shoulders, in the midst of the storms of your life, sit back and listen for God. Then from the depths of your soul you will hear Christ who says, "Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid."