“So, Then”    (Ephesians 4:25-5:2)

You may know the story about the old Native American who was sharing wisdom with his grandson. The story goes, one evening the Cherokee man told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My child, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

One wolf is Evil. It is anger, hostility, arrogance, resentment, inferiority, sorrow, regret, self-pity, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other wolf is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson listened closely and thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”  (do you know it?)  The grandfather simply replied, “The one you feed.”

This morning we hear the words “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.”  As we consider the power and the place of anger, it is good to be reminded of part of the Palm Sunday story, when Jesus has just ridden a donkey into Jerusalem. Making his way to the Temple, he is for a moment, furious, and he drives out the buyers and the sellers. He knocks over the tables of the moneychangers, and throws around the seats of those selling doves. He quotes the scriptures, of how God’s house is a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. Then he settles down to cure the blind and the lame.

We need to talk about anger, because anger can be a holy trait, when we see that things are not just, and not right, and rather than look the other way it can motivate real change, it is a trait that God gives us.

Technically speaking, anger is an emotion. It comes to all of us. Anger is sparked by conflict. Something unwanted happens. We get angry because we care about something or someone, or because we want something to go our way.

There is righteous anger, as with Jesus who cares deeply about the things of God, and discovers that the business in God’s house is not as God intends it to be. And there is deadly anger, with the power to consume us and harm others. The line between “righteous” and “deadly” anger is a dotted line, we need the spot difference in ourselves and others.

The writer of Ephesians gives three pieces of advice. First, “Be angry but do not sin.” Anger comes naturally, as we live in a world that we do not run. Sin is the behavior that destroys, and it is at the door when we let anger determine our motives – for example, when we strike back in revenge, or escalate a situation. When anger comes, let it wash over come and go like every emotion. We can’t pretend that anger doesn’t hit us from time to time, but it doesn’t need to let it have power over us. 

Second, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Comedian Phyllis Diller once gave this advice to couples, “don’t go to bed mad, stay up and fight.”   Give it a time limit. Don’t keep carrying it. Don’t let it build over time or accumulate. Start each morning new. This is particularly true for those of us who live with other people who wake up beside us.  Hit the reset button first thing in the morning. The advice in the rest of the paragraph applies: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” It’s hard work, but regular practice makes better people of us.

Third, “Do not make room for the devil.” That’s good advice generally, and especially for anger. Whatever anger you feel is yours alone. It doesn’t need to be swallowed, but it doesn’t need to be shared either. There’s something increasingly destructive about taking the anger we feel and stirring it up. Our hurts and grudges are real, but we do not need to feed them. And if we talk out of anger with somebody else, in order to gain their sympathy or drag them in, pretty soon we may find ourselves dragged under. This is the warning for all of us.

I think we do have a tendency to avoid conflict in our workplaces and our personal lives to a great extent in an effort to preserve a sense of peace.  At times, we go away mad rather than risk saying what we feel.  I am not advocating that we need to go out and look for things to disagree on, but there is something lost, when complete and constant harmony in our relationships is the utmost goal. 

It can, and often does, take more effort to avoid conflict than it does to face a divisive issue squarely, name the pain, say what is wrong, decide what comes next and move on.   Many times through a good process of voicing differing ideas, or fighting fair, creative ideas with new and unexpected results come forth.  Falsehoods can be discovered and discarded.  By discussing, debating, letting our passions show about issues, we can be changed ourselves and we can give others a sense of what is significant and central to us. 

What is important enough in our own lives, or our community lives, that we are willing to speak our truth about it and seek truth in community?  For many today as we talk about hot button we find ourselves facing others with strongly held beliefs that differ from our own.  What do we do then?  And there are issues closer to home as well, how to spend the household money, how to raise the children.  These are just some of the things which we feel strongly about.   

The church at Ephesus was not in the midst of complete harmony, they were in the middle of a civil war within the church.  Some issue, or issues had begun pulling apart the threads that held them together, and they were lining up behind “their” leader  and their issues as they each felt they were standing in the corner of truth and righteousness.

As admirable and important as each of these viewpoints might have been, the underlying assumption of each had a debilitating effect on the life of the church.  It meant that the unity they shared in Christ was being dissolved in favor of human loyalties.  What was holding them together, their common life in Christ, was evaporating before their very eyes. 

We need each other’s perspectives and experiences to fill in the gaps of our own understanding.  I will never see the world an African priest does.  I don’t see things through the eyes of an Evangelical Southern Baptist, but as people of faith, bring their ideas to light, share their experience and perspectives then the greeter good is served.  We see the fantastic variety of ways God’s presence is felt in the world. 

Paul’s style would usually be described as blunt rather than nice.  Paul’s call for unity, may be heard as a threat to diversity of viewpoints and opinions, but that is because we confuse unity with uniformity.  Later in this letter Paul will defend the different judgments that Christians may have on the same issue, and call for care in practice of all so that unity of the church and the faith of its members are not damaged.  In a similar way Paul discusses the gifts of the spirit and their place in worship.  We have a variety of gifts but they each come from the one Lord.  Unity in faith does not mean unity in thought and practice. 

It has been an exciting time in American politics, the other day Kamala Harris offered a terrific observation when she said  “If you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for”

By speaking out for what we believe, we come to realize what we truly hold dear, what is important to us.  There are many issues, climate change, income inequality, homelessness; which need ongoing effort and thought full dialogue.  And people can become passionate about them.  That is fine, but Paul letter warns us, not to let our feelings about one issue, or one person allow us to miss the greater mark, striving to make God’s love real to all.  When we put all our energy into one issue, we can lose the greater good; the greatest good -which is our lives in Christ. 

He hopes that by speaking out a change and refocus will happen.  It is an expression of his care and commitment to keep the focus on Christ.  Disagreements, fights can be good when they clarify what is really important; the church was missing what meant the most.  Remaining committed to one another through the unified body of Christ will take continuing effort, each generation will need to struggle with the call to keep the focus on Christ.  It means saying what we believe and listening to others.  Not listening to the loudest voice but listening for the voice of the Spirit.  Let us do so with Love and conviction.  Amen.

“Signs and Wonders”  (John 6:24-35)

I wonder if this experience is a common one?  (it is, at least in my house.)  It’s about 9 o’clock in the evening. The news has ended long ago, dinner is finished.  But still, I sometimes will get up from whatever I am doing and wander into the kitchen.  Then I will open the refrigerator, look inside, and stand there for a few moments.

My wife, Monica will look up from her book and she’ll say, “Are you hungry for something?” I don’t know. “Didn’t you eat enough at supper?” I did. (at least, the scale tells me so.) “What do you want? she’ll ask.  I’m not sure; maybe it’s in here.  Was I looking for a late-night snack?  Some of Sue’s delicious jam on piece of bread? A late-night ice cream cone? Or would a glass of Milo do the trick?   It’s difficult to say. I think I’m hungry, but it isn’t always for food.

“Well, if you don’t know what you want, don’t stand there with the refrigerator door open.” OK, fair enough. But still, I stand there for another minute or two.  Do you ever do that?  It is a good question, what was I looking for?

Turning to our story, I can understand why some people went “looking” for Jesus. The day before, he fed them an astonishing  hillside picnic. The menu was simple – barley bread and fresh fish – but it was more than people expected, more food than they had ever seen in one place, more abundance than anybody believed possible that day.  It truly was a God driven miracle, and it started with a little boy willing to unveil his lunchbox and offering to share. Nobody actually knows how everybody got fed, but there was no question about there being leftovers-baskets of leftovers!  And, there was no question that without Jesus that miraculous meal would not have happened.   Jesus was at the center of it all.  

I’d like to take a moment to remember what Jesus did on the hillside because I think it helps answer what people all over may be looking for the day after and to this day.  Remember when he asked, “what have you got to feed all these people”?  and the little boy offers his lunch.

Notice what Jesus does. He took it, blessed it, broke it, gave it.  These are the same verbs from the table at the Last Supper: took, blessed, broke, gave. They define his mission to the world and they still define his mission to the world – through us.

He took the bread. (five little loaves) It is not enough. It’s never enough. Yet it is the community collection, the resources that came together, the gathered offering meant to benefit everybody else. Suddenly – what one person possessed is no longer private, no longer hoarded, no longer kept while others do without. Jesus took it, because it was they offered.

He blessed it. That is, he sanctified what they offered as an offering to God. Jesus probably used the Good Jewish Prayer lifted before every big meal: . “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” It is God who is blessed, blessed and affirmed, as the Source of all our food. We say Grace, we offer gratitude to God at our tables, for food does not originate from us.

Then he broke it. Broke it and offered to God, it cannot stay the way it was. It cannot remain untouched or unchanged.  Like every gift from God, the bread is to be utilized.  The bread is broken to acknowledge that we are broken. We are broken by the world’s pain, the world’s starvation. And we are broken open to do something about it.

Then Jesus gave it away.   Giving is generosity. Generosity is grace in action. It is offered freely, without restriction. What Jesus receives from us is processed through him. What he blesses and breaks is given away.  There are things we have that can be given away with love and trust that they will go further than we can imagine.  We open our hand and give because Jesus gives, because it is the very nature of God to give.

If there is any miracle in this Bible story this morning, it is not that Jesus once did a magic trick in a land faraway. No, the miracle is that God keeps giving. The generosity is all around us, waiting for us to participate. In Jesus Christ, God takes, blesses, breaks, and gives. In the end, there is – and there always shall be – plenty for everyone.

It’s true: there really is enough for everybody. What we must work on is the distribution plan. That’s why Jesus keeps saying to us, “You give them something to eat.” He could have agreed with the twelve and sent everybody back to their towns and scramble for the next meal, but he didn’t do that. He could have could have snapped his fingers and created free food forever for everybody, but he didn’t do that, either. No, instead he gave a glimpse of how God is at work in the world, when bread is collected, blessed, broken, and shared, and all of us take part and there is little distinction between giving and receiving. It is all a part of system of grace.

So on the hillside they had a taste, they caught a glimpse, and the next day they go looking for Jesus.  So we may ask, are they looking for “something to eat” or are they looking for something else? Yes to both! They don’t exactly know what they want, but they are looking for it, looking for something, looking for him. And in this light, they are like just about everybody else in the Gospel of John.

Jesus looked at the hopeful crowds and said, “You chase after me because you ate a lot of bread.” He sees through the surface layer of their seeking. Yesterday’s bread soon goes stale and moldy. The Real Bread, the bread from heaven, is the bread that stays fresh every day.  

The trick, of course, is seeing such heavenly generosity, or at least trusting it if we don’t see it right now. That may be the most elusive pursuit of faith, but once again, it is the essence of what faith is all about. We trust God enough to pursue God. Jesus says, “The work of God is for us to believe.” If I might attempt to translate, that means it is God who desires that we have a life of depth and well-being. It is God who takes responsibility for the miracle to create belief and trust in our hearts. As we chase after God, it is God who ultimately finds us.    

May we remember that. Trust that. If doubts plague us or if other shiny objects distract us, my suggestion is that we pay attention to our own deep spiritual hunger. Listen to the deepest yearnings of your heart.  Look for the Real Bread. Seek after what is life-giving, not merely for you, but for others. Spiritual hunger is a spiritual gift, because it can propel us more deeply into the God who is the Source and Destination of our lives. Be a good steward of your deepest longing.   Today as we gather around the feast table of Christ,  may we find what we are looking for.  Here at the table is a sign of God’s miraculous grace that will find us and feed us.  may it cause us to wonder once more.  Amen. 

Sermon

If you have followed the lectionary readings you will have read the story of David from his initial anointing by Samuel, his conquest of Goliath and his anointing by all the tribes.  That is followed by his bringing the Arc into Jerusalem and his thwarted ambition to build a temple in Jerusalem.  We, the readers, have been assured that he is a king divinely chosen and his future dynasty is assured by God.   

The reader has also been introduced to David’s ruthless political cunning, demonstrated by his willingness to execute one of his loyal soldiers for killing David’s deadly enemy Saul.  That act was calculated to gain favour from Saul’s supporters and was more effective than a snap election. 

Furthermore, according to the US Supreme court, it is now an option for the US President and may well be more effective than just lying.

Today’s reading also focuses on David’s human vulnerability and instinct for self-preservation and there is plenty of that about in the politics of our time.

As we tut-tut over David’s morality, we should also ask questions about Bathsheba’s motives in bathing on the roof in full view of the palace. 

Perhaps the most important message is that God is able to use perfectly normal flawed humans to fulfil the divine purpose.  We are challenged to find God and good outcomes in the normal tangle of self-serving human fallibility. 

Much as we might be concerned over David coveting the beautiful Bathsheba and then using his absolute authority to fulfil his fantasy the ‘me too movement’ tells us that is not unheard of in our world.  Furthermore, in David’s world, he was entitled to have as many wives and concubines as he wanted.  Powerful men in our world tend to behave the same way although the only polygamy we sanction is the serial kind. 

Rich people can of course pay ‘hush money’ but paying it out of campaign funds has proved to be illegal.    

As was conspiring with his general to have Bathsheba’s husband killed in battle.  That was murder by proxy, but it may well have saved Bathsheba’s life.  

In a biblical patriarchal society adultery was a crime one man commits against another and it was the woman who was usually punished.  In many cultures today women are killed to preserve family honour. 

But even in our enlightened world powerful men like to entertain and be seen with beautiful young women.  Certainly, the entertainment industry comes to mind, but it was only recently that a large New Zealand law firm was severely sanctioned for expecting more from its female interns than excellent legal work.

But it works both ways.  I once watched a documentary on the Paparazzi.  At one point a group of photographers, hiding in the rocks above the sea, spotted a young starlet sunbathing on a boat.  ‘She knows we are here!’  Exclaimed one of the photographers.  ‘She is naked enough to demand attention but modestly posed so not to cause offence on a magazine cover next to the supermarket checkout’.  It’s only the successful that get to boost their careers on the Graham Norton show.

Of course, David had absolute authority.  He was the supreme court and there were no other courts to retrospectively award damages for sexual exploitation.  

But if you read through to the end of David’s life you will discover that Bathsheba had well and truly mastered the art of the deadly game of thrones. 

David’s sons fought amongst themselves, and Bathsheba manipulated events so her son Solomon becomes king. 

Reading the whole saga, it is difficult to decide who had the power at any time and I still want to know if Bathsheba bathed on the roof so her son would be king.  

The charm and the power of the saga of King David is that the biblical narrative is totally realistic and aligns with stories of real fallible human beings. 

Like our leaders in politics, agriculture, entertainment, sport and business the biblical characters are not superstars.  The biblical characters are ordinary people, and the stories open our mind to the Spirit’s action amongst the dubious motives of everyday struggles. 

Where David was a warrior king, Solomon strengthened the kingdom through alliances, cementing those alliances through marriage.  His actions greatly improved the economy, and we are continually told that’s a good thing.  Solomon’s reign was probably the high point of the Israelite kingdom.  So, the hindsight of history leads us through all the unsavoury activities to see the divine plan coming together. 

As we reflect on the danger the pregnant Bathsheba could have faced, we are reminded of another unmarried mother called Mary who’s perplexed, but merciful fiancée, and descendant of David, listened to the voice of angels. 

Mary’s boy child, so the Bible says, changed the world though love, inclusion, and shared hospitality.

Jesus’ promotion of what he called ‘the kingdom of God’ is totally different to the power plays we find in the David saga or even in the corruption of contemporary democracy.

As we cross over the Sea of Galilee with Jesus, we find that a large crowd has gathered.  Jesus goes up into the mountains to be with the disciples and there is a reference to the Passover that links us to Moses feeding the people of God in the wilderness.  This is an allusion making the point that, just as Moses formed the people of God in the wilderness, Jesus’ wilderness journey is calling out a new people of God. 

John does not include Jesus’ last Passover meal with the disciples, but he includes this reference to Passover at the feeding of the five thousand.

The concern of the early Christians was the same concern many of us have about our economy.  The economy increased the wealth of the rich and powerful and marginalised the poor. 

Jesus asks Philip ‘where are we to buy bread for these people to eat? (John 6:5) 

Philip gives the same answer that our government gives to so many challenges of our time.  We can’t afford it!  It is the answer our government gives to the challenge of providing healthy school lunches.  Instead, they are going to focus on testing phonics for entrance level students.  That’s in spite of what educational experts say.

Reading is certainly a key to learning, but hungry children don’t learn well.  I also wonder about the writer of the most non-fiction books in Britian.  He is dyslexic so a phonetics test and a single focus method of teaching reading wouldn’t have helped him.  However, he not only writes books about ‘one pan wonders’, but Jamie Oliver is also a tireless campaigner for healthy school lunches.    

I went to a meeting about school lunches that involved students, teachers, principals and those who prepared the food.  What I learned was that there was minimal wastage of food and the students learning improved.  Furthermore, I learned of a group of parents that provided lunches for a number of schools.  That gave them a part time job that not only supplement their income but allowed them to be home when their children were home.

That was a group of parents that took what was available in their neighbourhood, prepared it and distributed to children whose families could not supply a packed lunch.

Sounded a bit like the Galilean fisherman who Jesus asked to feed a crowd in the wilderness. 

On that occasion Jesus was demonstrating that, opting out of the disempowering economy through the power of sharing, welcomes in ‘the Kingdom of God’.  

John focused on potential of the economic challenge and the fact that this was a deliberate action by Jesus.

But the question about cost is also important in contrasting the cash economy with the caring and sharing economy of the Kingdom of God. 

There wasn’t enough money to go and purchase food for all the people but if everyone, starting with the small boy with five barley loves and two fish, were encouraged to share with each other there would be plenty. 

Understanding this story as a miracle of sharing takes away the magic of the miracle. That may be seen as a challenge to our faith.  However, it fits the realism we find in the 2^nd Samuel reading and encourages us to consider and be challenged as the new people of God. We are challenged to both expect and create miracles.  We are called to expect miracles that disregard the market economy and bring people to live within the divine realm. 

But wait there’s more!  In John’s account of the feeding miracle there is more than the miracle of sharing and the allusion to Moses that also appears in the other Gospels.

The last supper, that tradition links to the communion service, is a meal shared with the disciples.  From those gospels that feature that last supper Church tradition has created the Eucharist as a sacrament for the faithful.  However, John replaces the ritual Passover sharing with his disciples with a long farewell speech.  Therefore, John’s Gospel associates the initial communion celebration with the feeding of the five thousand.  In so doing John opens the table of the risen Christ to all who are willing to take part.  John’s Jesus still performs the traditional liturgy.

In John 6 verse 11 we read ‘Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated.’

Those are the words that structure the communion ritual. Take, give thanks, break and distribute. 

John does not mention breaking but to distribute loaves you have to break them.  The key point is that it is a sharing to all who are willing to come.  Even to those curious bystanders who just happen to be there. 

In both of today’s episodes the Biblical text is realistic and allows us to find God in the mundane, the violence, and everyday human fallibility.  These readings are a challenge to the way we do Church and a challenge to the way we function in our communities and nations. 

The power of story in these readings challenge us all to bring Christ back into the boat of our life journey.

Challenges us to share our resources so we may find the miracles in everyday activities.