Sermon - The Seventh Sunday after Trinity

Ok, so here's the deal - Mr. I has written another sermon for you people, and I hope you enjoy it. Next week, I should be back although if the weather remains this hot, don't expect too much in the way of glittering insight and wonderful revelation....




The readings -

2 Kings 4.42-end;

Ephesians 3.14-end;

John 6.1-21

In the gospel reading we have just heard (John 6:1-21) we had the account of Jesus feeding the large crowd with just five loaves and two fish. It’s an incredible demonstration of the power of God who can provide so much from so little.

When Mother Theresa had her vision to go to Calcutta she went to her superiors with the equivalent of three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage in the city. They tried to discourage her, saying that she could not build an orphanage, or anything else for that matter, with that amount of money. But Mother Theresa told them that with God and three pennies she could do anything.

Perhaps she was inspired by this account of the work of Jesus near the Sea of Galilee. Whatever it was she knew that with her willingness and God’s power, she could accomplish anything. And that is perhaps the main lesson that we pick up from this account… With God working through us, and our lives opened up completely for his service he can achieve anything.

Today’s gospel reading points us to Jesus as the one who can and is eager to supply all of our needs. In this reading and in our Old Testament reading from the Second Book of Kings (4:42-44), crowds of people were in need. Not only were they hungry; but the food supply was limited, and there did not appear to be enough to satisfy them all. Obviously, some would be sent away with little or nothing. Those responsible for controlling the crowds wondered how this precious food should be distributed. Then, in the midst of need, something extraordinary happened. Not only was food provided, but more was available than was required.

Acting through the prophet Elisha, God fed about 100 people with 20 barley loaves. The miracle described in the Gospel was even more spectacular. Five thousand were fed with five barley loaves and two fish. In each case, the people were satisfied, and food was left over.

We may not be able to explain the miracles, and I’m not sure that we should ever try, but we cannot overlook one very important element in each story and that is that God works miracles through ordinary people, but for this to happen God uses the resources that we allow him to use, like Mother Theresa and her three pennies. In the gospel the boy surrendered to Jesus his 5 loaves and 2 fishes. These were precious, there were hungry people there – the boy could have had enough food for himself and his family, and still perhaps have sold some on, probably at a greatly inflated price… His giving was the sort of sacrificial giving that so often we talk about in Church.

Like the little boy we are challenged to surrender ourselves and our resources to God. How seriously are we taking that challenge ? How much are we actually giving up in terms of time and money and gifts and talents for the service of God ?

When I was a curate the Rector there preached about giving – he asked the congregation how much they were giving –was God worth more than a pint of beer a week, more than an ice cream – some people complained to him about the sermon but it is a perfectly legitimate question.

Giving is about money, and it is about much more than money. The boy in the gospel gave sacrificially, Mother Theresa gave sacrificially – what are we giving to allow God to make a difference in the lives of those we meet.

Another important thing that is emphasised from these accounts is the willingness of the followers of God to be used – in these cases it was to distribute the food and collect the remainder up after. In Mother Theresa’s case it was the readiness to go to a far away place and devote her life to working with the desperately poor on the streets.

And I think perhaps it is more than just being ready to be used – it is actually seeking from God a way in which we can be used… With God on our side we can make a positive difference, whether it be to one person, or many, many more.

The people in the gospel reading had a real need, they were waiting for something to happen, they were desperate for food – and Jesus fed them. People throughout this area today are desperate as well – it may be for all kinds of different things, but ultimately the thing that will give them the most satisfaction and peace in their lives is a relationship with Jesus.

So people are waiting and God is waiting – God is waiting for us to offer ourselves to be used for his service. God is waiting for us to ask him what we can do… God is able to use a little and make a lot !

In his letter to the Ephesians (3:14-21) Paul describes a family united under God, and this has huge implications for us all if we listen well, because Paul is talking about true unity, care for one another, trust and compassion – a family where Christ is dwelling in the hearts of its members. This is a family which will be a community of action – and he is actually talking about us…

The members are humble and gentle and patient; they belong to the one body and share the same Spirit; they are children of the one God who is over all, and in all, and works through all. We must seek to be that community that he describes. We are the ones called to feed the hungry today. We cannot allow empty stomachs to cry out in hunger, whether that hunger is physical or spiritual… We need to offer people the message of hope in a God who provides what is needed – a God who provides life.

I read this rather frightening paragraph recently – ‘Christians alone straddle the whole spectrum of rich nations and therefore Christians can be a lobby of tremendous importance. When we come before our Heavenly Father and he says, “did you feed them, did you give them something to drink, did you clothe them, did you shelter them ?” and we say “Sorry Lord, but we did give them 0.3% of our gross national product”, I don’t think that will be enough.

Jesus offers us everything but in return he demands our commitment, however imperfect that may be at times – feeding the hungry is not just about feeding the starving in the world, it is also about feeding those with spiritual needs… and they are al around us.

May we always remember how good God is to us and think about our response to that fact, and offer our lives to him to perform the miracles he has planned for his creation. AMEN

....Have a good week, see you soon.