Author: Mark Cornford

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WE are your family now …

The first in a series of 5 on The Lord’s Prayer

An excerpt from the Marilyn Manson fansite webpage …

Join the Marilyn Manson Family
And become a most unholy missionary for AntiChrist Superstar
“The righteous father wears the yellowest grin.”
Lo, as you walk through the valley of the shadow cast by a god who promises mercy and forgiveness but delivers none, will you fear or be feared? Marilyn Manson’s Church of AntiChrist Superstar would like to make that decision an easy one for you to make… Become a missionary for AntiChrist Superstar: Join the Marilyn Manson Family and ensure the salvation of your immortal soul. You will belong to an elite group of individuals who are strong and prepared enough to withstand and retaliate against the terrible tortures which will befall all who have not accepted AntiChrist Superstar into their hearts and heads with complete and utter reverence. Believe in AntiChrist Superstar, Our Lord and Savior, and you shall be saved! Loose your ancestral stanchions. Children, you shall no longer bow your heads in shame and self-repression…. be FREE! You shall no longer falter under the weight of the pious and the guilt they would heap upon you for living your life as you see fit. You shall no longer feel alone and unwanted: you are WANTED here…. you BELONG here…. WE are your Family now….

Does the quote above disgust you?

Gospel Notes

So it should, the preying on young people’s alienation to join a wierd cult is sickening – especially when it is done cynically just to boost CD sales to earn money for the above so-called ‘artist’.

However, disgusting as the above maybe, we can learn something from this.

You shall no longer feel alone and unwanted: you are WANTED here…. you BELONG here…. WE are your Family now….

The above quote from the website is meant to create a sub-culture of young people whose allegiance is NOT to their family, or peers, or country or economy, or culture – but to radically re-create these people with a new identity in a new culture – a new family (however sick that ‘family’ may be).

Because this example is so anti what we take to be acceptable and right, it actually serves to give us a window into what it would have meant for early Christians to pray these words:

OUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME;

For the first stanza of this the most well known prayer in the world is in fact a statement similar in intent (though obviously wholly different in content) to the intent of the Manson website – that is to create a people with a new identity that radically disconnects them with their old way of being and changes them into members of a NEW family with a entirely different way of life to what they are used to.

We are so used to Christianity being an accepted part of our western world that we take for granted that we can be loyal to both God and our culture, our country, our economics and our family. However this is a lie.

The early Christians knew that to pray this first stanza of the Lord’s prayer meant that their only obedience was to God, and that to the rest of the world they were ‘aliens and strangers’.

To pray this prayer was to radically re-create their identity in a new community – the community of Jesus.

Because of this – the early followers of Jesus were treated by their societies/families with reactions similar to what we have to the Manson website.

If we are to learn what it truly means to pray this Prayer that Jesus taught we must start with the understanding that what it calls us to is a fundamental break, a disconnection with this world and what it tells us we must be to be good citizens. We must learn that the first line calls into question our very allegiances which we are told must be foremost in our lives – our western civilization, our countries – even our very families.

With this opening line, Jesus was showing his disciples – you are part of a new family now – a radically different family to anything the world has seen before, and the rest of the prayer goes on to show just how this new family is to live and how it is different.

Let’s take a more detailed look at this first stanza

OUR – the very first word reminds of the fact that we are first and foremost people of a community – not individual believers. In our society we are so used to thinking of faith as a personal, private matter – but here there is no ‘My Father’ it is only ‘OUR Father’. To be a follower of Jesus is to necessarily belong to a new family – a new community. But who is the ‘OUR’ referring to? First and foremost it is Jesus. For Jesus is the one who prays and fulfills this prayer – when we pray OUR we are are referring to our and Jesus Father – Jesus father is our father, so we are brothers and sisters to Jesus. Secondly, we then become brothers and sisters to whoever else prays this prayer (it is estimated that 2 BILLION people worldwide prayed this prayer last Easter sunday!). So we pray OUR we cannot help but be reminded that we are first and foremost not individual believers, but brothers and sisters of Jesus who are joined to other brothers and sisters of Jesus

FATHER – It was common in Jewish prayers for God to be reffered to formally as Father in Hebrew, but standing behind this FATHER is not the formal Hebrew, but the Aramiac term ‘abba‘ – ‘daddy!’ So with this second word we are not being invited into a formal structured family arangement, but into an intimate relationship. The person we are addressing in this prayer is like a daddy to us. With this comes the sense of a relationship of itimacy and childhood innocence – Jesus tells us that we must become like children to enter the kIngdom and this can be seen to here have connotations of the innocent, all-trusting relationship that should exist (but tragically so often doesn’t) between a dad and a child. The child depends completely and fully on the dad, the child seeks to make the dad happy, the child knows that they are loved unconditionally (though they have no idea what the word means!). To address God as our daddy is to be invited into a intimate and personal relationship.

NB. to refer to God as FATHER is in no way to claim that God has a male Gender – God’s FATHERHOOD is not like human fatherhood and encompasses the qualities of human motherhood (nurturing, forming, truth telling etc …)

WHO IS IN HEAVEN – but here we are reminded that the person that we are invited into this intimate relationship with is no ordinary person. This FATHER resides in heaven – is wholly different to who we are. This FATHER who we are invited into relationship with is none other than the LORD of history and creation. This reminds us that the new family that we belong to is no ordinary family. It is not a family that belongs to this world – rather it is a family whose head lives in heaven. It is a family whose only true home is heaven – the Kingdom of our God. To belong to this family is to belong to a family whose strength cuts through every other allegiance. This family is constituted in heaven, and nothing in this world can claim to have a stronger or higher hold on us. To claim allegiance to the family whose Father is in heaven is to claim a bond that nothing else can break – not angels, powers, principlaities or even death.

HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME – and this is not a relationship to be entered into lightly. Even though it is a relationship of intimacy, it must also be a relationship of awe – to know God as HOLY – that is different/separate to us. The only true consitution of this relationship can be in our worship and adoration of our FATHER as we declare his hallowedness (holiness). To then worship our Father as holy is to recognise that we too must holy, and for us to be holy means that we must be obedient to the calling and command of our Father (and his command … ‘this is my son [JESUS] – LISTEN to him!’).

You shall no longer feel alone and unwanted: you are WANTED here…. you BELONG here…. WE are your Family now….

To pray this first stanza then is to recognise WHO is our true family, and WHO we truly belong to and WHERE we truly belong.

To pray OUR FATHER, WHO IS IN HEAVEN – HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME

is to say I belong to a NEW family – my TRUE father lives in heaven and I am his child. He is holy and I must be like him. This is my true – my only allegiance. I belong not to this world, to its governments, idols and powers – I belong only to my daddy in heaven and first and foremost I will seek to make him happy.

AMEN

Q’s for reflection

How much of our faith reflects MY rather than OUR FATHER?

What can we do to be a people who are a people of OUR FATHER rather than MY FATHER?

What is the balance between awe and intimacy with OUR FATHER – how do we maintain both aspects?

How can we be a people who are HOLY that is set-apart yet at the same time live the radical genrosity and inclusive love of Jesus for the outcasts/the lost?

In what ways does the world seek to undermine our true and only allegiance to OUR FATHER? How can we recognise and fight against these attempts to compromise us?

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King of Fools

April 1st – April Fool’s Day – a fitting day to be telling the story of Palm Sunday – of Jesus entry into Jerusalem.

Here is a King – who rides on a borrowed donkey, cheered into the power centre of Israel and Judaism but a motley collection of fisherman, women, children, tax collectors, publicans, prostitutes, ex-lepers, ex-demoniacs, Samaritans and cripples. What a joke – what a fool!

Here is a King of Fools – but one who is not afraid to upset people. Here is a King of Fools who comes into Jerusalem on a donkey – from the Mount of Olives the place where the Messiah was supposed to come from (Zech 14:4) and riding a donkey – as the Messiah would do (Zech 9:9-10), whose disciples acclaim him with the words of a Psalm (Ps 118:26) adding the word ‘King!’ instead if ‘he’. Here is a King whose procession also mocks those of the conquerors and Caesars.

Gospel Notes

“Then all the Jews together greeted Alexander with one voice and surrounded him… [then] he gave his hand to the high priest and, with the Jews running beside him, entered the city. Then he went up to the temple where he sacrificed to God under the direction of the high priest” (Josephus)

Here is a King of Fools who has just told a parable about a greedy blood thirsty King who went away – telling the story of Herod’s rise to power in response to those who were anticipating the immediate coming of the Kingdom of God.

Here is a King of Fools who through the telling of the parable, his staged entrance into Jerusalem taking on attributes of both the Messiah and a conquering Ceaser mocks the rich and powerful of his day – no wonder the Pharisees take offence!

But here is a King whose coming would be acclaimed by the very stones if people did not shout it.

Here is a King who turned out to be the cornerstone that the builders rejected (Ps 118:22)

Here is a King who in his mockery of the powerful showed who he was King for – not for them!

Here was a King who rejoiced in being the King of Fools – the King of the poor, the helpless, the outcast, those who no-one else would be King for.

Here was a King who came to seek out and to save the lost.

Here is a King for those who gladly call themselves fools for his sake and his kingdom’s.

Will you also be his fool?

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Bear fruit worthy of repentance!

There once was a Christian Businessman, wealthy, well liked, respected and full of integrity.

One day he heard that Bishop Tutu was coming to town. As he had influence he was able to organise a meeting with the Bishop.

‘Bishop’, he said, ‘I seek to be a good Christian and dedicate my life to the LORD, but I find that my Spirit is at unease, What do you think I need to do’.

The Bishop looked at him, liked him and said ‘there i sone more thing you need to do, sell your business and come with me to Africa and use your money in service of the poor’.

The businessman thought long and hard about this, but refused for he had worked hard to build his business.

And that day there was sorrow in heaven.

Elsewhere Bono was stopping off on the Gold Coast. There there was a man who owned a poker machine business and was ruputed to have links to the underworld. When he heard Bono was in town he wanted to see him for had heard about his work for the poor of the world. However when he was at the airport, the body guards kept him at a distance, so he jumped up and down , ran around in circles and tried to catch Bono’s attention by yelling ‘Love your work!’. When Bono saw him, he went over to him and said ‘mate, tonight I am coming to your place – so get all your friends and let’s have a party!’

At the party the man stood up and said ‘Tonight I will give half of everything I own to the poor, and if I have cheated people I will pay them back 4 times’.

And there was rejoicing in heaven, for Jesus came to seek out and save the lost.

Gospel Notes

Based on Luke 18:18-25 (Rich Ruler) & Luke 19:1-10 (Zacchaeus)

The story of Zacchaeus is told to us in Sunday school as a nice story about a man who no-one liked but Jesus found.

How is it that we continue to strip the Gospel of Jesus of any of its substance and meaning, and domesticate it so that no-one can take offense at it?

This story of Zacchaeus which follows close on the heals of the Rich Ruler is no nice story, but one that would have rocked the worldview of any pious Jew, and I would say rocks the world of us western Christians. These two stories are meant to be read together, and together they give us a view of what Luke saw that following Jesus really meant – particularly for the wealthy.

We know that Luke was particularly interested in what the Gospel of Jesus had to say about wealth, for there are more stories and teaching on wealth, money, mammon than in any other Gospel. Luke gives us the much forgotten about blessings and woes – blessed are the poor, woe to you rich! How we prefer Matthew’s version!

These two stories leave us in no doubt that Luke considered that what we do with our money is linked to our salvation!

I can hear now all the howls of protest – salvation is about faith not works. True but people who say this often emasculate what faith is and reduce it down to some nice vague feeling of trust in Jesus. Faith is trust, is belief – but to be real trust & belief must come with obedience. How can we say we trust and believe Jesus and then refuse to obey him?

These stories of two very different rich men show what Luke saw Jesus was teaching about discipleship and wealth.

First, just to highlight how scandalous these stories really are, let us look a brief comparison between them.

Ruler

Zacchaeus

Social elite

oucast

wealth is ok

wealth is ill-gotten

comes to Jesus

is unable to come to Jesus

comes seeking spiritual knowledge

just wants to see Jesus

comes respectably

makes a fool of himself

keeps commandments

breaks commandments

Questions Jesus

Jesus invites himself to dinner

Asked to give up money

Voluntarily gives up money

Refuses to follow Jesus

Finds salvation

Goes away sad

Rejoices

The Ruler would have been considered by Jewish society the model Jew – kept commandments, was a good person and his wealth showed that God had bestowed favour upon him.

While Zacchaeus is a comical character – short, a hated tax collector, someone not afraid to run and climb a tree (very undignified for Jewish man – only children run and climb trees). Zacchaeus was not only hated, but out of the bounds of good religious society. In those days, the way taxing worked is that Rome decided how much it wanted from a region (independent of how much the region actually made), and sold that tax contract to the chief tax collector. So the tax collector paid in advance the amount of tax due from a region. He would then sub-contract out amounts to other tax collectors. Obviously the aim of the tax collectors was to make a profit, so they would collect more than the amount required by Rome (this was legal and expected). What made tax collectors particularly hated, was not so much that they collected tax – but that they did it for the Romans, the hated invaders. This made them the worst sort of collaborators. Not only did thet collaborate with Rome, but they then made a profit out of taxes (of course many tax collectors abused the system and the expense of the Jews).

In both cases, Luke presents their response to Jesus – one refues Jesus call, the other doesn’t even need Jesus to tell him what to do! The strength of the difference between them is highlighted by Jesus pronouncement ‘TODAY, salvation has come to this house. Nowhere else in the Gospel (or any of the other Gospels) is this repeated where Jesus that salvation has come HERE and NOW to a person.

So what is the difference between them?

Ok first lets make sure we are clear what is NOT said. The Gospel story does NOT say

‘Zacchaeus trusted Jesus in his heart’

‘ The Rich man didn’t trust Jesus in his heart’

or ‘Zacchaeus believed in Jesus’ etc … etc …

Now of course it looks obvious that Zacchaeus DID respond our of some sense of belief and trust to Jesus, while the rruler doesn’t. But the point is that according to the story THE ONLY WAY TO TELL THE STATE OF THEIR FAITH WAS BY WHAT THEY DID WITH THEIR MONEY!

Bear fruit worthy of repentance (John the Baptist) Lk 3:8

The issue here is that Luke understands that there can be no repentance without the fruit of that repentance – that is a change in life

For wealthy people, Luke shows us that one of the singularly most important criteria is what we do with our wealth – NOT our attitude to it. Will our wealth be put in the service of God’s kingdom (Good News to the poor)? or will it remain OUR wealth and God just gets his bit – usually 10%.

There is no doubt that Luke understood, that to be a disciople of Jesus means putting EVERYTHING at Jesus dispoal. Including all our money. And that to follow the command of Jesus is to neccessarily put our wealth into service for the poor.

One last thing to finish.

If you are in a western country – then you are wealthy – no matter how much you have. You are richer than 90% of the world.

So the story of these two rich men is for us.

Which rich man will we be?

Who will put their wealth in service of the poor?

And how may will choose to ignore Jesus command to follow.

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The Cat’s in the Cradle & the Silver Spoon …

Father’s Day

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every fatherhood in heaven and on earth takes its name
Eph 3:14-15

Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father a does, the Son does likewise.  The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished.  Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes.  The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son,  so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 6:19-23

Gospel Notes

“My Dad has to be in a wheelchair but he can do most anything. Except walk and play sprts. But I wouldn’t trade him for anybody, even Mark McGwire!”
Paul

“I love it when he told me about what happened before he became a teacher. His dad really wanted him to be a shoe salesman like him but my dad went to college. When I think of that I know how strong he is.
Megan
(taken from ‘Me & my Dad’ Compiled and Illustrated by Stuart Hample)

In the mid 1970s the Mattel toy company wanted to market a family of dolls called ‘The Heart Family’ with Dad, Mum and two kids. When testing the dolls with children, many of the children took the Father dolls, put them aside and played with the rest of the dolls. When asked ‘What about the Father doll?’ they replied ‘He’s at work’, and left the doll untouched in a corner!
from ‘Manhood’ by Steve Biddulph (abridged).

How many dad’s are untouched in the corner today?

Whether through work, divorce, out with the mates, violence, couldn’t be bothered, too hard …

The list of reasons could go on for ages – but the result is always the same, generations of children (especiially boys) raised mostly, if not soley by their mums.

Now mums have done a fantastic job and I am certainly not knocking them, but the question remains ‘Where have all the father’s gone … long time passing … they opted out every one … when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn’ (thanks Pete Seeger!)

When I walk around the streets of my community (Deception Bay), talk with mums at playgroup, or kids at kids club, I often hear stories of dads who are not there – either not at all, or dad’s who who live at home but are not part of their kid’s life.

I could go and talk about the effects that this has on children, famiies and whole communities – but it will suffice to say that

sick fathers = sick communities

(you could put sick mothers = sick communities, but I think that there is little doubt that on the whole mothering is much more healthy than fathering)

I think of myself as a Dad and my two boys Jordan and Micah (2 & 7 mths – they are beautiful! … mostly) and I think what sort of dad to I want to be – what role model of Fathering is going to help me?

Hence the two passages above.

Ephesians

Here Paul is about to embark on a prayer for the Ephesians and he starts off with this strange line which you have to ask – why put it in a prayer at all? Paul uses this phrase to establish God’s authority/power – God is God and every other authority/power comes from him. For our purposes we are interested less in the naming of God as source of authority and power than the idea that all power/authority including our own fatherhood takes its name and origin from God.

Conclusion – our fatherhood (which is an exercise in our power and authority in our family relationships) takes its origin in God’s fatherhood – this is to say more than just we should be Godly fathers, but the whole concept of fatherhood takes place within the relationships of the trinue God. That is – the real Fatherhood is of God the Father in his fatherhood of Jesus (note that while I use ‘his’ I by no means mean that God is male in any way, even when talking fatherhood – we are talking a relationship not a gender). This is why Jesus says ‘call no man Father, execpt your Father in heaven’ and why he says that when we lose families for Jesus sake we will receive a hundredfold ‘mothers, brothers and sisters’ note no fathers!

This may be a hard concept for us as Father’s to grasp (especially on Father’s day) but we need to acknowledge that there is only one true Father of our children – and that is God the Father. We take our fatherhood from his – as a gift and a responsibility.

This leave the question, that if we take our fatherhood from the true Father of our children, then what sort of father do we have to be to live within God’s Fatherhood?

John

Go back to the top and read this passage again – but as you read it don’t let your eyes glaze over! Read it not as a theological treatise but as a statement about the relationship between a Father and a Son.

When I read this passage in this way I go all warm & fuzzy inside! I think of me working out in the garden with my son, Jordan, and how he just wants to do what he sees his dad doing (however unhelpful this may be to me!). He copies everything I do, uses the tools I use and cannot bear to be out of my sight so that he can’t see what I am doing, and so that I can see how well he is doing everything with is continual ‘Daddy, watch!’. And I think how when anyone says something good about Jordan, I feel good inside and how protective I am if there is any criticism …

This is the quality of relationship (times infinity!) that I see in Jesus words. Here is a child who adores his father, who will do nothing other than what his father shows him. And here is a father who holds nothing back from his child. Who show his child everything that he is and has to offer.

To have a Father/child relationship like this! What a dream – but if I take Paul’s words seriously – this is the relationship that God is calling me to, to live out part of God’s Fatherhood for these children that God has gifted me with.

So what do I take practically from this? What do I need to do (the bottom line …)

Presence and Oneness

Presence

The first and most obvious requirement is of TIME, but not just time without involvement. Presence means being there and available, physically, practically and emotionally. How else can I show my child all of me and who I am unless I spend heaps of time hanging out with them – playing, working, doing the shopping, holding them when they are sick, changing their nappies, disciplining them when they step out of line.

Jesus tells how his Father has show him everything of who he is and how he works, how, is a mystery for us, but the point being is that the Fatherhood from whom we take ours holds nothing back from his children and is involved in every aspect of their lives.

Today, the biggest issue is dads off loading their responsibilities to mums (or mums thinking to be the perfect mum that they have to do everything). There is no dad’s work or mum’s work when it comes to the practicalities of rasing children (ok – except breast feeding and having the baby!). Changing nappies, feeding, playing, clothing, disciplining we MUST be involved in all of it. Who we are in the practicalities is different to mum’s – but there is no escaping the fact that we MUST be involved.

For Dad’s reading this – that is MUST – no ifs, no buts, and definitively no ‘that women’s stuff …’

But going along with the doing of the stuff is the showing of the being – we have to show who we are – our thoughts, morals, reasons, feelings (not just anger) we have to help our children know what is right and wrong, good and decent and why. We have to show them everything because they will try to be like us and if we are shallow and show no depth … pity the children.

Oneness

Secondly, related to this presence we see and oneness of purpose, values, character and being between God the Father and Jesus (if you have seen me you have seen the Father …) – this is scary stuff for us. Do I want my kids to grow up like i REALLY am – not juts the me that I put on in public …?

What sort of person am i trying to be? There can be no put on with kids, they see us as we really are – and that truly is a scary thought, but the grace of God is that they love us anyway!

In this oneness we see a Father who does not see himself as separate to his child, but intrinsically related and part of (i guess since they are God they are ontologically the same being). So much so that the Father is quite happy to give over his responsibilities (judgment, eternal life etc .. the usual dad jobs!) to his child and hold nothing back. So much so the Father wants the child to share in all his honour, and that to honour the child is to honour the father, and is honouring the child is dishonouring the Father.

This oneness is probably the most threatening aspect of fatherhood for many guys – you are called to be in essential oneness with your child – not to maintain your distance and retreat to be with your mates when ever things get tough. Sure we need our mates for friendship and support, but not as a place to run away to when we can’t cope so that we can leave the mother to deal with it. Your are called to see yourself and your child as sharing an essential unity and oneness that is sacred.

Oh … and the God bit …

Lastly, we take from John’s passage the uniqueness of Jesus and his Father – God alone has the power of judgment and life and he shares that with his Son Jesus – so when we follow Jesus we come into that relationship with his Father that he has. We find that we have a Father who holds nothing back from us, who love us unconditionally, who wants to show us all that he is.

It sounds too good to be true – but that this is the relationship with God that Jesus promises us when we follow him. Jesus promises us that when we follow him, we get to share in his relationship with God …

that God would be a daddy to us … and not like a human daddy but the perfect daddy that we can always go to when hurt, sad, happy, proud, who shares all our joys and fears and holds nothing of his love back from us …

Sound to be good to be true? That is why it is GOSPEL – GOOD NEWS

I for one can’t think of any better news this Father’s day than that I have a God who is my daddy.

All I pray is that I might be a daddy like him to my boys.

Amen

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Cannibals for Jesus!

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day;  for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.  Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

John 6:51-58

Gospel Notes

Cannabilism and the Early Church

The first thing that comes to my mind when reading this passage is how the early christians were often accused of being cannibals by informers and the Roman authorities. And reading this text it is not hard to see why people might think this!

‘Eat my flesh and drink my blood’ sounds more like something from some dark ancient religion than from our western churches. In fact, I think that we (that is those of us who spend far too much time in churches) often forget how offensive and hard to understand phrases like this can be. So often if someone asks what this means we just say ‘it just means communion – where we drink grape juice and eat a piece of bread and remember Jesus and what he did for us’ – certainly sounds a lot less offensive – but perhaps that is the problem – we have taken something that is meant to be challenging and offensive and turned into a nice little ritual where we can feel good about what Jesus has done for us.

Jesus… hero one day … whacko the next

To gain a better understanding of this passage we need to briefly recount what has just gone before (John ch 6 version according to mc)

* Jesus and large crowd in wilderness
* Jesus feeds crowd from 5 loaves and two fishes (from small boy)
* People like Jesus!
* People want to make Jesus King
* Jesus runs away … goes to other side of lake (transport method: walking on water)
* Crowd goes looking for Jesus and finds him
* Jesus says ‘you want me because I gave you free food … try this for size ..’
* Jesus talks about ‘true bread from heaven, which after people eat are never hungry’
* Crowd says ‘sounds great! what do we have to do to get this’
* Jesus says ‘I am the bread of life … I come from heaven … come to me and believe in me’
* Crowd says ‘who does he think he is? We know his parents!’
* Jesus says ‘I am living bread you must eat of me’
* Crowd says ‘how can we eat your flesh? what are you talking about?’
* Jesus says ‘eat my flesh (not shorts) drink my blood’ (today’s passage)
* Crowd says ‘this guy is nuts!’ and leave

Soooo typical of Jesus. People like him, he runs away, people want more of him so he does something to offend them and drive them away. Didn’t this guy read any evangelism books or go to any church growth seminars? This is no way to develop a successful and growing movement …

The crowd in this story are offended for a number of reasons

* Jesus claims to have come from heaven (yeah right buddy … we know your parents!)
* Jesus tells them they have to eat his flesh and drink his blood (obviously loony …)

In many ways these objections of the crowd are the same objections that people have to Jesus today (and this is in the church!!!)

Jesus comes from heaven vs I know your mummy!

Today many people have problems that Jesus might actually come from heaven. While we might not know Joseph and Mary we know the Gospel’s ‘parents’. That is – we know that the Gospel’s were written by people who weren’t eyewitnesses. We know they collected and edited stories and put them together. We know that they wrote with specific communities and issues in mind … in other words we say to Jesus ‘we know your mummy! we know where you came from and the process used to write these Gospels – therefore you can’t have come from heaven – you are just another human’

Drink my blood vs can I have some grape juice please … the non-alcoholic type!

Eat my flesh and drink my blood – hard offensive statements that put people off Jesus and make him an offense to the authorities … not what we want. We want nice consumer Jesus with the action models and bland music and nothing that will challenge our nice Christian middle-class way of life. Eat my flesh!

No more Grape Juice Please …

So what then do we make of this passage – John is very clearly challenging us through Jesus words. What is Jesus saying , why and what does it mean for us?

Eat my flesh, drink my blood … this is the bread that has come from heaven

come from heaven …
Jesus is claiming that he is unique – he is what no other human before or after can say – he is from heaven – what he says and who he is and therefore worthy of acceptance

eat my flesh, drink my blood
acknowledging who he is (ie head knowledge) is only the start. To receive this gift of the bread of life we have to eat and drink of him. While this obviously has references to communion it is far more than just symbolism. To receive God’s gift of life (today and for eternity) we have to Jesus into ourselves (‘eat’ and ‘drink’) we have to feed upon him, allow him to become our sustenance. Just as Jesus lives in God in that close relationship, we have to live in Jesus – let his being be our very being.

This is not just some spiritual feeling – this is hardcore business of following Jesus. Showing love where there is hate, proclaiming justice where there is injustice, not being afraid to being an offense to Governments and authorities and most of all rejecting the bland bread and grape juice of modern western Christianity and wanting the real ‘flesh and blood’ of Jesus. Wanting the Jesus who rejected the legalism of the Pharisees and the insitution of the Saducees. who proclaimed a God who was active and involved in the life of all people, not just ‘good’ people, but called all people to a new life, a new community a community of life and faith.

We need more cannibals for Jesus!

People who take Jesus seriously and don’t want the bread and grape juice but want the flesh and blood. Let me give you a concrete example …

Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers … yet if you believe some people being a good christian is rolling over and accepting good ol’ George and co when they tell us that God wants us to make war. Then they lie about Revelation and say that the beast will come in the form of someone bringing world peace … (read Rev ch 13 and find that …) and so they turn the words of Jesus on their head.

Now rather than being cannibals who are an affront to power and authorities we have a nice bread and grape juice christianity who accept almost anything from the Government – as long as they say ‘I believe in Jesus!’.

Grape Juice. Give me the flesh and blood Jesus who wasn’t afraid to offend those who wanted a popular hero, or those in power.

‘Eat my flesh, drink my blood – come and live with me forever!’
Amen.

Soul Food Application – Enjoying Intimate Relationship with God

Often we think of intimate relationship as some fuzzy spiritual feeling (and sometimes in can involve that) – but there is nothing as intimate as eating the flesh and drinking the blood of someone!

Jesus doesn’t just want your spiritual feelings – he wants you to eat and drink from him.

Questions for Reflection

  1. How often do you settle for a bread and grape juice Jesus rather than a flesh and blood Jesus?
  2. How are you trying to ‘feed’ on Jesus – make him your sustenance and way of life?
  3. Where is Jesus calling you to be someone who might offend others through taking a stand?
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