Up Close and Personal
Sermon preached at The Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia
on Sunday August 16th 2009
by The Reverend Alan Neale
“Up Close and Personal”
John 6:51 “Jesus said, ‘I am the living bread’”.
Perhaps it’s all too easy for some of us to become more than a little blasé about this verse and about its content. We have heard all too often references to “daily bread” and “living bread”, “unleavened bread” and “breaking bread”. In this sixth chapter of John’s Gospel there are sixteen references to bread!
About a week ago I asked a recently ordained priest what she was going to preach about the next day… “oh,” she said, “it’s still all this bread stuff in the Gospel”. I could sympathize with her comment!
Perhaps we need to approach this verse and its content with fresh eyes and open hearts rather like the young girl who approached this altar rail once and when hearing the words, “The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven” said “Er… yuk!”.
“Jesus said, ‘I am the living bread’”.
Amongst many profound truths, accompanying many eternal verities, here – in this verse – Jesus speaks to us the nature of true and authentic Christian spirituality and discipleship.
It is… A Personal Relationship… A Constant Relationship and A Mutual Relationship.
A Personal Relationship. Jesus begins our text quite simply but also quite boldly with “I”. John’s Gospel contains six other “I AM” sayings all reminiscent of the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:14: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’. Tell the people ‘I AM’ sent you to them’”.
When Jesus called his disciples he required of them no knowledge of ecclesiastical history and polity, no familiarity with Bible verses and theological dogma… no, when Jesus called his disciples he said quite simply and quite starkly “Follow me”. And quite soon he tells his disciples, “No longer do I call you servants but I call you friends”.
To be a Christian is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ… all else may be helpful, nothing else is essential.
Of course there are those, for many and various reasons, who run a mile when the call is made for personal relationship. I am reminded of the story of the rather crusty elderly duchess who was surprised to see a stranger driving her car. She asked his name, “James” he replied. “Oh, I never call people by their first names. What is your last name?”. “Darling” the man replied. She said, “Drive on James!”.
A Constant Relationship. Our text continues “I AM the LIVING bread” – present tense. In Exodus 16 we read the story of manna, bread from heaven, being given to the people of Israel. It came as a divine gift in time of human need. Moses tells the people to collect bread sufficient for the day and then to collect fresh bread day by day. Of course some ignored Moses’ counsel (perhaps they were too busy or too lazy or just indifferent) and so we read (Exodus 16:20 – Message Translation) “But they didn’t listen to Moses. A few of the men kept back some of it until morning. It got wormy and smelled bad”.
Paul writes to his beloved Christians (2 Corinthians 6:1-3 – Message Translation) – “Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us, I heard your call in the nick of time; the day you needed me, I was there to help. Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don’t put it off; don’t frustrate God’s work by showing up late…”. “Now” is the right time to listen, now is the day to be helped. No wonder that Pere de Caussade writes of the “sanctity of the present moment”.
At the moment I am talking with a good friend, 90 years old, who is preparing to die. It is in my mind that as we talk about so many things including her relationship with God that I speak not only of the way in which God has been with her but also of the way in which God is with her now… she has, what we have, the privilege of a constant relationship with Christ!
And, A Mutual Relationship. John 6:1 “I am the living BREAD”. And, as we know, (now this is no profound thought, it is all quite simple)… as we know, for bread to sustain us it needs be eaten. We need take action… take and break, eat and consume. Authentic Christian spirituality and discipleship requires that we participate and act with Christ, it is a mutual relationship of service. It is a “program of action”.
Merely sitting in a pew once a week or so will do little to maintain and nurture the spiritual life. It was once quipped that thinking sitting in church makes you a Christian is the same as thinking that lying down in a garage will make you a car. It’s good to be here… it’s good to be encouraged by hearing God’s word and responding in community… but our souls, our spirits long and crave and thirst for me.
In a few weeks time our new church website will be posted… one of the pages is named “Getting Involved”. We must “get involved”…. by giving of time and talent and treasure…. by reading and studying God’s word… by prayer and quiet before God.
At this Eucharist, in our spiritual lives, we are called not to be spectators but rather participants, not to an audience but rather a community.
What is on offer to us today is a relationship with Jesus… personal, constant and mutual. A relationship with the One who boldly and confidently said, “I am the living bread”.
Come to us, Lord Jesus. Amen
