FOUNDATIONS FOR PEACE

August 20, 2006
Exodus 16:1-15
11th Sunday after Pentecost
Pastor Timothy Smith

Manna and Quail
16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.  2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.  3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.  5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”  6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt,  7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”  8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.” 9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.  11 The LORD said to Moses,  12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”  13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.  14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.  15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. (NIV)

The children of Israel had left Egypt in their great exodus just a month before. There was a quick road to Canaan from Egypt, along the coast past Gaza, and if they had only gone as far as Gaza, they would have already been farther north than Beersheba – they would have been in the promised land. And what’s more, that road would have taken them less than a month – they would have been there already.

Why hadn’t they taken the easy road? For people who were beginning to get hungry, and who were tired of traveling, that was an important question. But when we start thinking about ourselves, and about our needs, and about our desires, and what we want, instead of what God wants, then we run into the danger of letting sin take over in our lives. For the Israelites, who hadn’t heard the rattle of an Egyptian chariot for a few weeks, the danger of being caught and probably executed by Pharaoh and his armies had already become nothing more than a bad dream. How easily we forget. And now they invented memories of the good life back in Egypt: “We sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted!” The lacerations from the taskmaster’s whips barely had time to heal, and they were acting as if the whips and the impossible work had never even happened. They had a taste of freedom, but they didn’t want to work for it. They wanted the easy road.

The easy road – the road up the coast to Gaza – was a real road, but it belonged to and was patrolled by the Egyptians. The easy road would have been a trap. The easy road would have led them right back to their slavery. And more than that, God had promised that they would worship him on Mount Sinai – which is where they were going. The easy road didn’t take them where God wanted them to go. But they grumbled and complained all they way along the Sinai coast – virtually kicking and screaming the whole time. If you’ve ever been in a car on a long trip with a fussy baby, imagine walking hundreds of miles with a fussy nation strapped into the car seat behind you.

Were they really starving? They had huge herds of sheep and goats and other animals with them. They had milk and cheese and cream and cottage cheese – and even the meat from these animals – to support them. But that would have meant dipping into their own vast wealth. Instead, they complained. They claimed to be starving. God chose to use their complaint to show them something about himself.

God doesn’t plan on us sinning, but he accomplishes his goals despite our sins. When we fall into a sin, we need to resist the temptation to think that we were meant to sin. God works despite our sins, and he forgives our sins. And perhaps God would have provided manna and quail for his people even if they hadn’t complained, if they had simply prayed for his help. But because that didn’t happen, and because they did complain, let’s keep our attention focused on what actually did happen, and on God our Savior, who rescued us from our sins and who provides us with what we need. JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE. Jesus, the Bread of Life, fills our physical needs, and Jesus, the Bread of Life, fills our spiritual needs.

God knows all our needs. Whether we need a roof over our heads, or a certain number of calories of food each day, or medicine, or companionship, or the satisfaction of making a contribution in the world, or even just rain – God knows our needs. And he provides for us.

What’s the most important physical need any person ever has? Is it water? Is it food? Is it marriage? Is it something else? What is it? Think about that for a minute.

Certainly God provides all these other things – like the manna in the desert. A heavy dew formed each night, and as the sun evaporated that water, a whitish substance was left behind, like flakes of something that wasn’t crunchy and wasn’t really very sticky. It was – what was it? And that’s what the people started calling it. They said in Hebrew, “What is it?” And that’s the word, Manna.

Maybe you get tongue-tied sometimes and say things like “whatchamacallit” or “whatchahoojie” or “thingumajig” or “whatever.” That’s the kind of word “manna” is. It described this new stuff from which they made bread. It met the basic needs of the people.

But God promises to go beyond our basic needs – and that’s what manna really was. The quail weren’t required – the people had plenty of protein bleating and baa-ing alongside them in vast herds. But God gave them more than they needed.

An east wind blew Quail in from the Sinai. Quail still migrate through this part of the world, and it’s still commonplace to see the exhausted quail, that only fly a few feet off the ground, trotting along so slowly that a boy can easily catch them. And whether God provided special quail or worked miraculously through a naturally occurring migration, we should remember that the Bible says the quail kept coming and kept coming – and that was certainly part of the miracle.

But even food, as important as it is, isn’t the most important physical need that we have. The most important physical need in our lives, is life itself. And Jesus, the Bread of Life, provides us with life in a way that no one else ever could. Jesus, the Bread of Life, the true eternal Manna, gives us resurrection even from the dead.

Death is the ultimate separation – it separates us from the people we love and the life we love. But Jesus Christ won the victory even over death. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross paid for our sins – paid the debt we each owe for our sins. And Jesus went into the grave, and he came out again three days later. And just as surely as he has paid for our sins, he will also raise us each from the dead. And then we won’t fall back into sin and sorrow and corruption and tragedy. Then, when we are raised, it will be into joy, peace, rest, and the victory of eternal life.

II . And in the mean time, Jesus also provides for all our other spiritual needs. Do you know what those needs are?

How often do you get paid? Some people get paid every other Friday. Some people get paid on two particular days each month. Others get paid weekly, and others perhaps monthly. But what would you say if, besides your regular paycheck, you got another, little paycheck every now and then? What if every so often you got twenty or thirty extra dollars? Would you look forward to that? And what if there was an extra five dollars every single morning? Like manna! Would it come in handy? Might there be days when you would look forward as much to the little extra as to the big paycheck?

The same way that our income, our flow of money, keeps our lives going, the word of God keeps us going day to day. It’s possible to live on one meal of God’s Word per week. I suppose it’s even possible to live on less than that. But we’d be starving. Why would we want to spiritually starve ourselves when there is a daily feast offered to us by God?

It’s possible to live on just the one paycheck, but who would say “no” to some extra income? And the same way, we can get by on Sunday or Weekend worship, and one hour a week in God’s Word – but who would say “no” to some extra manna from the Man who rescued us from our sins?

God’s word is a feast we can fill ourselves with every single day. As we read and explore God’s word, we discover that ‘study’ isn’t a dirty word, the way some people seem to think. The way a traveler studies a map, the way a child on Christmas Eve studies the presents under the tree with his name on them, the way a real fan studies the roster of his favorite team — we pour over the Word of God, and we discover at every turn that there is forgiveness for our sins.

We study God’s word and we learn from it — we learn that there is no payment we can make for our own sins. The blessings that God pours out on us, some in different shapes and sizes. Some are very small. Some are important — like the manna. Some are blessings that point us back to God’s great glory — like the quail. And then there is the greatest blessing of all, the blessing that comes from Jesus Christ, the True Bread of Life, who gave us his own flesh on the cross — he gave us himself. And with his crucified body — crucified because of our sins — he has given us eternal life. And that’s the greatest blessing of all. Amen.

August 13, 2006
John 6:1-15
10th Sunday after Pentecost
Pastor Donald Sutton

John 6:1-15
1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Feast was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (NIV) (The Children’s Sermon is Part 3 of This Sermon)

Introduction
Some people can take seemingly a little food and make it go a long way. My mother used to say this about my grandmother. You see, during the great depression my mother’s family of nine was a poor farm family living and surviving in northern Wisconsin. My mom said that while things were scarce, they generally had just enough food to eat. But then there were those times when family would visit or unexpected guests would stop by around meal-time. It was no problem. Somehow grandma would make the meal go a little farther – adding a little more gravy to the stew, or broth to the soup, or making the portions a little smaller, or quickly adding some of what was plentiful to what was not. Grandma could make a meal go a long way.

While grandma was good, only God can make a meal go so far. I’m saying this on the basis of today’s gospel reading , the John 6 account of Jesus feeding the 5,000. “Only God Can Make a Meal Go So Far…” In this account we see our Lord using situations like this to…

Jesus did this in the even of the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus had been in the area of the Sea of Galilee teaching and healing. Jesus and his disciples had been so busy that Jesus told them it was time for them to get away to eat and rest. So Jesus and his disciples sailed “kitty-corner” across the northeast part of the Sea of Galilee where, once on land, climbed up a mountain-side to relax. In this our Lord himself reminds us that taking care of our health and physical well-being, while not as important as caring for our souls, is still important. But crowds came. Verse 10 indicates that there were about 5,000 men and Matthew’s gospel indicates “besides women and children (Ch. 14)” – lots of people.

The Lord used this setting to test his disciples. “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip (one of his disciples), ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’” Matthew added, “He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.”

Philip answered that eight months wages (literally 200 denarii) would be enough to take care of the people. In the other gospels he also raised the issue of the remoteness of the place and the lateness of the day. So Philip’s answer was, “Lord, we can’t do it. It will cost too much money. It’s too late. There’s no place close by where we can get food.”

Why did Jesus test Philip? Jesus wanted to see if Philip and the disciples trusted that the Lord could make a meal that went far enough to feed thousands. Philip and his fellow disciples had seen Jesus do all kinds of miracles. They had seen Jesus’ power. So were they able to take what they had witnessed before and apply it to the challenge they faced? What would have been the appropriate answer? ….Lord, we can’t do anything about this situation. But you can. We’ve seen you work miracles.” But Philip and his fellow disciples failed the test.

In our lives the Lord may allow situations that test out trust that the Lord can make meals go so far – in other words, work miracles. He may allow unforeseen financial challenges due to slow-downs or lay-offs at work, even loss of job, unforeseen expenses, health problems, home repairs, etc. In love the Lord may be challenging us, “Do you trust me? Do you think I can make meals go so far – in other words, work miracles?”

I thank God that I have heard so many of you, his people, make such beautiful confessions of trust that God can and does work miracles and that somehow he will help you with your situation. But I have to admit that sometimes I’m ashamed that I have stood in the place of Philip and said, “Lord, we can’t do this.” …. Have you joined us? …. Isn’t it true that sometimes we can have such confidence in the Lord but at other time we have such a lack of it? All the while the Lord is testing us, “Do you trust me?”

Jesus knew what he was going to do when he tested Philip. So at the same time he checked Philip’s trust he was prepared to use this time as a teaching moment. It is amazing, rather than fire, flunk, or forget Philip, the Lord forgives him and uses this time to help Philip and his companions spiritually grow!

Likewise, when we fail our trust tests, the Lord doesn’t fire us or forsake us. But he forgives us. He himself took the consequences we deserve for our failures. On the cross of Calvary he suffered and died to pay for our sins. As Paul wrote, “He redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (Gal3).” Rather than treating us our sins deserve, at the same time the Lord uses circumstances to test our trust in him, he also often lovingly uses these circumstances as opportunities to teach us about himself – to show is love, his power, his faithfulness, his wisdom, his ability to work bad for good, his capability to make the seemingly impossible, to show his love and concern….

Jesus certainly showed his concern for the people who gathered on that mountainside.

They didn’t all come for the same reason. But they came. As Jesus saw this mass of people he saw people in need. They needed food for their bodies to preserve their physical lives. They needed food for their souls to have spiritual and eternal life. He was concerned.

So Jesus feed them a meal of fish and bread. But after this Jesus spoke to many of these same people about the fact that he is the Bread of Life and that unless they believe in him they won’t have spiritual and eternal life. He was concerned.

Jesus is concerned about us also. Certainly as he as the Son of God, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit created us, he cares about our bodies and our physical needs. He cares about whether we have food to eat, clothes to wear, a place to live, and other necessities of life. When it comes to things we need for our physical life, our Lord promises, “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you (Heb13).”

He’s concerned about our spiritual and eternal welfare. So not only did he serve as our Savior, he sends his Spirit to preserve, equip and strengthen us. It’s out of concern that uses tests in life to teach us about his presence, power, wisdom, love, and faithfulness and ultimately this deep concern he has for us.

But Jesus also uses challenging situations like that in the feeding of the 5,000 to display his power as God.

(Display five loaves of bread and two small fish to the children.) How does one take five barley loaves and two small fish and make a meal go so far so that they can feed thousands.

Tonight / today we have maybe 200-300 in our service. Do you think this bread and these fish can feed so many? … I even tried to cut up a loaf of bread and the fish in small pieces to see how many pieces we could give to people. It’s not much is it?

The crowd Jesus dealt with was much larger. And not only did Jesus give each a crumb of bread and a scale or little piece of fish, the Bible says that he gave people as much as they wanted and that there were twelve baskets of pieces (more than what Jesus started with) left over. ….Wow!

How did Jesus do that? With his power as God. Not only is Jesus a human as we are, but without sin, he is and has been God forever. He has the power of God. St. Paul wrote of him, “God was pleased to have his fullness dwell in him.” As God Jesus had the power to created, destroy, give life, and to make a meal go so far. This is the power by which he rose from the dead and by which he can and does help you.

So when you have problems, know that the Lord love and cares for you. Trust that the Lord can and will help you. Jesus may help you in ways that are different then you think he should. But he will always do what is best, when it’s best, how it’s best. He is God and has all power.

Jesus uses circumstances like the feeding of the 5,000 to test our trust, to show his concern, and to display this power. He also uses circumstances like that of the Feeding of the 5,000 to challenge people as to their perception of him – that is, how they see him.

When it came to the crowd who came to Jesus on the mountainside, it appears that some looked to him as an entertainer – he did some awesome and entertaining signs – v.2. After the Feeding of the 5000, some looked to him as a phenomenal source of food and healing. According to v. 14 others said that he was the prophet foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 18 – actually prophecy of the Messiah. But it’s obvious that while some of these understood that the Prophet foretold by Moses perceived of Jesus rightly, that is, as the Savior from sin and source of eternal life, others though of him as an earthly king and deliverer and wanted to make him their earthly king.

How do you perceive or see Jesus? Today some say Jesus never existed. Others say that he was only human and a good teacher and example for us in life. Still others look at Jesus as an insurance policy just in case he’s real and they need him. Still others believe Jesus is real and really God and man, but only consider him a like AAA to whom they can turn when they have a problem but to whom they give little attention otherwise. And then there are those who see him for who he is – truly human, fully God, our Lord, the Way the Truth and the Life, the Bread of Life, our Life and our Light, the Rock of our Salvation, the only name under heaven by which one can be saved, our Savior, our Righteousness, the source of our forgiveness, peace, eternal life, and even the resurrection of the body.

This last perception is the one we want to have and by the grace of God do have. See and believe in Jesus as your God and Savior and enjoy the life, the help, and the peace he brings. Amen