Pastor Dan Mangler's Sunday Sermon

Bread Worth Laboring For

John 6: 51-58

August 20, 2006

Bread Worth Laboring For

The feeding of the five thousand in John six begins five weeks of confusion. It’s compressed into two days in John but is drawn out for five Sundays in the gospel readings assigned for Pentecost Sundays eight through twelve. It all begins with the feeding of the multitude with two fish and five loaves of bread, with 12 baskets of bread left over. Those participating in this event can’t explain it, but at least they can understand it. They were hungry. Jesus gave them food. Now they weren’t hungry anymore.

Then comes the confusion that will plague us for four more weeks. Jesus says things like: “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you…” “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty…” “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die…” And in this morning’s reading: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven”… “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.”

In all of chapter 6 in John Jesus tries to move his audience from the sign he have them in the feeding miracle to its spiritual meaning and his audience doesn’t get it. He wants to give them spiritual bread but they continue to hanker for material bread. Evidence suggests that we don’t really get it either.

Have you ever conducted a life audit? Would you consider it? You've seen it done for celebrities or other famous people - "A day in the life of Ozzie Ozborne". Or perhaps you've read one on an ordinary person thrust into an extraordinary circumstance: "A day in the life of a mother of quintuplets". But what about you? What is a day in your life like? Better still, perhaps a more accurate audit would evaluate your week

Let me suggest the following for what I believe to be a typical week for the average person. You are free to make changes to fit your life. Just remember. There is a total of 168 hours in a week. In my scheme I have accounted for all 168 hours. If you add or subtract hours in any area of my scheme, you will have to add or subtract hours from another area to keep the total at 168 hours. Here is my breakdown for a typical week of a wage-earning adult:

Again, I know your audit will be different. You will want to adjust the number of hours to reflect your lifestyle. You may even want to add a category or two for activities that do not fit into the ones I've listed. The only requisite is that your week total 168 hours.

Having accomplished that task, let’s reflect on how you spend that week of 168 hours as you hear and consider the words of Jesus in 6 a couple weeks ago: "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you." In my general scheme or in your personal and individualized audit, how much of the week is spent on things that perish and how much on things that endure?

If my suggested week is at all typical, then the average person spends 53% of his waking hours working (job and house), 12% eating, 6% in personal hygiene, 28% in leisure activities, and 1% caring for his spiritual life – that’s 99% devoted to things that perish and 1 % for things that endure. Jesus says not to labor for that which perishes but for that which endures to eternal life which the Son of Man will give you

Ross Marrs, a United Methodist Church pastor, wrote: "Most of us live as though we were "all meat" (no soul). We spend most of our waking hours (and our investments go on working while we sleep) putting together as much as we can to feed and clothe us and humor us for our threescore and ten. The state makes us pay attention (scant as it is) to our intellectual life until we are sixteen. Some of us go a bit further. And we generally go on permanent leave from Sunday School around age thirteen or, at least, by age fifteen. And life goes on.

"Then, one day", Marrs continues, "we discover that we are 50 years old physically, about 17 intellectually, and 13 spiritually. With needs and problems and decisions fit for a 50-year-old we are not whole enough or integrated enough to face life effectively. We are physically mature, adolescent intellectuals and spiritual pygmies." But Jesus says, "Do not labor for that which perishes, but that which endures to eternal life which the Son of man will give to you."

Basic to human striving is a striving toward happiness. Our Unites States Constitution recognizes that by guaranteeing every citizen the right to pursue happiness. But unlike in Italy where “all roads lead to Rome”, all roads do not lead to happiness. What roads do we take?

Some seek happiness or labor for it in wealth and security. Tom Sine in his book Why Settle for More and Miss the Best? tells about Mill Valley, California. Mill Valley is nationally touted as one of the most desirable suburban communities in the United States. The prestigious residences are priced at a million dollars and up. Driveways display a sparkling array of Porsches, BMWs, and Winnebagos. The schools are equipped with state-of-the art computers, lab equipments, and video units. And every Christmas looks as if a department store blew up in the living room.

But recent research shows a very different side of Mill Valley. Those fabulous dream homes mask one of the highest levels of drug and alcohol abuse in the nation. Teen suicides and family breakups are also critical problems. But even with this evidence to the contrary there are many of us who cling to the belief that just a few more dollars in our pocket will make us happy. But Jesus said, "Do not labor for that which perishes, but for that which endures to eternal life which the Son of man will give to you."

Others will labor for happiness in seeking the adoration and admiration of others. Is that where happiness is found? Zig Ziglar in his book Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World tells about seeing a well-known interviewer and commentator on TV. At that time this person undoubtedly knew more celebrities in Hollywood than anyone else. The discussion was about the death of comedian Freddie Prinz. Freddie had just taken his own life and the commentator was asked, “Do you know any other superstars in athletics, music, entertainment, the television industry, or movies who might also be in danger of either deliberately or accidentally taking his own life?" After a moment's reflection, she answered, "I don't know of anyone who is famous in these fields who is not in danger... because I don't know a single one who is happy." Would you look for happiness in the adoration and admiration of others? Jesus said, "Do not labor for that which perishes, but labor for that which endures to eternal life which the Son of man will give to you."

Where is it that you look for happiness? Financial security? Family relationships? Social connections? Hobbies? Sports? Entertainment? Consider what your life audit says about the use of your time, what you labor for. How much do you labor for that which perishes? How much do you labor for that that is eternal which Jesus gives? Are you and I as guilty of confusing the perishable with the eternal as was the crowd in this morning’s reading. Is there something more important for which we should work? Yes.

Work at worship. In worship you are nurtured and guided by God's Word, and forgiven and strengthened in his Holy Sacrament. It is in worship that heaven and earth meet in the most intimate of terms.

Work at Bible study. When you gather with other Christians to study and discuss Holy Scripture, you grow in understanding of who this God is who is calling you into eternity.

Work at Bible reading and prayer at home. It is in this relationship that we discover from the author of life how life should be lived.

The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 begin "Blessed is he..." In the Good News Bible blessed is a life we experience as happy. There is a better life than the one for which 99% of our time is spent now. It is a life that comes to us from God in our Lord Jesus Christ. Just like the manna in the wilderness, it is free for the gathering. We gather it in worship, Bible study, and prayer. Amen.

May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.