Musings for Pentecost 11

Sunday, August 12, 2012
Lectionary 19
Proper 14
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Ken Klassen

INTRODUCTION
Jesus says that the bread he gives for the life of the world is his flesh, and whoever eats this bread has eternal life now and will be raised on the last day. In Ephesians Paul tells us what this life Jesus gives us looks like, this life we live as those marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit in baptism. We live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. The whole purpose of life is giving yourself for the other.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

Gracious God, your blessed Son came down from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the world. Give us this bread always, that he may live in us and we in him, and that, strengthened by this food, we may live as his body in the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

1 Kings 19:4–8

First Kings chapter 18 describes the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. The contest proves that the Lord is God; and afterwards Elijah orders the killing of the Baal prophets. Angered by the deaths of her prophets, Queen Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah. This reading finds Elijah fleeing, fatigued, and in utter despair.

⁴But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." ⁵Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat." ⁶He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. ⁷The angel of the LORD came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." ⁸He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 34:1–8

Taste and see that the LORD is good. (Ps. 34:8)

¹I will bless the LORD ^| at all times;

the praise of God shall ever be ^| in my mouth.

²I will glory ^| in the LORD;

let the lowly hear ^| and rejoice.

³Proclaim with me the greatness ^| of the LORD;

let us exalt God's ^| name together.

⁴I sought the LORD, who ^| answered me

and delivered me from ^| all my terrors.

⁵Look upon the LORD ^| and be radiant,

and let not your faces ^| be ashamed.

⁶I called in my affliction, and ^| the LORD heard me

and saved me from ^| all my troubles.

⁷The angel of the LORD encamps around those who ^| fear the LORD

and de- ^| livers them.

⁸Taste and see that the ^| LORD is good;

happy are they who take ref- ^| uge in God!

Second Reading

Ephesians 4:25—5:2

Christians are called to be imitators of God. This does not mean Christians are perfect. Rather, the Spirit is at work in our lives so that our actions and attitudes genuinely reflect the love and forgiveness we have received through Christ and his death.

Chapter 4

²⁵So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. ²⁶Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷and do not make room for the devil. ²⁸Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. ²⁹Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. ³¹Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, ³²and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Chapter 5

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, ²and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Gospel

John 6:35, 41–51

After feeding more than five thousand people in the wilderness, Jesus teaches them regarding the true significance of this remarkable sign.

³⁵Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ⁴¹Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." ⁴²They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" ⁴³Jesus answered them, "Do not complain among yourselves. ⁴⁴No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. ⁴⁵It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. ⁴⁶Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. ⁵⁰This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹I 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."

Reflection

In one of my earlier reflections, I shook my head as the disciples clearly didn't understand what Jesus was teaching them. Why was that, why didn't they understand? Did Jesus purposely choose a group of dullards? That's a topic for another reflection, but alas, I digress.

In reflections that followed, I have been tempted to fall back to that topic, but I didn't; I didn't until this week. I read a reflection by The Rev. Dr. Alyce M. McKenzie who writes that the most overworked cinematic cliché in recent decades is "You just don't get it, do you?" In our Gospel reading, here comes that cliché again. The Jews just didn't get it. Jesus could have said to the crowd, I'm talking about the Bread from Heaven that God has sent into your world to feed you so that you may have eternal life if you believe in me. I'm not talking about physical bread that leaves you hungry again. God sent the manna, not Moses. God sent me. I am God's own Son. I'm the manna. You just don't get it, do you?

Again, Jesus could have said, Really? You think you know my origins. You think that my parents were Joseph and Mary and you think that knowing where I grew up invalidates my claims? Didn't you hear me say that "The Bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" (John 6:33)? God has come into your here and now through me. You just don't get it, do you?

When someone uses the cinematic cliché, it's either the beginning of an argument or the end of a relationship. Perhaps that's why Jesus doesn't say it. He is interested in neither. What Jesus is interested in is initiating a dialogue that can lead to a faith that is the beginning of a relationship. He doesn't want to start an argument or end a relationship. He just wants us to get it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray for wisdom and the patience to understand your scriptures. Help us to listen for your voice and obey. We ask that your protecting hand will be on all of those who serve our country and work for peace. Teach us compassion for the sick, the suffering, and those in need.