GIVE Us!, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: John 6:30-34

          So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?   What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

          Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

          “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

         

          Where have we heard this plaintive cry recently?  This "give us"?

          Perhaps on Wall Street?  In Oakland, California; in Seattle, Washington; in New Orleans, Louisiana; and even here in Nashville, Tennessee.

          "Give us.  Give us.  Give us."

          My grandfather would have said they are among all those who want to swallow but they don't want to chew.  They want instant gratification now.  They believe they deserve it.  They want what others have spent a lifetime working and sacrificing for, not sitting on their hands waiting for it to be given them.

          Paul responded to such people when he wrote to the Thessalonian church in his second letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 3, verse 10, " "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

          The elements of thrift, pride and conscience are usually enough to provoke most men to want to work for what they receive, to not want a handout.  But as evidenced by  today's society, that is not always the case.

          The responses to these "sit-ins", or "occupiers" as they call themselves, has been varied.  Some feel the "occupiers" should occupy a job.  After all, their parents have scrimped and saved in many cases, and in most cases paid their way through a college education.  Now it's time to put that education into motion, even if they have to lower their expectations for entering the job market.  There is work going on, jobs to be had.  Perhaps here in Nashville we are more fortunate than in many places; we will have a great deal of construction going on, selling, trading, marketing still going on.  There are ads in the newspapers, signs in business windows, advertising work.

          There are also those who feel empathy for the "occupiers", those who have worked hard toward high expectations upon graduation, and now find that the downturn in the economy has cut the legs out from under their dreams.  They see executives and corporate officers earning huge salaries, and even bonuses, while they cannot seem to get their foot into the door.  And their supporters agree that even without jobs, these "occupiers" credit cards laden with student debt should be paid, their debt forgiven, by someone.

          The "someone" everyone has in mind is the federal government.  But the federal government is us.  The federal government is made up of all the men and women we elected to represent us in the House and the Senate, and the Oval Office.  It is made up of ordinary citizens such as you and me, those hired to manage the day-to-day business of this nation.  If there are bills to be paid, money to be spent, that money comes from us.  And in these economic hard times, that money is very hard to come by.

          Since the debt of this nation only this past week topped $15 trillion dollars, that money is very, very, very hard to come by.  Our individual gasoline bills are higher, the cost of bread is up because the cost of flour and salt are up.  The interest we are paid on money we saved has dropped, but the interest on our bills has shot up.  Winter is upon us, and the cost of fuel oils for heat is up.

          And it's not just us here in America.  As we have seen around the world, when America sneezes, the rest of the world gets pneumonia.  There is increasingly bad economic times resulting in civil unrest around the world.

          America's youthful "occupiers' and the angry people around the world have one thing in common.  They lack the faith that will put "hard times" into perspective for them.

          In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said "You cannot serve both God and money."  Their minds are stayed on money, on what they don't have.  There is no room for faith in what God will provide.

          In today's scripture, Jesus has just made a great claim, that He was sent of God, that the true work of God was to believe in Him.  This being a claim to be the Messiah, the Jews shouted, "Prove it!"  And being human their first thoughts turned to their stomachs.  Essentially they said, "If you're the Christ, then feed us, give us bread the way Moses gave the children of Israel bread."

          In very close comparison, we see the "occupiers" saying, essentially, if America is good and capitalism works, then prove it.  Take away our debts, feed us, and meet our wants."  But like the ancient Jews, they miss the point, a very crucial point about life itself..

          Jesus corrects the misconception that the manna Moses distributed came from Moses.  It from God, a supply of manna prepared just for them.  And for whom was the manna prepared?  For those who believed and were worthy of eating it.

          But the manna for the Jews, and what the occupiers considered their "bread of life" -- debt payment, wealth distribution -- is only a symbol of what is important.  The real "bread of life" is Jesus Christ who comes down from heaven and gives men, not just simple satisfaction from physical need, physical hunger, but life; eternal life.

          True satisfaction, true forgiveness, true fulfillment comes not from what is man-made or man-designed, but can only be found in Him.  They are looking in all the wrong places, for the wrong thing.

          The life we live on this earth, in this society of men, is not intended as a contest to see how much we can accumulate.  Take note that when we die we leave it all behind.  It then belongs to someone else.  Why spend the short life we have collecting what we cannot keep?

          At the very end of our scripture verse today, Jesus tells them of Himself, "For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

          They in turn respond, hopefully in all sincerity and understanding, “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

          Are you spending your life working for the bread that molds, turns hard, and is thrown away in the trash?  Or are you working for the bread of God that is Jesus Christ, which causes you to grow in ways you never imagined possible?  Please, God, please Sir, always give us this bread.

          Amen.

Week of Worship

November 20-26, 2011

Christ the King

Invocation:  Almighty God, as You have given Jesus Christ to be Savior and Lord grant us now grace to accept and rejoice in our salvation and in His lordship.  Amen.


Read: Psalm 44

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                John 1: 43-51

Tuesday               Luke 8: 22-56

Wednesday         Acts 17:1
Thursday              Luke 19:28-40
Friday                  1st Corinthians 15:1-28

Saturday              Matthew 26:1-29

Sunday                 Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 23; 1st Corinthians 15:20-28; 
                              Matthew 25:31-46

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Reflection: (silent and written)

Hymn: "I Am Thine, O Lord"

Benediction:  Go forth to serve in the strength, love, and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  
                          Amen.