It’s early Thanksgiving morning, everyone in my house is still asleep and we will be headed, “over the river and through the woods,” pretty soon here. On a day of feasting, we come to John 6 where Jesus feed’s 5000 and talks about being the Bread of Life. A feast indeed, when Jesus had finished feeding these people there were twelve baskets – large baskets – full of food left over, picked up from the ground after everyone had had their fill. (The disciples served as wait staff. “Hello, my name is Andrew and I’ll be your server this evening. We have as our special a lovely barley bread with sardines.”)
This feast was so impressive, the people there wanted to make Jesus their king – so he could keep feeding them. But Jesus slips away, choosing to walk to Capernaum – about 9 miles if one walks in a straight line on top of the water, but closer to 20 if you walk the coast line, so I guess Jesus chose the most expedient route. Undeterred, they seek him out and he basically tells them they’re looking for the wrong kind of bread. “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.”
Today we will eat (a lot) of food that perishes. Hopefully we will have joyful conversations, happy reflections on God’s gifts, and refreshing time with loved ones. There is nothing wrong with food that perishes. It serves a good and godly purpose – to sustain our bodies, which, by the way, are also going to perish. Food is one of the ways God has given us to celebrate his gifts.
But don’t lose sight of the food that endures to eternal life. God’s love is great, and Jesus’ presence is life giving – eternal life giving. Peter recognized that. As many people were turning away from Jesus because they didn’t like what he had to say, Jesus asked the Twelve, “You don’t want to leave me too, do you?” And Peter speaks for all of them, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life . . . !”
Both the food that perishes and the food that endures to eternal life are gifts to us from God’s hands. They are gifts to us because he loves us.
As we celebrate today, let’s keep that love in the forefront of what we do, and give thanks for God’s abundant gifts.
Happy Thanksgiving.
This feast was so impressive, the people there wanted to make Jesus their king – so he could keep feeding them. But Jesus slips away, choosing to walk to Capernaum – about 9 miles if one walks in a straight line on top of the water, but closer to 20 if you walk the coast line, so I guess Jesus chose the most expedient route. Undeterred, they seek him out and he basically tells them they’re looking for the wrong kind of bread. “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.”
Today we will eat (a lot) of food that perishes. Hopefully we will have joyful conversations, happy reflections on God’s gifts, and refreshing time with loved ones. There is nothing wrong with food that perishes. It serves a good and godly purpose – to sustain our bodies, which, by the way, are also going to perish. Food is one of the ways God has given us to celebrate his gifts.
But don’t lose sight of the food that endures to eternal life. God’s love is great, and Jesus’ presence is life giving – eternal life giving. Peter recognized that. As many people were turning away from Jesus because they didn’t like what he had to say, Jesus asked the Twelve, “You don’t want to leave me too, do you?” And Peter speaks for all of them, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life . . . !”
Both the food that perishes and the food that endures to eternal life are gifts to us from God’s hands. They are gifts to us because he loves us.
As we celebrate today, let’s keep that love in the forefront of what we do, and give thanks for God’s abundant gifts.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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