John 6:24-35.                     A healthy Christian diet???                                          2/8/15

²⁴ Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

³⁰ So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

³² 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. ³³ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty

Today’s reading follows on from that of last week and continues to build on a point that is absolutely essential for our Christian lives. The issue at stake is what is necessary for us to have a healthy life as Christians. What do we need in order to be able to get through this life with all of its distractions, troubles and disasters safely?  Life out there is tough and it is getting tougher, fast.

Now there are so many around us, and even we ourselves all too often, who approach our spiritual lives in the same way we do our physical lives. We play fast and loose with our diet and exercise and then wonder why we are getting fat and lazy. We are eating unhealthy diets and then wondering why we are getting sick. We know the consequences but we take our chances and hope that it will end up okay. If not, then we expect the medical fraternity to make us better and keep us going.

Dare I say it; all too often we are approaching our Christian lives in the same manner. In many cases we are far worse in this area. In fact so often many who claim to be Christian do not even go to church, read their bibles and pray [except when they are in trouble], and then they wonder why their spiritual lives are so weak. Or more to the point they are so spiritually delirious that they do even recognise that they are so close to death. This can also apply to those who only go occasionally as well.

However there are many today within the church who are either being fed or are feeding spiritually on the equivalent of Ice cream, lollies and soft, fluffy white bread and little more. Junk food and food with lot of flavouring added to make it taste good all are causing health issues for us as we go forward. So like children they are happy and cheerful, but are seriously lacking in health and vitality.

Let us not kid ourselves that this is not happening also in our spiritual lives and having devastating results. We only need to look at the empty pews and the growing dysfunctionality and depression in our society. We can only fool ourselves for so long before the realities hit home with devastating consequences.

However the state of thinking of many people is a clear indication that the diet of many Christians is far from healthy. The self-centredness of the faith of many is a clear indication of a lot of very poor feeding. In this regard we only need to look at much of the so-called ‘christian’ literature that you can purchase in the bookshops to see that this is feeding this ego centric view of life.

Here we need to remember that the sin of humanity is to focus on self and do what we want to do, rather than God and the other person. So we focus on what we think and want, even in our Christian life, instead of what God says in his Word. All too often we seek to ignore what his law says and simply want to hear the God accepts us as we are, and that is all that matters.  We don’t want to hear that we are sinners, or of hell and the like. We want worship that makes me feel good and panders to my ego. We won’t listen to sermons which challenge us to return to Christ and the cross.

So very quickly we get into the mode of thinking that we will be alright. I know about Jesus and I am living a reasonable life, so she’ll be right. As long as I keep in contact with the church and think good things then I will be fine. So begins the process of starving our faith of the food that it need in order to be healthy and in the end to survive.

In the meantime we set about working at that which makes me feel good and which gives me pleasure. So we live and work for that which panders to my ‘I wants’.  We work for the money, status; and the pleasure that we can gain in our leisure, rather than finding satisfaction in our work and what we do for other and for God. We invert everything so that I am the centre and we are told this is what will make us happy.

Meanwhile we starve ourselves of that which is truly for the good of our health as Christians and which will truly satisfy. Here in this reading Jesus then begins to direct our attention to that which is important. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.

Instead of working for momentary happiness, which is here today and gone tomorrow, he encourages us to look at that which has long term benefits. Here he is not just talking about this life, but also for that which has eternal benefits. When our long term future and wellbeing is secure we are then able to live well here and now, no matter what we are facing.

So what is this bread that we need that is going to give us life now and all the way into heaven? Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

So what is needed, is not what I can and must do that will give me what I want. It is not focused on us and how I feel and what I do. After all when we are honest with ourselves we know that we fall short and are not able to get or hold that which is good for us. It always comes unstuck. Sin and selfishness always corrupts our best efforts.

Then when we hear that God expects perfection from us if we are to attain a fulfilled life here and in eternity, we are left frustrated and hopeless. Our guilt and or pride play on our minds and distort our thinking; and then we are tempted to try to ignore or reject God and his demands.

But it here that Jesus says; come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Don’t ignore, change or water-down God’s demands. Just admit that you can’t do it and turn to the help that God has to give to you. He is the bread of life. He has everything necessary for us to be restored to a healthy and fulfilled life.

As we turn to him he has that which ensures that we will never go hungry or thirsty in our spiritual lives. He has that which will sustain us unto eternal life. He has that which frees us from our sinful past and our sinful selves. He has that which will give the absolute assurance that we can have eternal life in heaven.

 Thereby he also has that which can give us hope and meaning in life to sustain while we still live here on earth in the midst of the rough and tumble of a sinful world. He has promised all the help we need so that we can get through this life and into the next. No matter how frail and weak we might be, he has promised that: nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

All he calls for us is to look to him and trust in him and what he has promised. Whoever believes in him will never be thirsty. What and amazing promise he places before us here today.

Now the obvious question then is how can we be so confident? Surely this is too fanciful as to be true? Surely there has to be something or some level of goodness in order for us to be certain.

Well here again, remember that Jesus goes on from here and gives us even greater assurances of this as this reading from John continues in the next weeks. But even more significantly he goes on and dies on the cross taking the punishment that you and I deserve for our disobedience, so that we might be forgiven. But then he is raised to life three days later, so that we can be absolutely sure that this is all for real.

So now we can have every confidence to not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. We can at all times look to him, instead of where the devil, the world and our sinful selves tempt us to look and follow.

There may we find the bread of life that will keep us healthy throughout our days here on earth and beyond into heaven itself. In Jesus Christ alone we will receive all that is needed. So to him then, be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish