2nd Passiontide 2012, Hungry

2nd Passiontide

John 6: 16 - 26

Amadee Varin

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off over the sea for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "I AM, have no fear" Now when they wanted to take him into the boat, immediately the boat was at the land, at the place where they wanted to go.

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 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.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, the truth I say to you: You are seeking me not because you saw signs of spiritual power, but because you ate of the bread and were satisfied. 

2^nd Passiontide

April 3, 2011

John 6: 16-25

The created world is full of wonders. Among the greatest of these wonders is the human form, the dwelling place of our spirits. Although we think of our body as solid, it is mostly flowing liquid. We live within a surging sea.

Roland  Tiller

The disciples are in a little boat when the wind and seas rise. On this surging sea they perceive their teacher. His appearance in such a place terrifies them; it seems to defy all logic. He calms them with the mysterious words: I AM. The meaning behind these two simple words in Hebrew is expanded into its full meaning in the hymn we sing: He who was, He who is, He who is to come. Or, I AM who I will become.

His ‘I AM’ is meant to convey to us that no matter what happens to the body, no matter how threatened or threatening the body may become, He, the Being of Love, is always present. His eternal loving uprightness is always present as a source of strength and courage for us. He encourages us not to fixate too much on the transitory things, on ‘the food that spoils’[1]. Rather we are to seek and find Him as a source of nourishment that feeds our own I AM, our spirits, the eternal part of our being. ‘I AM the Bread of Life, He says. ‘He who finds his way to me will hunger no more, and he who comes to me in faith and trust will nevermore thirst’.[2]

As the poet David Whyte says:

….

This is not

the age of information.

Forget the news,

and the radio,

and the blurred screen.

This is the time

of loaves

and fishes.

People are hungry

and one good word is bread

for a thousand. [3]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] John 6: 27

[2] John 6: 35

[3] David Whyte,  “Loaves and Fishes”