Pastor S Notes for Lectionary 18 in Pentecost, a Date: 8/3/14

Pastor’s Notes for Lectionary 18 in Pentecost, A Date: 8/3/14

Theme: Feeding the Five Thousand

Bible Ref’s: Isaiah 55:1-5; Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21; Romans 9:1-5; and Matthew 14:13-21.

Prayer of the Day

Glorious God, your generosity waters the world with goodness, and you cover creation with abundance. Awaken in us a hunger for the food that satisfies both body and spirit, and with this food fill all the starving world; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Brief Sermon Outline: “Something to Chew On”

Focus Statement: Our lives get transformed into a parable of God’s love as J.C. draws near to us.

1. Last week we had fun making our sermon into a parable—how the children & I went on a journey together to learn how to make bread, and in the process learned about the kingdom of heaven.

2. “The kingdom of heaven is like a child who had to make bread…She went to a young woman for water that was not too hot & not too cold. He went to an old man for salt & another for coriander… & milk & honey…a woman for weeds & wheat…And all along the way, the H.S. stirred things up.”

3. So this is what Jesus was doing w/ the disciples. In Matthew 13 he began his teaching in parables, but then in chapter 14, we have the feeding of the 5000. The people are hungry for something to chew on, but it’s not just that their stomachs were growling. They were hungry for healing, hungry for hope and guidance, hungry for justice and joy, hungry to fill a God’s sized hole in their hearts.

4. And it says “[Jesus] had compassion for them [the crowds] and cured their sick.” (v. 14) This is the 2nd time Matthew mentions Jesus’ compassion for the crowds (weeds/wheat, sheep/goats). Earlier in chapter 9, it says, “Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness.

5. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed & helpless, like sheep w/o a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” (9:35-38)

6. So here, in a deserted place with five thousand men, besides women & children gathered, Jesus begins to enact a parable before their very eyes of what the kingdom of heaven is like. Jesus has the leading role (taking in concerns, having compassion, giving instructions, blessing & multiplying the loaves and fishes), but the disciples have responsibilities, too (not just followers, but laborers).

7. Jesus says, “you give them something to eat,” & proceeds to summon their service in feeding the crowds and collecting the abundance of leftovers. The disciples have become laborers in the field.

8. Perhaps this begins to expand our notion of Jesus’ teaching in parables; it dawns on us that every word & deed of Jesus is a parable, a story that gives us something to chew on, that teaches us re: the kingdom of heaven & how we’ve an active role to play in that unfolding, real time gospel story.

9. Jesus was a living parable—as Matthew said earlier, “without a parable, he told them nothing. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet [David, Ps. 78:2)]: ‘I will open my mouth to speak in parables; [in curious and surprising ways] I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.’”(13:34-35) What was hidden was the gospel of God’s irrepressible love.

10. So Jesus was acting out a parable of what the kingdom of heaven was like (compassionate, sur-prising, super-abundant in blessing, even with humor), Jesus was acting out what the kingdom of heaven was like, but also conveying to them that the kingdom of heaven had indeed come near them personally in Jesus’ own life & ministry. Our lives get transformed, as well, into a parable of God’s love as J.C. draws near to us in compassionate, surprising, abundant & humorous ways…

11. With the H.S. stirring up the waters of baptism, our lives are transformed. Under simple elements of bread & wine,we are fed in a way that’s totally mysterious, but in a way our hearts can under-stand, being fed with the saving body and blood of J.C. In sermons sometimes humorous, some-times boring, sometimes challenging, the gospel of God’s irrepressible love somehow gets thru.

12. The nearness of Jesus might surprise us, too, in a stranger’s kind word, in a prayer miraculously answered, in a meal lovingly prepared, in a Bible study thoughtfully engaged, or in an unexpected gesture of peace. So it is that God in Christ thru the H.S. gives us all something good to chew on.

13. Let us pray: Thank you, Father God, for giving us good food to chew on—healthy food that satis-fies our bodies, but even more the spiritual food that satisfies our hunger for hope and guidance, for justice and joy in life. As we worship today, grant us vision of your love’s revealing light in all its height & depth & greatness. Make known to us the needs & burdens that your compassion bids us bear—feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, welcoming the stranger, freeing the oppressed—that in gratitude our lives would be a parable of your kingdom come near in J.C.

Hymn of the Day: “Lord, whose love in humble service” (ELW #712, LBW #423)

Children’s Sermon

Pastor: Good morning. Have you ever eaten cotton candy? What was that experience like? <respond to their answers> Yah, you put it in your mouth and it, like, disappears in your mouth and you hardly get to chew on anything! Now what I have here are communion wafers. We use these sometimes for communion. If anyone would like to try one, here you go…<let the kids sample the wafers>

Not much taste, huh? There’s not much nutrition either. You could eat these wafers all day and never feel satisfied. There was a potato chip company some years back that came up with a clever marketing gimmick that they even printed on the bag—“You can’t eat just one!”

The problem with these kinds of foods is that there’s not much nutritional value, not much substance, and by the time you’ve eaten enough to feel it was worth the effort, then you get a stomach ache. I find chewing gum rather frustrating, too. You chew and chew and chew and chew, and all you get out of it is spit.

Our bodies crave nutritional food—so when you give your body nutritional foods like fruits and vegetables, some dairy products like milk, or a nice balance of meat and grains, then your body is happy and harmonious. The same is true with our souls. We need good thoughts and experiences for our minds to chew on and our spirits to digest. God’s promises in baptism and communion are spiritual food. This is why a regular diet of worship, prayer and Bible study brings wholeness to life and peace to our souls.

Let’s pray: God of abundant blessing and grace, we thank you for giving us good food to chew on—healthy food that satisfies our bodies, but also spiritual food that satisfies our souls. Nourish us with this food always, that we may feed others with your forgiveness, grace & love in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Word

(Isaiah 55:1-5)

Ho, everyone who thirsts,come to the waters;and you that have no money,come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milkwithout money and without price.

2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,and delight yourselves in rich food.

3 Incline your ear, and come to me;listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant,my steadfast, sure love for David.

4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,a leader and commander for the peoples.

5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know,and nations that do not know you shall run to you,because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,for he has glorified you.

(Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21)

8The LORD is gracious and merciful,slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 The LORD is good to all,and his compassion is over all that he has made.

14 The LORD upholds all who are falling,and raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,and you give them their food in due season.

16 You open your hand,satisfying the desire of every living thing.

17 The LORD is just in all his ways,and kind in all his doings.

18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;he also hears their cry, and saves them.

20 The LORD watches over all who love him,but all the wicked he will destroy.

21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

(Romans 9:1-5)

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 5 to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

(Matthew 14:13-21)

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Sermon Notes

Precious Lord,

grant me

a sense of humor

that adds perspective to compassion,

gratitude

that adds persistence to courage,

quietness of spirit

that adds irrepressibility to hope,

openness of mind

that adds surprise to joy,

that with gladness of heart

I may link arm and aim

with the One who saw signs of your kingdom

in salt and yeast,

pearls and seeds,

travelers and tax collectors

sowers and harlots,

foreigners and fishermen,

and who opens my eyes with these signs

and my ears with the summons

to follow to something more

of justice and joy.