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August 3, 2003; Proper 13, Year B
    The Rev. Harold "Skip" Comer, Rector

By today’s standards Moses was the head pastor of a super mega church.  Instead of numbering in the thousands, Moses’ “congregation” totaled something around three million people.  There is no doubt that Moses had his hands full as he not only ministered to the spiritual these people with the help of his side-kick Aaron, but was also responsible for the day to day necessities of his congregation as they wandered in the wilderness.

Well, thank goodness, for Moses sake, God was on his side.  Otherwise Moses would have been tarred and feathered within days of leading the Hebrew people out of Egypt.  First they run out of water, and then within a few days they run out of food.  Each time the people complained and reminisced about the “good old days” in Egypt when they “sat by the fleshpots and ate their fill of bread.”[i]  It’s funny how we remember the “good old days” conveniently forgetting the bad times, like in this case, with the Hebrew people, that they were slaves.

Each time, when catastrophe struck, God saved Moses from the tar and feathers by a miraculous intervention.  Starvation was thwarted when God sent quails and manna to feed the hungry people.  Manna, a strange flaky substance that only lasted a day before it spoiled, was called the “bread from heaven.”[ii]

The Jewish people recounted these miracles performed by God as their ancestors journeyed through the wilderness in the Psalms that they wrote for their worship services.  Psalm 78, of which we read a portion of this morning is an example of what are called Psalms of Praise.  A Psalm of Praise to  God for the wondrous miracles he performed for his people as they journeyed to the Promised Land.

The funny thing about miracles is that with time they quite often loose their impact, and sooner or later another miracle is needed to excite or stimulate people.  It’s like going to a magic show where the same magic is performed over and over again with no new acts.  People don’t tend to come back unless there is something new and more spectacular.

The same thing can happen to faith that is based miracles or spectacular deeds.  It is only temporary.  With the passage of time more miracles are needed to sustain that faith.  Just as Moses encountered this over and over again in the wilderness, Jesus also experienced this in his ministry.

During the evening, after the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee to continue on with his ministry.  The next day when the people discovered that Jesus had gone to the other side of the Sea, many of them got into boat and pursued him.  Obviously, by Jesus’ remark to them, “you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves,”[iii] the people were either looking for another free meal or for him to perform another miracle.  They were looking for Jesus the miracle worker rather than Jesus the Messiah.  For these people, as long as the miracles continued, they would follow Jesus.

As the Rev. C. Thomas Hilton, puts it, “Jesus decided that he needed to clarify his purpose by pointing out that he is more interested in loaves of faith and love, than in loaves of bread.  He said, ‘Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.’”[iv]

Wow!  Just think of it, food that lasts forever.  Well, we know that Jesus wasn’t talking about physical food, not even when he said, “I am the bread of life.”[v]  Jesus took what they sought – food, and spiritualized it.  Just as we need food and water to sustain us physically, so we need Jesus to sustain us spiritually.  It’s as simple as that, and as complex as that.

We are invited this morning to become a part of the crowd and share in the process of learning about Jesus, “the bread of life.”  The people sought Jesus because he was a good provider.  They listened to his words and were spiritually uplifted by what he said.  And in this case they had just experienced him feeding them with the loaves of bread and fish.   This bread, which we eat every day, is something that perishes.  While it provides us with nourishment and quiets our hunger pains, it is only temporary.  Our body uses up the nourishment from the bread and our hunger returns.  It is like us as human beings – we are only temporary.  Without food we will perish.  With food we will live longer, but not forever.

Jesus reminds the crowd that gathered around him, and us, that it was not by Moses’ hand that bread was given to the Hebrews as they journeyed through the wilderness, but by the hand of God. 

Bread, a symbol of nourishment and life is used to draw us into the understanding that it is God who provides nourishment and life, not people.  While women give birth to a new life, the ability for life originated with God, and it is only God who can sustain life beyond its human life span.

We can limit our life span by focusing on the here and now – what will we be eating today, praying for a miracle to relieve disease or pain – or we can broaden our perspective, extend our life, by seeking nourishment that will not only sustain us in this life, but will deliver us into eternal life.

Where do we find this “bread” which will not mold, which nourishes us continuously, which permanently satisfies our hunger?  It is not found in any grocery store or bakery.  It is to be found in faith in Jesus Christ.

Bread, the symbol of nourishment and life in Jesus Christ presents itself to us in a very real way every time we come forward during the celebration of Holy Communion.  As I say the prayer over the bread and wine, God transforms them from the every day means of nourishment, into spiritual nourishment for our souls.  This symbolizes “bread from heaven” that Jesus was talking about when he said, “I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”[vi]  When we share in this bread and wine we receive not only strength, but the presence of Christ himself for our spiritual journey and the challenges that will confront us.  As I say, “The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven,” we are nourished by the mystery of this divine bread offered to us in Jesus Christ.  For this is the bread which endures us to eternal life.

May we like the crowd say,  “Sir, give us this bread always.”[vii]

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