“Will there be enough?” (John 6:1-21)

John 6:1-21

"Jesus feeding a crowd with 5 loaves of bread and two fish"
Bernardo Strozzi (c. 1600)

Pastor Tom Johnson, July 25, 2021

A multitude of 5,000 have gathered around Jesus. They are there for his teaching, his healing, and his miracles. Jesus the Good Shepherd leads his enormous flock to green pasture and has them sit down for a meal. Our text says that Jesus knows what he was about to do. In order to test his disciples, Jesus asks them a question for which he already knows there is no good answer: “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” When God tests us—it is not pass/fail. It is rooted in the goldsmith’s work to draw out the dross and impurities from the molten metal to make it pure. Jesus is testing his disciples. He wants to root out our unbelief—our lack of faith in what God can do but also in what we can do with God’s help and blessing. It a ridiculous question. Philip points that out when he says a year’s worth of wages is not enough money to buy enough food for the thousands. And even if there was enough money, where are they going to go to purchase such a vast amount of food?

It’s hard to say if Andrew’s response is his trying to be funny: “There is a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus.” Or, I wonder if this child was listening and, out of his child-like faith, offers the little that he has to feed so many. That is what I would like to believe. Scripture says, “a little child shall lead them” (Isa 11:6). Jesus gives the adults a chance to problem solve. They say it’s impossible to give 5,000 people even a little. A child sees things differently. Those with childlike faith believe that what is impossible with mortals is possible with God. Phillip and Andrew were thinking numerically, monetarily—using worldly metrics to gauge what is possible and impossible. The child was simply doing his part—as small as it seems. It is the child who feeds the 5,000—through Jesus. Those with childlike faith trust Jesus to figure out how to feed so many. The child stepped up to be part of the solution no matter how difficult the problem. He knows that as soon as he hands over the several loaves and fish, he has placed his God-given resources in capable hands. 

Jesus could have turned stones to bread as he was tempted to do in the wilderness. He could have turned the water into wine from the Sea of Tiberias as he did in his first miracle at Cana in Galilee. Instead, he chooses to use a humble child’s meager resources—five loaves and two fish. Does anyone else besides me find it funny that all these adults—5,000 of them—came into the wilderness completely unprepared to eat except this boy with the five barley loaves and two fish? One of the Boy Scout mottos is “be prepared.” This boy shows more wisdom, preparedness, and generosity than his adult counterparts. This childlike faith is not naïve trust or abandonment of responsibility. The boy is both prepared and faithful—he is ready for the wilderness and he trusts in Jesus. There is a lesson in there for all of us to be as Jesus taught us to be:  “as wise as serpents but innocent as doves.”

A year and a half ago, the pandemic lockdown began. Up until that point, we were feeding a hot meal to between 100 and 150 guests every Saturday. We were told by local and national authorities to shut it down immediately. We did. But because of our partnerships we only missed one Saturday. Through the incredible work of our own Mike Cacicio and John Stodden as well as Doug Fraser, director of Chicago Help Initiative, and many other volunteers, we immediately set up food distribution outside the front doors of the church. Neighbors looked out their windows and saw all the activity. They started bringing in all kinds of donations. Neighbors were also concerned about their favorite restaurants closing. So they purchased many sandwiches and sides from local restaurants like Third Coast just down the street and we distributed them.

On Wednesday, I talked to Doug about the past year-and-a-half. I wanted to make sure I understood all the numbers before my sermon today. He confirmed for me the number that they peaked at during the height of their distribution. They were receiving orders for 5,000 meals! Instead of Doug saying it was impossible, he simply said that they would find the meals. Do you believe that is an accident or merely humanly engineered? I don’t. God has a sense of humor that First Saint Paul’s would have our own “feeding of the 5,000” story to tell. I also asked Doug why he does what he does. He says it is not altruism like many people think. He says he does it because it makes him happy—it brings him joy. He would also say he is playing a small part in a bigger work.

I would love to see the expression of trust on that boy’s face 2,000 years ago as he handed over his lunch sack over to the great Shepherd of bodies and souls. I would love to see the expression of joy on his face after he saw his gift become the manna falling from heaven to feed the wanderers in the wilderness so that all could pray,  “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” “My cup runneth over.” “Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

And so we find ourselves here this morning—a multitude gathered around Jesus and his gifts. This crowd is part of a world-wide gathering of his people from every tribe, nation, tongue, and people scattered throughout the globe—that no one can number—more than 5,000 times 5,000. Once again, he takes our meagre gifts—the bread and the wine on this Altar. He gives thanks, and breaks the bread. He distributes his Body and Blood as we sit, kneel, and stand in the green pasture of his Word and Spirit.

O thou, who hast of thy pure grace
Made shine on us a Father’s face;
Arise, thy holy name make known;
Take up thy pow’r and reign alone;”
On earth, in us, let thy sole will
Be done as angels do it still.
                   (“O Thou, Who Hast of Thy Pure Grace,” LBW 442, v. 1)

“Abuse of power” (Mark 6:14-29)

Mark 6:14-29

Listen to and watch sermon

"Salome with the Head of John the Baptist," Caravaggio (1610)

Pastor Tom Johnson, July 11, 2021

Herod is throwing an extravagant party for himself. It’s his birthday. His stepdaughter Herodias performs a dance for him and his guests. They are very pleased. It was so well done—or so seductive—that Herod offers up to half his kingdom as a tip. It seems like it was the wine doing the talking that day. So Herodias consults her mother Herodias and she suggests the head of John the Baptist. Herodias takes it a step further and presents his head on a platter for Herod and all his dinner guests. Herod is deeply grieved. John was good entertainment. Herod liked his preaching even though John called Herod out for taking his brother’s wife. Herod’s actions not only led to John’s beheading but also all-out war just a few years after this incident. Many people paid for Herod’s actions with their lives. 

It’s all about power. Herod, his wife Herodias, and daughter Herodias are all competing for attention and power. Mark wants us to see the deceitfulness and harm that comes from endless jockeying for power. Mark exposes the lie that any of the players of this sadistic game possess true power and authority. Think about it. Herod is powerless to stop John’s preaching and the spread of the Kingdom of God. Herod is powerless to think carefully before he speaks. Herod is powerless to stop the beheading of John. Herod is powerless to overcome his insatiable need for validation and to avoid embarrassment before his dinner guests. His wife Herodias is powerless to let go of the grudge she held against John the Baptist for calling out their sin. She is powerless to kill John the Baptist herself. She preys upon the power given to her daughter Herodias. Herodias the daughter abuses her power on multiple levels. She powerlessly allows herself to be a pawn of her mother. She hurts her step-father Herod by asking for John’s head. She hurts her mother by taking it one step further; she perversely puts John’s head on a platter at a dinner party.

Herod Antipas gets his name from his father Herod the Great—the same one who slaughtered the innocent multitude of newborns, infants, and toddlers in Bethlehem so he could maintain power. The apple does not fall far from the tree. The same could be said for Herodias the mother and Herodias the daughter. All of them are branding the name Herod selfishly, greedily, and inflicting harm and death on countless people.  John the Baptist called out their sin, not because he was self-righteous—but because they were abusing of power to the detriment and harm of countless people. John’s hope was to bring order, peace, and healing out of the chaos, confusion, and harm coming from one person’s narcissism.

Is there anyone or anything that has you or me captivated by their apparent power, fame, or gravitas? Mark invites us to look behind the curtain and see someone who is in bondage to fear, profoundly insecure, incapable of empathy, leaving a trail of casualties a mile long behind them. Herod was entertained by John. He liked the show. Our text says he liked his preaching despite John calling out his sin. But just because he liked John and his preaching, it was not enough to keep his head off the chopping block. Herod was entertained by John’s preaching but unchanged. The preached Word is not for the scratching of itching ears but the transformation of hearts and lives. “Be vigilant, be sober minded,” Scripture says, “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). Be on guard of this in the world and watch out for it to manifest even in ourselves.

Whom do you and I want to impress? At what cost will we do it? To what depth of depravity are we willing to go? The quest for worldly power and popularity is often captivity to a never-ending and dangerous game. All are losers. The only winner is the devil whose time is also short, whose doom is certain before God Almighty. Out of superstitious fear, Herod believes that Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead with even greater power. It turns out that Herod is onto something when he recognizes a continuity between John the Baptist and Jesus.

Herod is at least right on one account: John’s martyrdom points to Jesus. And we know from the rest of the story of Mark that Herod never will work through his dysfunctional, generational, deadly, narcissistic, and cowardly quest for power. He will also bring Jesus in for entertainment. He will again be incapable of doing the right thing. He will be powerless before Pontius Pilate. And once again, his cowardice, selfishness, and pride will lead to Jesus losing his head to a crown of thorns, his hands and feet to nails, and his life on a Roman cross. Like John, Jesus’ body is also laid in a tomb. But death could not contain him. Three days later he rises from the dead. John’s fate darkly foreshadows Jesus. At this Table and Banquet, Jesus offers himself for heavenly food and eternal life. Like Herod’s father before him, Herod cannot stop the Kingdom of God for which John and Jesus labor. Herodias and Herodias cannot stop this. Pontius Pilate, the Sanhedrin, the Roman Empire, or any abuse of perceived power cannot stop this. 

Nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The gates of hell will not be able to stop the advance of the Kingdom of God from John, Jesus, and the Church as we proclaim truth and life-transforming power.

Satan, I defy thee;
Death, I now decry thee;
Fear, I bid thee cease.
World, thou shalt not harm me
Nor thy threats alarm me
While I sing of peace.
God’s great pow’r
Guards ev’ry hour;
Earth and all its depths adore Him,
Silent bow before Him.

Evil world, I leave thee;
Thou canst not deceive me,
Thine appeal is vain.
Sin that once did blind me,
Get thee far behind me,
Come not forth again.
Past thy hour,
O pride and pow'r;
Sinful life, thy bonds I sever,
Leave thee now forever.         
          (“Jesus, Priceless Treasure,” LSB 743, vv. 3 & 5)

“Sufficient Grace” (2 Corinthians 12:2-10)

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Listen to and watch sermon

Pastor Tom Johnson, July 4, 2021

Paul does not tell us exactly what the thorn in his flesh is. The thorn may be his declining eyesight. His thorn may be an illness or chronic physical impairment. The thorn could even be people who opposed and undermined his ministry. Whatever the thorn is, Paul prays for God to remove it three times. Like we often do, Paul prays again and again for an answer to his prayer. And also like us, we may not get the answer we want but the answer we need. Paul tells us this story about prayer to be an encouragement to us. Jesus’ answer to Paul’s prayer is not just for Paul. It is for all of us who feel trapped.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul says that because of this power in weakness that he can find peace and contentment in every difficulty because, he says, “Whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” This grace-filled understanding of life is only possible because Paul takes a hard look at himself. He understands that he can often be his own worst enemy. He knows his own limitations. He acknowledges his need for God’s mercy and help. It is an amazingly vulnerable moment for him to share his struggle with pride and an inflated sense of self in this letter to the church in Corinth which is now known throughout the world. In order to keep him from being too full of himself, God allowed this splinter to get into and under his skin. Jesus encourages Paul to understand his wound to have greater purpose. This thorny reminder of his pride and weakness is now a blessing. He has no where else to turn but a humble reliance upon Christ and his strength—to know that Jesus always provides sufficient grace and that his power shows itself when we are weak.

Paul clearly wants us to apply his very specific thorn to the many thorns that afflict all of us. He names a few—weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. He’s content through all these because of the assurance of Christ’s grace at work through these challenges. Paul wants us to enjoy that same blessed assurance. What are the thorn or thorns in your flesh this morning? I’m going to take a moment and think about mine. 

Have you prayed about these sticky, sharp, and annoying things that keep getting under your skin? Scripture tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 to “cast all our cares upon him because he cares for us.” It is a courageous and vulnerable thing to do but have you and I considered how our pride can play a role in our own suffering like Paul does in our text? I love what Proverbs chapter 3 says about managing our own pride,

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.

There are great antidotes to pride in our Scripture today. It’s the realization that God is more on your side than you are yourself. He wants to use everything in our lives—from the cozy to the painful—the soft to the thorny—to mold and shape us into the people of God he wants us to be. It’s the truth that we are all weak and needy. We are all God’s work in progress. We need the mercy and grace of our heavenly Father. Jesus assures us that he is there even when we cannot remove the painful and pesky splinters ourselves. It’s the truth that there will always be trouble in this world. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities of darkness. But much more than that...It’s the truth that God will never leave nor forsake us. He will not abandon us as orphans. His grace is sufficient. His power is made perfect in our weakness. Paul embraces his weakness because of what it teaches him—it teaches him not to rely on his own resources but upon the one who is both our Creator and Sustainer. It’s wisdom to realize that we also cannot win our battles on our own—or even fight them by our own strength. Contentment is acceptance of things they way they are but also the confidence that God is at work in, through, and in spite of those things. The 13th century Persian poet Rumi said it this way: “The wound is the place where light gets in.” The thorn in Paul’s flesh opened him up to the persistent grace  and relentless strength of God.

What a powerful way to look at whatever has gotten under our skin. God wants to use it to bless us one way or another. God wants to bring us the light of his presence, love, forgiveness, and life. It is both humbling and empowering—everything we need for life and godliness—All this from the one whose brow and head was pierced with a crown of thorns—whose side was pierced with a spear—whose hands and feet were pierced with nails. Those wounds are also the place where light gets in—the light of forgiveness, life, and salvation—the light that always conquers the darkness—the light that is Victor over all evil, death, and the grave. His grace is sufficient. He cries out “It is finished!”  We experience his grace through our hardship. We discover his power through our weakness.

Jesus loves me. This I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to him belong,
They are weak, he is strong.
          (Poem by Anna Bartlett Warner (1827–1915), 1860)