[Propertalk] Gospel quotes for August 2 sermon - Part 2

[Joe Parrish]

It would have been as if our enslaved ancestors, who survived on leftovers and scraps, were welcomed as guests at an endless buffet. Jesus' audience sees in him an end to their perpetual hunger. Those just barely getting by on others' leftovers are finally filled. A story like this resonates with us as a people used to leftover books in public schools, leftover neighborhoods in dilapidated inner-cities, and leftover jobs that nobody else would do. In fact, the only thing we are used to getting enough of is cells in the countless new prisons where one in nine of our men are housed. 

<These lectionary commentaries are specially designed to address the liturgical moments of significance to most African American Christians.> 

http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/PopupLectionaryReading.asp?LRID=46

Rodney S. Sadler Jr., Lectionary Team Commentator
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When I first worked on these notes I had just finished reading, Sacred Cows Make Gourmet Burgers, by William Easum. The "sacred cow" he is trying to fry in this book is control. "Established churches must either cease worshiping the god of control, or they perish!" [p. 9]. "... making decisions and controlling what happens is more important in established churches than making disciples" [p. 12].
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A very interesting contrast is being made with regard to the church of the future. On one hand, experts are saying that a congregation's agenda needs to be set by the needs of the consumer (e.g., the unchurched). On the other hand, I believe that most of congregations are full of "consumer" Christians -- those who are involved primarily for what they can get out of it, rather than "contributing" Christians -- those who are involved primarily for what they can give to the ministry of the body.

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In my experience, people can "place in stone" a past gracious act of God so that they are unable to see the present activities of God. Adults who brag about their long line of perfect attendance at Sunday school with attendance pins to prove it, but have little contact with church as an adult. I've heard testimonies from people about the wonderful way God saved them or healed them way back in history. I wonder, "What is God doing in their lives now?" The phrase, "We've always done it this way," may blind one to the present activities of the God who is making all things new (Rev. 21:5). Even in our tradition, some people may figure, I was baptized as an infant and that's enough.

Although Martin Luther wrote some wonderful things about God's grace being conveyed through the sacrament of baptism, he ends the baptism section in the Small Catechism by talking about "daily baptism." It is our walk with God today -- in the present -- that is important.

http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/john6x24.htm

Brian Stoffregen

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 Nothing is free, or so it seems, and so the crowd asks Jesus what duty they have to perform for God to get this bread. Jesus' answer is actually too simple; the gospel is always too simple. Anyway, the crowd thinks that just trusting Jesus that he will come up with this amazing bread for the asking, is stretching reality a bit. 

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v29 

[Greek] to ergon tou qeou -  "the work of God" - Note, the work is now singular. Often classed as an objective genitive, God receives the action, our "spiritual labor", Lindars, and sometimes a subjective genitive in that God produces the action, in the sense of "the work that God does", ie. accomplishes in Jesus such that those who believe in him (eat him [figuratively of course]) receive the gift of eternal life. It can be argued that it is plenary, ie. both objective and subjective. It may also be argued that not only is the possibility of life through faith a work of God, in the sense that he makes it possible, but that also the response of faith itself is God's work in that he gives the faith to those he calls ("no man comes to me, except the Father..... draw him"). Of course, a simple adjectival sense can explain the genitive, where the genitive "of God" limits "work", producing the type of work required by God, namely, reliance (faith, belief) in the reliant one. "God wants you to have faith in the one he sent", CEV.

http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/sunday18bg.html

Rev. Bryan Findlayson

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In the text's move from the bread of earth to the bread of heaven, one should not accuse John of "spiritualizing" the gospel and ignoring human need. Check out John 6:5 and James 2:15-16. That's why "Bread for the World." Feeding the hungry is indeed a good, lively and godly work! 

http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo740.shtml

Norb E. Kabelitz, 2009

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