[Propertalk] Gospel quotes for August 2 sermon - Part 3

[Joe Parrish]

The three year lectionary presents difficulties for the proclaimer involved in interpreting
the Fourth Gospel. Since there is not a year given to the Gospel of John, it is divided up over the
three years: 11 texts in Series A; 19 texts in Series B; and 10 texts in Series C, for a total of 40
texts. This solution gives "equal time" to each of the evangelists over the three liturgical years
(Matthew-41 texts in Series A, Mark-33 texts in Series B, Luke-42 texts in Series C), but
does not allow the pastor to develop the portrait of Jesus in John's Gospel as with the synoptic
gospels.
In Series B, however, the lectionary has clustered five texts from John 6 in consecutive
Sundays. From the 10th Sunday after Pentecost to the 14th, we meet the following texts: John
6:1-15, 24-35, 41-51, 51-58 and 60-69.
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 "This    is the work of God, that you believe in him (Jesus) whom he (God) has sent" (6:29). Could there
be anything more clearly expressed than this? But wait. The crowd still has not seen and heard;
they ask Jesus, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you
perform?" (6:30).
With these questions we are brought back to square one. Nothing appears to have
happened to the sight of the people. They, like us, are blind to the sign/work of God. Can Jesus
really accomplish the purpose of the Gospel-to make God known? The evangelist takes our
perplexity and uses it as the occasion for yet another word or act of revelation, this time by a
story. Do you remember the manna in the wilderness story?
 
http://www.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/5-3_Imagination/5-3_Berge.pdf
                      
PAUL S. BERGE, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1985
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Unwittingly, they asked him an important question, "Where did you come from?" This pattern often occurs in the Gospel of John. People ask an important question but don't realize it. One of the most significant questions of the gospels is "Where do you come from, Jesus?" Of course, the right answer is "from God." But these people did not know the right answer nor the importance of their question.

John's gospel uses this literary technique often, whereby people ask a profound question, with apparent innocence and naiveté.  

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That is still a problem today. People work so hard to get ahead financially and materially that we human being often slip into thinking that food and prosperity are the primary sources of our happiness. We human beings slowly discover the truth that genuine happiness is not found in money and material goods. As human beings, we work so hard for the things of this world which quickly run down, break down, rust, and rot, crumble and corrode. Everything does. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_bread_of_life_GA.htm

Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington

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When it comes to our own physical needs, we can be right on the ball. But how easily we 'spiritualise' other people's needs so we don't have to do much about them. After all, spiritual things are God's realm, aren't they, so we can leave that kind of thing to him! Jesus here tries to re-connect the people & their physical need (they rarely had a decent feed!) back to their spirituality. Back to eternal life, or as I have come much to prefer, 'real life' as my 'Complete Gospels' puts it. [Polebridge (Harper) '94]

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/marginallymark/MMKJN62435P8.html

Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia

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For John's audience, of course, only the Christian community held up the Christ as one to be worshiped as God. So, the only way to come and trust was through that community. This was the challenge Christianity lay before its Jewish competitors. The activity of God was present in the community, because the Christ was present. While what God did was important, what God was doing now was more important.

http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/b/18-b/A-18-b.html

Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com: A Catholic Resource for This Sunday's Gospel

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