Homily for Proper 12 B, July 29, 2012

In our first reading today we heard about the Prophet Elisha and the multiplication of loaves.  As bible literature goes, this story sets the precedent for Jesus much larger miracle; feeding thousands. 

In our second reading Paul is following up last week’s message with a prayer for the Ephesians.  Because of his Gentile readers’ faith in the Lord Jesus, their love toward all the saints (God’s holy people) and sharers in the boundless riches of Christ; Paul encourages them not lose heart over his suffering.  He then prays to the Father, who is the source of life itself, for the Ephesians.  The prayer includes four petitions: inward strengthening through the Spirit; for the risen Jesus to be the grounding of their outward expression of love; that God may give them the power to understand the totality of Christ’s love; that they grow into full knowledge of God’s ways. 

The gospel stories we heard today are part of John’s plan to tell us about certain signs which he hopes will encourage belief, be a starting point for understanding Jesus, and recognizing Christ for who he is. 

In v.11, the word used to describe Jesus giving thanks is eucharistesas; many New Testament scholars see this as a deliberate reference to the Last Supper and the gift of the Eucharist.  A strong possibility since John’s telling of the Last Supper does not describe the sharing of the bread and wine.  John, in the second generation of Christians, already sees Eucharist has having power and implication which reach far beyond a finite moment of worship. 

Hunger and emptiness are themes that run through our lessons today, and God’s response to them.  Our world is a hungry place.  People are hungry for food, for jobs, for love, for care and for leadership that cares.  The list of our hunger goes on and on.  What the Bible knows is what we all know – our hungers include a spiritual void or emptiness.

We are hungry for God and that hunger is very real; yet people often deceive themselves into believing they can feed that void with other things such as food, money, fancy clothes, fancy cars, more technology, more stuff.  Accumulating so much stuff, stuff that some believe says something about whom and what they are – stuff that is somehow mistaken for who and what they are.  The more one define themselves by what they have (or consume), the more that still empty spiritual void hurts and the more we obsessively one acquires “cool stuff;” pushes excessive calories in their mouth or other dangerous substances…  The vicious cycle can even become self destructive, with over whelming credit card debt, diabetes from years of unhealthy diet, liver disease, etc. 

Our world has legitimate hunger also; many suffer from starvation or malnutrition.  We, like Jesus, have gifts to bring.  But, simple outreach, funds and foods to help the suffering don't go far enough.  We are also called to give the spiritual nourishment we have from Jesus.  To help fill that deeper void people experience.  Many in the US have neither adequate physical or spiritual food.  Others are bloated on many kinds of physical stuff but are starving deep inside for the presence of God.  It is our place to follow Jesus' example and reach out to provide support for both kinds of suffering; offering soup for the hungry and spirituality for the empty. 

Paul’s prayer today is a good reminder of the spiritual gift we each have to offer.  Both praying for others and teaching them how to pray!  Inviting them to the Lord’s Table, to read the Bible and join us in Christian community.  All these simple invitations and offers of spiritual support sound simple but lead to a profound gift in people’s lives.