Rev. George Miller
Feb 13, 2022
John 6:25-38
Last week we talked about
infamous “I Wish Songs” from Hollywood and Broadway- “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,”
“Just Around the River Bend,” “Waiting For Life To Begin.”
But what happens if you do
make it over the rainbow…but haven’t learned a dang thing?
What if you finally made it
around the river bend but decide you don’t like what’s there?
What if life does finally
begin, but you discover that so does the work, the responsibility, the chores…
…and you’d rather just go
back to the couch, the bed, the tv?
Why travel over on a
whirlwind or cross the other side if you’re just going to be the same, do the
same, live the same, think the same?
And why, when you get to the
other side of the rainbow, the riverbend, the island, would you ever think that
others do not deserve the same opportunity?
These are topics that “popped”
into my head when I read today’s text. It
begins simple enough- “they found him on the other side.”
Who are the “they”? The people.
Who did they find? Jesus.
Where was he? The other side.
The other side of what? The sea.
But what does this
mean? Why does it matter?
If you go back in time, to
the beginning of chapter 6, you see it matters a lot.
Because originally, “they”,
the people, were on the other side of the sea with Jesus. On a mountain. And they were hungry. Thousands of mouths to feed.
Did Jesus deny them? Ignore them?
Blame them?
No- Jesus acknowledge them,
acknowledged their need, and he made sure the disciples fed them, no questions
asked.
Later, the disciples are at
sea, terrified because of rough waters. Did Jesus ignore them, tell them to suck it
up?
No, he walked to them,
present amidst the chaos and storm that was a brewing.
That’s the side the people
had come from- hunger and fear, lack and doubt.
Yet they have an encounter
with Jesus, and discover that in God’s kingdom there is enough, that even in
the worst of times God is there.
So they make it to the other
side. The other side of hunger, the
other side of fear. But they don’t fully
get it.
They still don’t really know
who this Jesus is, they don’t really know what following this Jesus is all
about.
They think it is all about
tricks and miracles and getting, getting, getting!
But Jesus says “No- that’s
not the point. The point is that you
believe. You believe that God dwells
with you. You believe that God is in the
right here and right now.”
“And because you believe you
can go out and live; live your best life.”
But who is this God? And how does God want us to live?
Well, if you agree with the author
of John, you would say that God is the creator of the cosmos. You would say that God is our Father, and
that God dwelled in the human form of Jesus.
And if you believe that
Jesus is God embodied, you would look at what Jesus has done in John and say-
that God meets us in the
dessert, God meets us in celebrations, God heals the unwell, God gives people
the ability to truly see.
God meets us when we hunger,
God comes to us when we are scared.
2 weeks ago we saw how God through
Jesus can give us the ability to get up, walk, move, be welcomed and worship.
Do you wonder what ever
happened to the man from John 5? Did he
get a job, get a wife, join a team?
Did he go out and care for
others who were lame and stuck, or did he ignore their plight, forgetting from
where he came?
Or did he find that after
receiving wellness, it was too much, so he resumed his spot by the pool waiting
for someone to lift him up even though he could do it himself?
What happens after we make
it to the other side? What happens after
we have an encounter with Jesus?
We can tell you one thing
that does not happen- God does not exclude.
No matter what others may say or do, God does not exclude.
After the people make it to
the other side, Jesus says to them “Anyone who comes to me, I will never drive
away.”
Chapter 6:37, Jesus says “Anyone
who comes to me, I will never drive away.”
Do you hear that?
Do you receive that?
Do you believe that?
Here is Jesus, turning water
into wine, giving bread from heaven, saying that he will never chase away, he
will never deny, he will never exclude, anyone who comes to him.
Anyone.
Nada. None.
Zip.
Not you. Not me.
Not her. Not him. Not they.
Not even the ones we don’t like and who we despise.
No one who comes to Jesus
will be turned away.
Perhaps that is the true
glory of the Gospel. Perhaps that is the
biggest miracle of all.
Anyone can put on a magic
trick. Anyone can create the illusion.
But not everyone is able to
welcome.
Not everyone is able to
accept.
Many find it easier to turn
away.
This Jesus, this Man of Israel,
this Son of God is truly, utterly amazing.
Are you by the well, alone?
He’ll meet you there.
Are you by the gate, unable
to move?
He’ll meet you there.
Are you on the mountain,
hungry?
He’ll meet you there.
Are you in the midst of the
storm?
He’ll meet you there.
Have you finally, finally
made it to the other side of the rainbow, have you finally made it around the
river bend?
He’ll meet you there.
Are you afraid Jesus will abandon
you?
Deny you? Ignore you?
Cast you out? Throw you away?
Impossible.
Because that’s not who Jesus
is.
Nor is that what God is
about.
Will you come to Jesus?
Will you lay your burdens
down at his feet?
Will you show him just who
you are?
If so, let us say “Amen.”
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