Monday, February 14, 2022

God Does Not Throw Out Anyone Like Trash; John 6:25-38

                        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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