Sermon for the week of July 30th (John 6:1-15 & Ephesians 4:1-6)

Reading 1

Gospel Jn 6:1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip,“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”

He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.

Philip answered him,“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
said to him,

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.

When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”

So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done,
they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

SERMON:

How can I not declare the Glory is all God's when talking about one of many....I mean MANY miracles that Jesus the Christ completed in front of a few or as in this miracle, in front of thousands of people. Let's reflect a moment on just how many miracles, healings, people raised from the dead, and exorcisms our Lord did on His short time here on earth.

What man could ever claim blasphemously to being able to do any miracle as our Lord did by feeding 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish?
Here is a miracle recorded in all four Gospels, here is a miracle witnessed by thousands, and here is a miracle showing us the power and glory of God, as well as the love and care He has for us...

This miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 gives me a wonderful reminder about the sense of security and strength we possess knowing that Jesus the Christ is the Creator of all things and is our Lord and Master. I don't want any men, women, magicians, guru's, Roman god's, idols, clerics, prophets, or angels, to take any devotion and faith away ffrom the One and True Creator who came in a tent of flesh and walked among us some 2,000 years ago.

Sadly, people turn to heathen things, idols, and/or give more devotion to men than to the only Begotten Son of God, the Creator of all.
How can these other finite, imperfect, worldly ideas and idols compare to Our Lord?
Lord I can only begin to try to understand Your dissapointment!
Lord have mercy!

I want to point out two important points in this sermon for your reflection. One fact that is overlooked time and time again and has wisdom and truth surrounding it, is the fact that there were 5 loaves and 2 fish. Why 5 loaves and 2 fish? Why not 3 loaves, 7 loaves, 10 loaves, or 20? Is it fair to dismiss the number of loaves and fish as a unnecessary and meaningless point? Is it fair to dismiss this fact due to random and uncontrollable circumstances as we perceive in our own lives? Or is there wisdom and truth as I know there is that there was a reason the boy had 5 loaves and 2 fish.
The numbers mean something...something very important to those who dare to look. If Jesus is the Son of God and the Creator of all things, and Jesus knows your true name and knows what you do before you do it...then why does this world overlook the fact that the child had 5 loaves and 2 fish? I will mention these numbers when they arise out of Scripture, you can ask the questions...

The final point I would like to bring to your attention is verse 16 where it says that the people exclaimed:
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world. Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone."
Who is calling Jesus, a Prophet?
Answer: Men who could not and probably would never be able to see, hear, or understand that Jesus was the Son of God, the Creator of all things, and The Messiah.

One miracle of substantial magnitude by feeding 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish and these worldly men give our Lord the lowly compliment to call Him just a Prophet? Blasphemy! Jesus does not qualify as a Prophet or "The Prophet" because He exceeds all worldly definition! The feeding of the 5,000 is a miracle that had huge impact because it was performed in front of thousands of people, but this miracle is just one of many....MANY... miracles no one can ever hope or lie about doing!
Give Glory were it is due.
That is the message this week!
The Glory is with the King of Kings!

In the last part of verse 16, these people as a token of acceptance, want to make Our Lord their earthly king? Jesus is the King of Kings, not an earthly king of the people of Galilee, or the people of some Middle East land. It is another nugget of proof that Jesus was not and is not a Prophet, for a man of this world would surely have accepted the lowly "king" ship these people were willing to grant Him. Glory be to the Lord Jesus Christ Forever and Ever!! He is the KING of any and all the kings...Let the kings of this earth give glory to Him and let us Give Him Glory!

Let's end with the words of Paul...I don't want to comment on this reading, because I could not say it any better...

Reading 2

Eph 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness,
with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

May we awake to give Glory to the Lord!
God bless you and your families this week.

(Sermon by John H.)

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