Lectionary for Aug. 25, 2024
14th Sunday after Pentecost
1 Kings 8:22-30, [31-40] 41-43; Psalm 84;
Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69
I didn’t grow up as a Lutheran Christian. Instead, I fell in among you all in grad school, where I attended Jacob’s Porch, a campus ministry at Ohio State University, Columbus. Under the passionate guidance of Pastor Jay Gamelin, I grew into many of the best parts of who I am today. But becoming new isn’t always an easy process. Healthy families and congregations wrestle and fight respectfully, and at Jacob’s Porch we had rich theological and ecclesiological disagreements (the congregation’s name is derived, in part, from Jacob who wrestled with God). After one particularly “lively” Bible study, several of us had to physically walk in different directions to give grace and peace a chance to return to the conversation. We all came back over the next several hours and days and reconciled.
Later someone mentioned how unusual it was that no one left for another congregation after such an argument. Another person (I wish it had been me!) replied, “Where else can we go? God has called us here.” That conviction to stay, specifically because of the fullness of relationship that necessarily involves difficulty and disagreement, is what I’ve sought in every congregation and relationship since.
This week’s lectionary passages address faithfulness through difficult times.
I’m so grateful that the lectionary committee included part of Solomon’s dedicatory prayer for the temple that he had constructed. After this week we leave the narrative of the semi-continuous readings to spend time in poetry and proverbs. Solomon’s last words here are beautiful and full of faithfulness.
King Solomon asks that God be attentive to the prayers prayed toward God’s home on earth. Then he specifically asks for God’s faithfulness and grace in several situations. If people try to pervert justice by taking God’s name in vain and swearing false oaths, God should defend the righteous and condemn the guilty. If the people of God are conquered by enemies because of national sin, God should rescue those who have been taken. When the earth suffers because of human misdeeds, God should rescue the land. And, most importantly, God should be especially solicitous of foreigners’ prayers and answer them. Solomon’s intention is that when a situation is difficult or confusing—injustice, attack, famine or even ethno-national exclusion—people will know where to go and from whom to seek help.
Even the disciples were challenged by Jesus’ insistence that they believe in his identity and origin.
Hundreds of years later, Jesus taught a profoundly difficult teaching. The Gospel of John stresses that the people of Capernaum “knew” Jesus was the son of Joseph, and they knew both Joseph and Mary (6:42). Yet, Jesus changed his origin story before their ears, saying that he had come not from the Galilee, Bethlehem or Egypt but from heaven! And Jesus, more than even the manna given in the wilderness wanderings, would give the people eternal life if they believed in him and abided with him. How could anyone believe this? Jesus and his relatives were just like anyone else, right? And if he taught better than most and performed some miracles, fantastic! They had, after all, attempted to make him king by force (15)! But accepting that Jesus had been sent by God from heaven made him more than just an anointed king/messiah like David or Solomon. Who can accept this challenge to regard Jesus of Nazareth as more than just a prophet or miracle worker but as the Son of God?
Many folks who were interested primarily in the “bread and circus” gatherings around Jesus faded away. Even the disciples were challenged by Jesus’ insistence that they believe in his identity and origin. Jesus didn’t waiver and told the embattled disciples that they would see him ascending to where he came from (62). As a result, even many of Jesus’ disciples left.
But the 12 disciples stood firm. Peter, speaking for them all, said in effect, “Lord, where else can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God!” (68-69). The challenge of the Bread of Life passage is not to improve our study of the sacraments or even increase our food and resource sharing with neighbors (though both of those would be excellent things to work on). Instead, when Jesus claims to be the Bread of Life that came from heaven, he is insisting on a nonnegotiable Christological claim—he is the one who came from heaven and the only one who brings eternal life. After hearing that message, where else can we go?
