Grain, grapes, and olives this was the basis of the Pax Romana. That peace that the Mediterranean world enjoyed so long it got named. Palestine, the promise land would go though much in this period. Here we are talking about a period that was so monumental to our brothers of Abraham. For us the most important is undoubtedly Jesus for them it was the destruction of the second temple.
When you look up expulsion of the Jews you really do have to be specific. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD they were expelled from their home land. Families would have members in several cities. Not because they wanted to, but because any city might expel them and they would have somewhere to go.
They certainly not the only victims of this world. They are not the only aggressor in this world either.
So their was this peace based on flour, alcohol and oil. Alcohol still has a unique place in our society, but to them sketchy water was more the reason. Alcohol like kombucha would be safe to drink. Water you would often be taking a big chance in their world.
We have this interesting scripture from John that over laps with what Pastor Wilma preached last week about the bread of life. I have been following the liturgical calendar for some time now of our church. I didn't know that it could over lap.
Two ways to look here. The divisions we often see in the gospel are arbitrary. Preaching is much like cooking: good in good out. Last week we certainly feasted as we often find ourselves doing with the word. I think we all know something of what it means to be full of the word. Even more so because there was a time we were empty. Interesting how things work out that way.
I was walking through a Serbian village with my family. We came down by the river side. There were plastic bags more than there was river it seemed. Wasn't sure how that could make sense. I find this need to make sense. As we talked I learned they had never removed trash from the villages. How long had there been these villages. Jesus would be no stranger there. To the Pax Romana at least.
Now two mysteries why was it not even worse. How could they have never sent a garbage truck to the villages of the Balkans? Thing was I remembered from watching my mother in-law there wasn't much garbage. The citrus rind she would use to make syrup for the winter would grace the most amazing cakes you could imagine. Something was peeled something was fed or composted. What we miss of these stories is the sustainability Jesus was sharing with them. They understood. They didn't send garbage trucks to their villages. They only sent transportation for the bounty of the valley.
Seldom happens that I have great mysteries solved with so little effort. There was no garbage problem in the past because there was no garbage. Every single time I go and buy the smallest of things people try to give me bags. I go to places more that listen to me and ask if I want a bag. Or sell it to me. What we see as an answer to the Balkan villages is to truck garbage from the villages like we do here. Progress they say.
The Balkans are closer than we are to what Jesus ate. They now have big box stores, but you would be surprised you can pickle almost anything. I didn't even understand it myself when I lived it, but it taught me. What my mother in-law had most was flour, alcohol and oil. When my brother in-law returned from Canada he asked her how much her weekly groceries had increased having me my young wife and baby there. I will never forget her face for two reasons. One she defended me. Two she did not understand the question. She thought in decades not weeks. She had no idea her weekly cost. She was ready for ten years and I will tell you it does not take the space we think.
One day we had lunch together. She started crying. I asked her what is wrong. She said she was afraid she would not be able to go to Sara's wedding. She had been born two or three days before. She thought in decades. As American bombs rained down she found it hard to imagine the visa she would one day have. We last spent extensive time together when my son was born here. He still loves yogurt.
I grew to understand the Mediterranean diet. It started with bread. Bread as Pastor Wilma noted is something we know. In Bosnia it is funny there really is only one type of bread. They call the last piece that you use to eat the last scraps off your plate with, "your strength." I took couple dozen Bosnian kids to the sea side and bought them brown bread. They did not believe it was bread and would not touch it. I was witness or I would not have believed it. They liked to have fun with me they said I spoke Hungarian. Madjarski, funny we call them Hungarians cause they reminded us of the Huns, us being old English speakers.
As in the time of Jesus and now the rich and elite ate whatever they wanted. We know there were many vomitoriums built during the Pax Romana. None for the poor. They had baths I guess and theater. The poor mostly flour alcohol and oil. Bread almost a medium because the oil is what will keep you alive. Little meat bits here and there more for flavor for the poor. Remember even our soul food comes from what was left to the slaves. People make do. Chicken feet make soup. They didn't used to have much garbage in the villages.
All this really to get deeper in where we were last week. Over lapped. Before we can understand what Jesus is talking about with the bread of life we need to see what the bread alone. Sustainability. I do come to this idea that anything can be good for you. I don't eat meat, but there are people that do in these blue zones identified around the world where people live longer. Nothing healthier about the pork they have there really, but the culture of making. All the work involved is almost a balm for the ill effects we feel.
I could go to the store and eat anything I want at any time. Why this is a goal is a sign of how far we have lost our way. Entertainment seem headed that way. We want to be entertained by anything at any time. I am as I have mentioned before many things and one is a dead head. A person who enjoys the Grateful Dead. When I first learned of them there were these tapers who were like key keepers who passed and shared the music. You needed connections for the music to flow.
I knew at the time eventually there would be satellites broadcasting down the entire library of their music. Today they certainly do. I still discover new music of theirs. A band not together in more than 25 years. I often think of the tapers. I only knew two. The world changes and we are not always prepared. All the music at my finger tips. All this garbage flowing from our villages.
The tapers were like the villages of our community. Produced real good and no garbage. Well, even the garbage had a purpose we could discuss what a bad night they had. If you know anything about the band the worst night they had was probably Woodstock. We have this community but our villages don't produce anything really. Our community is a shell of itself and we don't yet know how we will live. Our river's are chocked with plastic bags.
So here we have today's scripture: John 6:56-69 from the Amplified Bible
56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior] remains in Me, and I [in the same way remain] in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, even so the one who feeds on Me [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior] will also live because of Me. 58 This is the Bread which came down out of heaven. It is not like [the manna that] our fathers ate and they [eventually] died; the one who eats this Bread [believes in Me, accepts Me as Savior] will live forever.”
This is where we ended last week contrasting the daily bread with this living bread.
Now we continue this week.
59 He said these things in a synagogue while He was teaching in Capernaum.
60 When many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This is a difficult and harsh and offensive statement. Who can [be expected to] listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, aware that His disciples were complaining about it, asked them, “Does this cause you to stumble and take offense? 62 What then [will you think] if you see the Son of Man ascending to [the realm] where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh conveys no benefit [it is of no account]. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life [providing eternal life]. 64 But [still] there are some of you who do not believe and have faith.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “This is the reason why I have told you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him [that is, unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father.”
Most commentators here feel Jesus is talking beyond his 12 to all the people who had started to follow him. In many ways it is like a message we hear in our popular culture. You are what you eat. This is something we don't like to hear. How do I know? they sell a lot of hot dogs. Mechanically separated swept from the floor. They are certainly not the only offender.
Even good choices can be bad. We have less trans fats in our diet, but we have palm oil in everything now which is great for us. Not so great for the orangutan. Monoculture breeds garbage. Often problem's solution cause more problems. Trucking plastic to the village and trucking garbage out seems insane. In many ways we are the beginning of the end. Our world certainly broken enough to be saved.
66 As a result of this many of His disciples abandoned Him, and no longer walked with Him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve [disciples], “You do not want to leave too, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life [you are our only hope]. 69 We have believed and confidently trusted, and [even more] we have come to know [by personal observation and experience] that You are the Holy One of God [the Christ, the Son of the living God].”
Peter foreshadows Paul here even before the comforter arrived. He must have felt something of the armor of God. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” I wonder here if Jesus in this question is really saying to them I need you. Jesus certainly saved us all, but doesn't ask us to do the same things. The twelve again perhaps here found their greatest moment. There would be more disciples but they would never be more than these twelve who did not want to go.
It only takes a spark to get a fire going the song says, I dare say it was this spark. Even Judas was counted then. Not sure how much we can say about his role, but then again not sure how much I can say about your role, but I can tell you something Paul said:
From Ephesians 6:10-20 Amplified Bible
10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. 11 Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. 13 Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. 14 So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), 15 and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. 16 Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
18 With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people. 19 And pray for me, that words may be given to me when I open my mouth, to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news [of salvation], 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. And pray that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly and courageously, as I should.
Is the lesson of Judas that in any group of twelve humans there will be failure even in the best organization. Can we put failure to purpose. Garbage to renewal?
There is a story of the village our church comes from shared by Roy Larik during our summer speaker series. There were many good things about this little area. Two rivers and these ever so useful natural bluestone outcrops. You could almost see how the first class at Nottingham might have thought that God was on their side. Anyways the interesting story is about the mills that sprung up almost at the same time if not just before settlers arrived.
The key infrastructure was the mills that would grind the grain. They encouraged or maybe brought the people here. Build it and they will come if you will. Jesus would feel at home. They certainly didn't eat anything whenever they wanted. They ate with the seasons like during the Pax Romana. We are not really that far removed. Biggest change this crude oil they first found useful in Pennsylvania. We have come a long way in a short time. These bags made from oil choking rivers. Not so long ago we didn't have much use for that oil.
There is something I haven't mentioned. There is more of us. Is that better? Well it is not sustainable what we are.
Garbage from the village is what we truck out more than anything it now seems. We are in-between. The Pax Romana is broken. This is not what we are going to be. Praise the Lord!
Let us pray:
Give us this day our daily bread and what is more give us this living bread to not only live eternally, but to live the way of our Lord. Help us to find our way in this complex world. Let us see why we are here and let us see where we are going. We ask you to share your will to each of us that we may play our role. Bless us to be a blessing to someone. Bless someone to be a blessing for us. And again and again around that we would go. We ask in the blessed name of our savior Jesus Christ, Amen
Benediction
Go see then do.
Pray and put on all the armor of God
This world is fear filled, but we are not afraid
Let God's will be done in us and it will be enough
Let God's will be done in them and it will be enough
Let us find one and other together and it will be enough
Thanks be to God, go where you are sent my brothers and sisters
Nottingham UMC 8/22/2021
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