Written Sermon only.

Ephesians 6:10-20 & John 6:56-69
Is there anyone here who finds the teachings of Jesus easy? In particular, teachings such as what we hear today? You know, Jesus is the bread of life. Eat of that bread and live forever.
Does that seem easy? Or do you find that just a touch challenging? What is he actually talking about?
It seems clear to me that he is talking in metaphor. He is comparing himself to bread. Okay, but a bread of life and living forever? What does that mean? It is generally viewed now as some form of life after death. And eating of the bread I would suggest, is taking on the task of following Jesus and following the way he has set for us.
But that is still a challenge. Jesus does not make things easy with his messaging. He doesn’t really resort to plain speech. It’s like he wants us to work and think, to reflect on what he is saying and how it might apply to our lives.
In fact I think it is safe to say that Jesus is not about to make some grandiose promises that our lives will suddenly be free of all challenges and worries. Following Jesus is not an easy path, and we are not free of the trials that are typically a part of human existence. Some things may be eased, but it is safe to say that those concerns are replaced by other difficulties and challenges.
I think we get a glimpse of that this morning when we hear a number of his followers tell Jesus this teaching is difficult. The are disciples. People who have committed to following Jesus. They want to learn from him and follow him, but his teaching about the bread of life leaves them bewildered and challenged in a way they were not expecting. They try to get it but in the end they leave. The twelve are left.
And it’s not like they are not also struggling. But Peter’s response, I think is interesting. Where else would we go? The anxieties, the fears, the pain and the struggle doesn’t end when we give up or turn away. As tempting as those responses may be, the struggles and the pain will remain. We are still left searching for answers or comfort.
Where else will we turn?
I think sometimes we are seeking easy answers. We are seeking obvious signs of God’s presence. That is in part, is what Jesus is proposing. We can find God in obvious and clear places. In bread, water, the fruit of the vine; grapes.
And to make the picture clearer, he ties himself to those objects. I am the bread of life. I am the root, and you are the vine, I offer you living water. And, as I said last week, we celebrate these things as a sign of God’s love and presence in our sacraments. They are remembrances of the actions and the teaching of Jesus, but they also remind us of God’s unending and undying love.
We can find God in all of creation. God is in the rocks, the trees, the wind and the sun. God is in the rain. But there are times when participating in a community ritual serves as a reminder and a lesson in how we are all connected through Jesus. It is a comfort to know Christ is with us, even as we struggle and question. Furthermore, these sacraments are a message that we are part of a community that transcends time and space. We are not alone. We are not asked; we are not expected to go through our trials on our own. We go through our lives as part of a loving and compassionate community. And God is a part of what we do.
God does not make our journey easy. God does not delete the difficulties or all the pain. But God does offer us comfort and strength and hope to keep us moving forward through our difficulties.
So many other options available to us offer temporary solutions or distractions from our heart break. The lure of self-interest. The promise of wealth or power or popularity. We can be distracted by intoxication or drug addiction. Or we can withdraw from the world and hide from our difficulties.
God encourages us to get more involved in the world. To lean into love of our neighbour. To live lives of kindness and justice. To be part of making the world a kinder and more merciful place. It is not an easy answer and can seem to promote a goal far in the future, but it is one that sees us as part of something so much bigger than our personal lives.
The letter to the Church in Ephesus we are told pretty clearly that we are part of a spiritual war.
Those words can seem alarming. It is not language we are typically comfortable with. That language can move us to some pretty dark places. This language of spiritual warfare can lead to real violence in the world. So I believe we need to approach these writings with caution, but I also believe that we can find ourselves in a form of conflict spiritually.
As I noted, we are offered some different options to the fears and angst of our world. Commit to love and service as offered by the God we worship, or turn to the temptations of self-service of greed and the thirst for power. Or we can choose to numb ourselves to the world, to withdraw into ourselves.
We have choices to make how we respond to the world.
In Ephesians, the writer; perhaps Paul, makes use of military imagery to make his point. Swords, shield, buckler, helmet. It was imagery that would resonate with his listeners. It might feel a little awkward in the 21st century, but the point is made. Wear provided tools for our struggle the word of God, truth, the spirit.
When overwhelmed by doubt, when we are struggling to find God present in our lives, when we are seeking comfort and strength, where do we go? We can be tempted by self interest and despair, but I would argue those responses are temporary or futile.
Or we can put in the work and prepare to endure times of trial, knowing we are not alone. We live in God’s world and God’s love never dies, and is always held out for us to hold onto and feast upon the bread of life offered through Jesus the Christ.
Thanks be to God.