“What is There for Now?”

CHAPEL TALK – June 17, 1987

I often think of my friend, Ruth, who with openness and honesty let me walk with her
part of the way during the last two years of her life. She was dying with lung cancer
and I remember one day when we talked of our belief in heaven, of the joys of the
afterlife. Ruth soon wearied of that talk however. She looked at me intently and said,
“That’s all fine and good. I believe in Heaven. But Linda, what is there for now?”

The Psalmist who wrote the meditation we shared, the people we work with and often
we ourselves echo her question. Sometimes it seems everything has gone wrong.
Has God’s “unfailing love” failed? What is there for now?.

John, chapter 6 is a dramatic account of Jesus’ answer to that question. The depth of
what He offers is so profound that it’s hard for us to grasp so He uses an acted parable
to help us understand. Please close your eyes. Relax. And visualize the story with me.

In your mind put on a pair of sandals and some kind of a robe so we can walk with
Jesus and His disciples to try to hear and understand what He offers—for now.

We are on a hillside. Jesus is teaching. His voice, rich and deep, captures our
attention. His words hold us riveted on Him, forgetting all else for hours. We
forget how long we’ve been here. We forget the work at home. We forget everything
but the wonder of what He is saying. The wonder of how He says it. The wonder
of Him. No rabbi ever talked liked this.

But Jesus hasn’t forgotten our needs. He finishes his talk and then he turns to the
people closest to Him They talk quietly. Then Peter calls out that we should all find
a place to sit. We sit on the ground and wait. Soon bread is being passed out to everyone
­­and fish! It’s the food we are used to. It tastes good. We didn’t know how hungry we
were. There seems to be plenty of food and people go on eating. What a picnic!

“He blessed the little boy’s lunch of five barley loaves and two fish and made all this!”
Amazing! Whoever heard of anything like this?

People are talking as fast as they are eating. “Is this the Messiah?” “What would it
be like to have Him for our King?” The thought rises like a crescendo through the crowd.
“Make Him King!” “We can do it!”

We stand with the others to see what will happen. We are excited. But . . . Jesus is gone.
Where is He? Everyone looks at the lake. That’s His disciples getting in a boat, but He’s
not with them. Where could He be?

Frustrated the people walk off in small groups. We should have gotten Him sooner.
Where did He go? Tomorrow. . . Let’s meet here in the morning. It’s too late to do
anything now.

In the morning neither Jesus nor His disciples can be found. But there are boats we
can take to the other side of the lake. We join those looking for Jesus.. We want to
hear more of what He has to say. We keep thinking of what it would be like to have
Him be King. And, if nothing else, maybe at least there’ll be another picnic.

The lake is beautiful this morning, but we hardly notice. We listen to outspoken Jonas
and the others. We join their enthusiasm for finding out more about Jesus.

We find Jesus quickly after we leave the boats on the other side of the lake. Jonas and
the others rush up to Him. “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

Jesus pauses. He looks at the group before Him. His eyes are beautiful and deep.
There is eagerness and intensity and sadness there. He speaks directly, “I know that you
came, not because you saw signs. But because you ate the bread and your hunger was
satisfied. I want to give you, not just food that perishes but food that lasts, the food of
eternal life. God has given me that food to give you.”

“What work must we do to get that food? we ask. “We’ll do anything”.

Jesus smiles, “The work that God asks is that you believe on the One He has sent.”

There is a pause as the people think about what Jesus has said. Then there are questions:

What sign can you give so we can believe you?
What is the work you do?
Yes, You gave us bread. But that’s happened before—in the desert when our people had
manna to eat. The scripture says, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

Jesus nods. “The truth that’s important is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven.
But that my Father gives you the Real Bread from Heaven. The Bread that God gives
came down from Heaven and gives you Life.

“Sir”, we respond quickly, “Give us this bread, now and always.
Jesus pauses. He seems to see into our hearts and minds. He speaks slowly and clearly,
“I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry and whoever believes
in Me will never be thirsty. But you, as I said, do not believe.”

“But all those that the Father gives Me will come to Me and those who come I will never
turn away. That’s why I came down from Heaven—to give eternal life to all who will
come and I will raise them up at the last day.”

At this Jonas and the others begin to whisper among themselves, because Jesus said
He came down from Heaven. “Is not this Joseph’s son? We know His parents. How
can He say He came from Heaven?”

Then Jesus talks for a long time. Patiently He says again all that He has said before.
“I am the Bread of Life. To all who come I will give, not just bread that is immediately
gone, but Myself, My own life. That’s what the Bread was about yesterday. I want to
give you Myself. Those who participate with Me and eat my flesh and drink my blood
will have eternal life and I will raise them up at the last day.”

As Jesus talks the impatience of the group turns to anger. “This is more than we can
stomach! Why listen to such talk?” They do not want God Himself. They only want
the physical gifts He can give them.

Still Jesus doesn’t give up. Once more He tries to make clear what He is saying, “The
spirit alone gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I speak to you are spirit
and they are life. And yet (looking around at the sullen faces) some of you have no faith.
You cannot accept what I want to give.”

Disgruntled Jonas and most of the others turn away. They head toward the boats,
jestering and talking angrily amont themselves.

Jesus watches them go, a look of unutterable longing on His face. Turning to us who are
left He says, “Will you also go away?”

The tears in our eyes match His. Peter speaks for all of us. “Lord, where shall we go?
You are the Bread of Life. You are everything we need—for now and for forever.”

That’s what it is, Ruth. Jesus said, “I’ll raise you at the last day.” He’ll give us Heaven.
And He also said, “I will give you Myself, My life, My courage, My love, My way
of seeing things. The Bread of Life and the Water of life are for now.!”
Let us celebrate that together!