"Grace Beyond our Conceiving" July 29, 2018

2nd Samuel 9: 1-3 John 6: 1-21 Several years ago there was a book about Simple Acts of Kindness. A week ago, we had the burial of a good friend up in Alexandria Bay. Although the family had been intentional that they wanted me to ride with them, at the appointed hour I was standing out in the Church Parking Lot, all alone. Realizing I kind of needed to be there for the burial to take place, I hopped into my Mini Cooper and drove the 2 ½ hours to Alex Bay. But when I typed into the GPS “Cemetery”, the technology claimed there was none. I phoned the Funeral Director, who laughed when he realized they forgot to pick me up; then directed that the Cemetery was actually on one of the Thousand Islands in Canada, and not only did I need $3 for the Bridge but they would not accept EZPass! I stopped into a Motor Court and described who I was and my problem to the 15 year old Desk Clerk, asking if she could give me a Cash Advance on my VISA Card. Instead, she opened her own purse gaving me 6 -$1 bills. A simple act of kindness. When I returned home, I sent her $12 in repayment. This morning’s Scriptures are about more than a Simple Act of Kindness, Beyond our Conceiving, this is “Amazing Grace”, which is so much greater than our imagination, so great as to transform our lives and relationships! You will recall that the First King of Israel was a Warrior named Saul, and Saul had a son named Jonathan. The Shepherd boy David who had killed the Philistine Goliath came to live in the palace as best friends with Jonathan. But Saul turned away from God, thinking only of his own power. Saul then tried to kill David who escaped, and the Nation entered into conflict as those who followed Saul fought against those who followed David. In the end, Saul and Jonathan were killed at a place called Jezreel, and David became King. The last many weeks we have read of King David taking Jerusalem as his Capital, building a Palace there, wanting to build a House for God, bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. This morning, David the King demonstrates an act of Faith, a measure of Grace far beyond our concept of Kindness. As the King of Jerusalem, this act of grace demonstrates the grace of God for us. Realize that American heritage of succession is unique, for throughout history, when Kings arise, they not only kill their predecessor, they shame and destroy all those related to their opponent who might in a future day become a threat. BEHOLD, David was Living as King and asks if anyone remembers if Saul’s son Jonathan had children? Ziba the Servant describes that Jonathan did have a son named Mephibosheth and where he was hiding. Years before, when the child was five years of age, word came that Saul and Jonathan were trapped and killed. In a rush to escape, the child’s Nurse bundled up the child, and tripped and fell, the nurse’s own body crushing the legs of the child. So now the child was a triple threat, he was the surviving descendant of a competitor; he was abandoned in hiding; and his legs were crushed. Imagine living 15 years in hiding, always in fear for your life, always in shame, staying out of the light… One day, you hear the trumpet blasts of an advancing guard of soldiers. On the horizon you see pennants, horses of the King, as they advance closer and closer. You have to get away, you have to hide, or be put to death. Suddenly there is a pounding on the door. You are dragged out from under your bed; dragged where you do not want to be found, brought to the King’s Palace. Brought inside, to the Court of the King, and made to prostrate yourself before the throne of the very One who took the place of your Father. The only words you can manage are to ask what the King desires with a Dead Dog? He has had everything taken away, living for years in shame and hiding. When suddenly, King David decrees that from this day onward, the property of your grandfather shall be returned to you, you shall have a place at the King’s own table, in fact, the King will not sit down to eat until you are at the Table. What an act of grace, that for the remainder of his life, at every meal there would be the call of your name MEPHIBOSHETH, and the scraping of your feet, as everyone waited to welcome you at the Table of bounty! He spreads a Table before me, my cup run over. A meal of Grace, beyond everyone’s imagination to conceive… On the Northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, rises a mountain, the face of which forms a natural concave shell. Somehow, I always imagined Jesus standing at the top of the Mountain preaching down to the people; but instead, I have now come to believe that the 5000 had gathered on this hillside, and Jesus was on the shore. So the story about such a great crowd coming to listen that he had to get into a boat and push off from shore to preach, may well also be about this same event! And while the Disciples cannot imagine the costs of how to feed all these people, reminiscent of Moses and the tribes in the Wilderness (according to the text) Jesus fed 5000 men, plus their wives and children. He has them sit in small groups, to share together, all together being the Body of Christ. From 2 fish and 5 loaves, not only does he feed 5000, but afterward there are 12 Baskets full of leftovers! The issue is not about how, or the cost, those are rational concerns. No, the issue in meal like communion is what the Grace represents. There is limitless bounty for everyone to share! The disciples got into a boat, as Jesus continues to heal and dismiss the crowds. The Disciples had been right there, they were Jesus’ inner circle, but they still could not conceive: what was going on. Growing up, my family had boats, and the name of every boat began with a “W”, There was a ski-boat called Whitecap, a Flying Scot called the Windsong, a Lazer called the Whisper, a kayak called The Worry, and an ugly old rowboat called the Wart. When I got a day-sailer, my family named it the Whimper, because I liked to risk the opposite gunnel under water as you leaned out. Imagine, you are on a large lake, the Sea of Galilee, at dusk when a gale force wind comes up. What is the last thing you could imagine happening, something so impossible as to be beyond conceiving? Jesus came walking to them on the water! Rather than worrying about how or where, pay attention to the subtleties of the text. Just before they saw Jesus walking on Water, they had been rowing for 3 or 4 miles when what happened? A Wind came up on the face of the water! Just as at Genesis, and the future day of Pentecost, the Wind always indicates a Miracle, the presence of the Holy Spirit! And on what day did this miraculous meal, and the walking on water take place? On the Day of Passover, celebration of God’s presence in Grace over the people of faith!