"Jesus As A Peanut Butter Sandwich" August 9, 2015

2nd Samuel 18 John 6: 35-51 There are churches and communities where everyone is in agreement, everyone is alike and there is no diversity. One of the things I love: is preaching to a congregation who do not all believe the same. There is a tension that calls for better preaching, when you stand on the tightrope between opinions. The description of the Symbol of Justice, is that she is carrying balanced scales in one hand, a sword in the other, covered with a blindfold, that the Law be equal and objective, as well as blind. But the image of FAITH, is that God is able to peek under blindness, so as to intentionally rebalance the scales in favor of those in need. One of the recurrent themes for me in preaching is that The Bible, Faith has become so accepted, so taken for granted that we assume we know what we believe; while at the same time, very few read and study the Bible to ever be able to understand and argue faith interpretations. Growing up, we knew David was the Shepherd boy; David fought Goliath with a slingshot; David grew up in the household of King Saul playing the harp until King Saul threw a spear at David and David led a Civil War against Saul; David was the best loved King of Israel, David made Jerusalem the Capital City, David brought the Ark of the Covenant with the 10 Commandments to Jerusalem, David had an affair with the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba), the child they conceived died, David's youngest son was King Solomon. These are elements of the Bible, we take for granted as common understanding. Suddenly in seminary, we learned that David's family was the saddest, most involved, tormented Soap Opera in History. What the Prophet Nathan had promised, was that while David would not die for his sin with Bathsheba, David's family would never know peace, as he had had an affair in secret, his family's secrets would be known to all. Punishment for their sin did not end with this child, but David with the Covenant Promise from God to have a legacy, is then promised that that legacy will suffer. As King in a polygamous culture, David had several wives, and the children of these were half-brother's half-sisters, all having GOD in common, and David the King as their father. After Bathsheba's baby died, Amnon, one of the sons of King David became attracted by his half-sister Tamar, and Amnon raped Tamar. The third in line for David's throne was a son named Absalom, and Absalom avenged his sister Tamar by killing Amnon, then killing each of his other siblings, and leading the army of Israel against David the King. History repeating itself, the Nation of Israel was again divided in Civil War between the Army of David with his Generals Joab, Zeruiah and Ittai, versus the army of Israel now under David's son Absalom instead of Saul and Jonathan. And where David previously had instructed Joab to withdraw the army abandoning Uriah so as to claim Bathsheba as wife of the king; David here with Bathsheba and his Generals withdrew from Jerusalem, abandoning his other wives, whom Absalom then publicly took as his wives and concubines. It is a Soap Opera. The other essential to any Soap Opera, Absalom had the most gorgeous thick long luxurious hair. All of which sets up this morning's Scripture passage, because as the Army of David and his Generals go to war, David is torn between seeking Victory, seeking Justice against those who would challenge his authority to be King; and David's desire for mercy for his own son whom he loves. As military strategist, David divides his army in thirds, each led by a General, to trap Absalom and his army; yet David instructs them “Deal gently for my sake with the boy Absalom.” As General of his own Army, Absalom was riding a donkey, when his hair became snagged in the branches of trees, and Absalom was left to dangle between Heaven and Earth, between life and death. So Symbolically, what was going on here? What was Absalom riding outside Jerusalem? (A Donkey) And Absalom hung where? (From a tree suspended between heaven and earth until his death.) And who is Absalom? (The Son of the King) So the question of A Certain Man to Joab was “Who has the power, the authority and responsibility to kill the Son of the best-loved King ordained by God” stated more directly it is the question about Judas: IT WAS ESSENTIAL THE SON DIE BUT WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO KILL“The Son of God?” And Joab, who previously has done the killing for the King, pierced Absalom's body with three spears, and Joab's 10 armor bearers did as well. The sacrifice of Absalom, the Son of the King, is foreshadowing of Jesus on the cross, pierced by the spear. Even if it had not been the theme of the last three weeks, We would recognize and accept as appropriate that Jesus is “The Bread of Heaven.” We know from Communion Jesus is the bread and cup. “Jesus is Bread of Heaven” is a common phrase in worship like “Holy, Holy,...” or “Amazing ...” or “Jesus the Lamb of...” or Jesus the Son of … and Son of ...” or “Forgive them Father, they know not...” We all assume we know what these phrases mean and take them for granted. But when Jesus spoke to the crowds they took his words as obscure, as blasphemous, the people at that time reacted as if I said to you this morning I AM a Peanut Butter Sandwich! What do you mean? A Peanut Butter Sandwich!?! We knew your family, we have known you all these years, you are just like all the rest of us. What do you mean calling yourself “Bread From Heaven!” Could there be anything more basic, more common? This is not Jesus as Priest or Divine, a Carpenter, or even Messiah, Baked Alaska or Crepe Suzette, Bread was the most common staple, part of every meal of every day; not an extravagance, but basic sustenance for life. I have an elder brother who loved Peanut Butter Sandwiches, from the first day of Kindergarden until he graduated from college, and the 20 years after as he tried to break into acting in Hollywood, and still today at age 61 as a 5th grade teacher, my brother has eaten a Peanut Butter sandwich every day of his life. It was not just a sandwich, it was a connection to home, to the kitchen counter, to safety, by having a peanut butter sandwich. Truly, Jesus did not say I am a Peanut bread sandwich, but rather I am the Bread of Heaven because for the Judeans, Bread from Heaven correlated to our Spiritual Ancestral Home, Manna in the Wilderness. When they had been slaves in Egypt, they were fed every day, not great food, not abundant quantity, but fed, what they did not have freedom.When they were in the Wilderness they finally had freedom, but often it seemed they would be without food, until they received Bread from Heaven, God's love that kept them alive for 40 years. For Jesus to say “I Am the Bread of Heaven,” is to identify himself as being the gift of God's love and grace in the wilderness of freedom. Strangely, the verb here in verse 47 is not future tense but Present tense. Jesus says, “Truly truly, He who believes HAS eternal life.” Not that eternal life is after death, “He who believes will have eternal life,” but that heaven is our reality here today. What if, Eternal life, Heaven, the Kingdom of God were not the Greek or Roman ideal of a future possibility, a different reality, life on clouds behind pearly gates with harps and halos; but here and now? We live in a time where the infant born today could naturally live to 100 years of age... where peace and prosperity could be available to all if we chose to put our minds to it. IS this not the vision of Isaiah 65: For behold I create a new heaven and new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. No more shall there be in Jerusalem the sound of an infant that lives but a few days, or an old man that does not fill out his days, for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them, they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. What if instead of arguing over who is best, who is right and who is wrong, what if we could see Christ as The Bread of Heaven, the Son of the King of Heaven? What if we perceived the world, our world as filled with miracles, (not magic, not sorcery, not wish fulfillment,) but filled with the love of God! Recently at a Wedding Banquet, I sat at table with the Bride's employer, who was Muslim. As I sat down, he said “So you are the Minister, tell me, in your religion, after you die do you receive 43 Virgins?” and he laughed. And I looked at he and his wife, and said “My image of Heaven would not be a slumber party with 43 12 year olds? I believe if we have eyes to see it, Heaven is here and now, with one another, at a great Wedding Banquet.”