He's Behind the Drapes

John 6:56-69

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

I grew up in Northwest Florida… otherwise known as the Redneck Riviera… and… I was a Lutheran.  Northwest Florida was not the Lutheran midwest where my parents grew up.  Where THEY grew up there was a Swedish Lutheran, a Norwegian Lutheran, a Finnish Lutheran, and a German Lutheran church in each small town… often on the four corners of the same intersection.  No, where I grew up, most folks thought Lutherans were some kind of a cult.  As a result, I got asked if I had been saved… a lot.  Whenever I got asked that I’d say, “Yes” and, because in addition to being a Lutheran, I was also a smart… let’s go with “ALEC” here… smart-alec... I’d add, “Yeah, I got saved on the very first Easter 2000 years ago.”  That was NOT what they were looking for… which is why I said it… because… (pointing at self) smart-alec… but it also happens to be excellent theology.  

You see, while some folks obsess about whether you are “going up or down” are “in or out” or whether or not you’re going to “the hot place” after you die or a location with a more temperate climate, OUR theology believes that God made that decision FOR US in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection AND that decision was, “You’re ALL IN!”  So, here’s the Good News… You’re ALL IN!  

The question OUR theology asks is not IF you’re saved or not, or IF you've made a decision for Jesus or not, because like I said, those are God-level decisions which God decided on the very first Easter with, “You’re ALL In!”.  No, the question our theology asks is, “Now that you understand God has grabbed hold of you in unconditional love and promises to never let you go no matter what, how are you going to live your life on this planet going forward from here?”  

It’s the same question Joshua asked the people of Israel in the first lesson for today.  How they answered Joshua wasn’t going to get them to the Promised Land… because… well, they were already IN the Promised Land!  What Joshua was asking them was “How are you going to LIVE, now that God’s gotten you here to the Promised Land?”  

It's also the same question that Jesus asked the crowd in the Gospel lesson.  How they answered wasn’t going to bring them the Messiah or keep him from coming… because… well, he was standing right there!  What they were being asked was “How are you going to LIVE in this world now that God's given you Jesus, unconditional love, acceptance, and eternal life... up front?  Will you “drink in” the Jesus Way of living... a life that leads you to do what is in the other’s best interest rather than a life focused on what’s in it for me and what makes ME feel good?  Will you live your lives the Jesus Way, OR... the world’s way?    

In today’s Gospel, a huge number of people chose to return to living the world’s way… they chose to go back to the “me, myself, and I” way of living in the world.  For them, the Jesus Way was too radical… too hard to imagine how it could possibly work in the world they knew.  After they left, Jesus turned to the disciples and asked them the same thing.  Would they continue to follow the Jesus Way of living or not?  You see, neither Joshua nor Jesus wanted the people to “PLAY” at their faith any longer.  "Playing" at faith just doesn't lead to the abundant life... a live filled with meaning, peace, and purpose... that God created us to live.  Both Joshua and Jesus challenged the people to go ALL IN and live full-time God’s Way… the Jesus Way.  They wanted that for the people NOT because "otherwise you're going to hell" (because, remember, God's already decided you're not) but simply because the Jesus Way of living is a path to FULLY living into this incredible life we've been given!  

That continues to be the real question for us as individuals, for our country, and for our world.  Knowing that God’s love for you is unconditional and that, in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, you are eternally “IN” no matter what, the REAL question now is HOW will you try to live the rest of this life you’ve been given?  Will you try to live it the Jesus Way, living life with generosity, compassion, radical inclusion, love and grace for ALL PEOPLE so that ALL PEOPLE might experience this life overflowing with meaning, purpose, direction and joy?  Or not.  

THAT is the decision that you and I have to make... except... we all know its not just a one-and-done decision, is it?  It’s really the millions of little decisions we make in every moment, of every day, all throughout our lives.  It is in each of those particular moments, that we choose to either live the Jesus Way, OR the world’s way.  Will we welcome the stranger or send them away?  Will we feed the hungry or demonize them?  Will we stop to heal the sick or walk down the other side of the road?  Will we calm the storm or stir the pot?  Will we insist on the truth or settle for a lie?  Will we forgive the thief or seek revenge?  Will we make a friend or create an enemy?  Will we admit our faults or double down on them? Will we celebrate diversity or try to homogenize it?  Will we build up or tear down?  Will we crucify others to get our way or will we raise others up to new life?  May we all, in the light of God’s infinite and unconditional love already given, choose in each of these moments to walk the Jesus Way.  Amen.