More, please

John 6.1-21

1Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ 6He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Jesus, 9‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ 10Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ 13So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’ 15When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. 16When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17got into a boat, and started across the lake to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ 21Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land towards which they were going.

Dulverton Sermon

“As much as they wanted” (v11)

I have occasionally worshipped in a parish church on the outskirts of Bradford where the sanctuary wall behind the altar is decorated in an unusual way, not with a cross or with a crucifix but with a giant ice cream cone shaped shell filled to overflowing with luscious fruit of every shape and size. It is a representation of the idea of ‘cornucopia’ the classical

motif of a ram’s horn overflowing with fruit and flowers, symbolising abundance and plenty. Of course, it is reminding the congregation that the God they approach at this altar is a God of super-abundant grace and generosity.

In the familiar story of the feeding of the 5000 Jesus is mirroring a heavenly Father who not only feeds his children with basic rations but with enough to make them satisfied – the Greek word implies a state of being satiated. They cannot take any more. They are full to bursting, as we say. They have eaten at the equivalent of the modern restaurant, like the one on Seamer Road here in Scarborough, which invites the customers in to eat

as much as they can at an inclusive price.

When God offers to spiritual feed us the amount on offer is only limited by the extent of our hunger and not by any lack of willingness or generosity of grace on the part of God. There is “enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore” as the hymn writer says.

So ‘How hungry for God, and the things of God, are you? Am I ?’ Jesus distributed ‘as much as they wanted’. How much do you want? How much do I want? From God.

All through my ministry I have been on the look out for those who like Oliver Twist seemed to be presenting themselves in the mode of “Please, sir, can I have some more?” and I have been willing to devote special time and attention to them to help them find the means to meet their spiritual hunger. It is a ministry style that probably derives from my own spiritual hunger and from gratitude towards those who have helped me keep feeding this inner need which I believe to be planted in me by God. It is an appetite for Himself which I believe God has planted in us all but most of us, most of the time, deny it or minimalise it. Ultimately, as St Augustine pointed out, ‘Our hearts are restless and they find no rest until they rest – not in ourselves, nor in our fellow man, and certainly not in materialism – but in God’.

Last Monday was the 40^th anniversary of the first lunar landing. I happened to turn on the tv during a transmission in which the now elderly astronauts were answering questions at a press conference. I was particularly impressed by the way in which they wanted mankind to get back into the space exploration mode and persue their ‘first step’ pioneering achievement by new goals and aims directed at Mars and beyond. They were in no doubt that the effort and the cost would pay off handsomely. I don’t know about you but I am not done with my spiritual journey into the realms of God yet. Wherever he is willing to take me this side of the grave , as well as beyond, I want to go. What about you? I have a hunch that He is looking for souls telling him this by their hunger for prayer, and scripture, and sacramental grace. When he hears our cry for ‘more, please’ he will respond with a generosity beyond our expectations inviting us to take ‘as much as we want’.