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Signs (John 6: 1-14)
A sermon preached July 30, 2006 at University UMC by Kennetha Bigham-Tsai)
Signs are important to our lives. They identify places and things, and they give
us direction. For instance, as I drove to church this morning, I noticed the
signs I encountered on the way. I live on Horizon Drive, and the street sign
that sits just next to our house (we live on a corner lot)–this sign represents
and identifies the place in which I live. I drive down Horizon to Hagadorn,
again a street indicated by a sign.
I encounter numerous detour signs as I come to church–signs that tell me of
construction on Burcham or of a detour at Wilson and Bogue. I drive from
Hagadorn to Service Road to Harrison. Various road signs tell me where I am and
how to get to where I am going. And when I finally arrive at the church, I
encounter other signs that designate the identity of this place–of University
United Methodist Church. Signs represent and identify places and things. Signs
give direction. Signs, though we often take them for granted, are all important
to our lives.
Now this passage in the Book of John is about many things. It’s about the
miracle of the loaves and fishes; it’s about the interaction between Jesus and
the disciples; it’s about feeding of a multitude of people. But, I’m here to
tell you this morning that beyond all of this--this story is also a sign–a sign
that is both representative and directional.
Now I first must tell you some things about this story as it relates to the
whole issue of signs. First, this miracle account--this feeding of the 5000 is
the only miracle that is reported in all four Gospels. This story about Jesus
feeding the multitudes on a few loaves and fish occurs in the books of Mark,
Matthew, Luke, and John. But this account in the Book of John is unique and
different, because the author uses the Greek word for “sign” and identifies this
miracle account specifically as a “sign.” You see, a large crowd was following
Jesus, says verse two, precisely because they saw the “shmei/a” the “signs” he
was doing for the sick. And verse 14 uses the word again. It tells us that when
they had seen the “sign” they called him a prophet. Throughout the Book of John,
this word is used over and over again. All of the miracles attributed to Jesus
in the Book of John are called signs.
Let’s take a look at some of these miracle accounts–some of these signs. The
first occurs in Chapter 2 and recounts the story of Jesus turning the water into
wine. The writer of John calls it the “first of Jesus’ signs,” (John 2:11). The
second sign is recounted in Chapter 4 and tells the story of the healing of an
official’s son. Jesus says to the official, “Unless you see signs and wonders
you will not believe,” (John 4:48). Jesus then heals the paralyzed man by the
pool called Bethzatha. He feeds the 5000, he walks on water, and heals the man
who was born deaf. And finally, toward the end of the book is the story of Jesus
raising Lazurus from the dead. All of these works and miracles are referred to
as signs. And throughout the Book of John, we have constant references to the
signs that Jesus is performing. Over and over again--the use of this word
“signs”--references to the miracles of Jesus as signs–which leaves me with the
question this morning as I look at this book and at this passage in Chapter 6
–signs of what–signs for what?
I am going to suggest to you this morning that these are all signs which point
their readers and hearers in a certain direction. They are all signs that
represent something–indeed someone. They are signs that represent Christ and
point us in the direction of Christ. They are stories which are symbolic
of–which are signs of--the one who calls himself the good shepherd. Stories
which are symbolic of –which are signs of--the one who calls himself living
water. These stories are signs which identify and point in the direction of the
one who calls himself the resurrection and the life.
These stories of miracles are all signs of Christ. And indeed, this sign in
particular–this sign that we are dealing with today in the story of the feeding
of the 5000–this is a sign that points in the direction of Christ and identifies
Christ as the bread of life–as the one who gives food that will not perish--as
the one who provides food that satisfies for eternity.
Let’s look at this story more closely. It is a story about an event--a story
about the event of Jesus taking a little bit from the least. It is no accident
that a young boy produces the five loaves and the two fish, for the writer of
John is making a point. From what is marginal--from what is often ignored--from
what is least--can come the spiritual nurture of the world. So the story places
this young boy in a central place. It is not one of the disciples--not an adult
who provides resources for the workings of God--but a child.
And this child provides something that is clearly inadequate. For, as the
disciple Andrew rightly points out, “What are five barley loaves and two fish,
what are they among so many people?” (vs. 8-9).
But Jesus performs a sign –a sign which becomes representative of his identity
and of his ministry in the world. He takes what is inadequate, and he feeds the
multitudes. He takes what is not enough and provides for the needs of the poor
and the marginalized. He provides bread that nurtures life as a sign that he is
the bread of life. This story friends is a sign of Christ--of his identity and
of his call to be bread for the world–to be the one who can take the simplest
and least of resources and provide food that satisfies many.
Now I have to tell you that there is something else about this story that sets
it apart from the other Gospel accounts. As I have said, the feeding of the 5000
is recounted in all four Gospels. However, not only is it only in the Book of
John that we get the frequent use of the Greek word for “sign”, but only John
has any mention of the Passover. Look at that simple statement in verse 4,“Now
the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.”
Now we all know of the significance of the Passover in early Hebrew society and
in Judaism today. It was and is a meal that commemorates the Israelites’ escape
from slavery in Egypt. It was and is a meal that commemorates and celebrates
God’s compassion and justice–God’s keeping of the covenant with God’s people. It
was and is a meal that commemorates the compassion, justice, and love of God.
And, many commentators believe that John’s focus on the Jewish feasts,
especially on the Passover, throughout the book, is due to John’s perception of
Jesus as a sign of the Passover. Jesus is a sign of the Passover for the writer
of John. Therefore, for John, Jesus is a sign of God leading the people of
Israel out of slavery and into a land of promise. For John, Jesus is a sign of
the manna from heaven that provided food for the Israelites when they wandered
through the desert. For John, Jesus is the sign of the compassion of God–of the
love and care and provision of God directed toward God’s people.
Friends this story is indeed a sign pointing toward Christ. And Christ is a sign
of the Passover– a sign pointing toward the power and compassion of God at work
in the world. Let me say this again---This story about Jesus taking five loaves
and two fish and feeding a multitude of people is a sign that points its hearers
in the direction of Christ. And Christ is a sign of the Passover–a sign that
points toward the compassion and care of God. Christ is a sign that says God
cares about the feeding of God’s people. Christ is a sign that says that God
cares and has the power to take what is least from the least among us and make
it enough.
This story signifies, and symbolizes and represents the power and compassion of
God acted out in the world through Christ. It symbolizes and signifies God’s
love for the poor and the downtrodden and ultimately for all of humanity. It is
a sign that represents God’s determination to love us and to provide for us and
to be with us--and to do this through the one who came to be light for the world
and bread for those who are hungry.
This story–this account of a miraculous event is a sign of God’s compassion and
power acted out in and through the ministry of Christ. And, this is a sign that
tells us where to look and where to go, when we are hungry, thirsty and without
hope.
This past week, as world leaders failed to find a way to end the violence in
Southern Lebanon, Israel and Gaza and as the violence in Iraq continued to spin
out of control, newspapers reported that nearly 70 percent of Americans have no
hope for peace in the Middle East. Seventy percent of Americans have no hope
that there will ever be peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Seventy
percent of Americans believe that countries like Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and
Lebanon will always be in some state of war.
What that statistic says to me is that seventy percent of Americans are losing
hope and that what we all need is a sign. And so this is my second suggestion to
you this morning–that we must look for signs of hope–that we must lift up our
eyes and see the signs of God’s compassion and love represented in the life and
ministry of Christ. We must look toward the one who is a sign of hope–a sign of
God’s love and power–the one who fed the 5000 with a few loaves of bread and two
fish. We must look toward the one who declared, “I am a light in the midst of
darkness. I am bread for the hungry, and water for the thirsty. Anyone who is
hungry or thirsty for a little hope in this world, can come to me.”
Friends, this story in the Book of John, is a recounting of a sign that drew
people to Christ. The crowd followed him because they saw the signs that he
performed for the sick. And then the crowd called him a prophet of God after
they had seen the sign of the loaves and fishes. The crowds were drawn to Christ
because of signs and then came to faith in Christ because of a sign.
Isn’t this one of the primary purposes of signs–to point us in a certain
direction? Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that everyone in the world
should be Christian–that everyone should believe as I do. There are people of
other faiths who have vibrant and meaningful traditions. Their expressions of
faith are valid.
But that doesn’t keep me from trusting in and sharing my faith. For what I know
is that my faith in God in Christ has given me a source of hope for every
challenge–every burden–everything with which I have struggled. What I know is
that when I am struggling with difficult situations or relationships, stories
like this are signs pointing me to God in Christ–pointing all of us and
directing all of us to where we can take our burdens and our struggles. Such
stories present us with a Christ who is a sign of God. And if we think of Jesus’
life and ministry as a sign of God–then what we read in the Gospel accounts is
revelatory of the nature of God. And what we see is a God concerned about
healing and feeding people. What we see is a God concerned about justice and
care. What we see is a God who, through the witness of the life and ministry of
Christ, loves us and gives us hope.
Friends, we are not called to lose our hope but to tap into the source and sign
of our hope. And such hope tells me this morning that there can one day be peace
and a cessation of violence around the world. Such hope tells me that there can
be peace in our homes and in our communities. Such hope tells me that there can
be reconciliation between spouses, peace within families, forgiveness between
parents and children and between siblings and between friends. Such hope tells
me that there can be justice, and that compassion can reign in this world.
We must look toward the sign of our hope. We must look toward Christ–toward his
life and ministry. But we are not just called to look and to see and to
recognize signs of hope, but to be the signs. We must be the signs that identify
the source of our hope and then point those who are hopeless in the direction of
a God of hope. We must be signs of hope by revealing God to the world and by
continuing Christ’s ministry in the world. We must be the signs–the light in the
midst of darkness, working and praying for peace in impossible situations of
war. We must be the signs–the bread for the hungry–the manna raining down upon
those lost in the desert–a church working and praying for an end to poverty and
hunger and despair. We must be the signs–the dispensers of living water praying
and working for the healing of relationships and reconciliation between peoples
and nations. We must be the signs–the Church–the Body of Christ–signs of hope in
our world today.
And when we are faithful to this call to be signs of hope, we will know that
from the very least that we have to offer, God can feed the multitudes. From our
few loaves and fish, God can change the lives of thousands. For we have already
seen the healing and the feeding and the compassion of God worked out through
Christ. And we know that the healing and the compassion of God is being worked
out through us--Christ’s Body. We have seen the signs. We are the signs. And so
the polls reported in our newspapers don’t really matter, for we have a hope and
a faith in a Christ who will not allow us to despair. Amen.
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