FIRST READING 1 KINGS 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30 / GOSPEL JOHN 6:56-69
Ah – the wisdom of Solomon. Remember that his father David wanted to build God a beautiful house, saying to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells only in a tent.” But Solomon has the awareness in dedicating the unbelievably off the charts temple he has built (it takes 90 verses to describe!) to say: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built!”
Wisdom indeed! That David and the rest of us who think WE somehow have what God needs – and who so need such a structure to captivate our hearts and focus our worship – that WE could have such understanding. If so maybe we could live out our faith in the everyday world among one another a whole lot better – in lieu of thinking that God somehow needs us and a particular building full of particular icons to have a relationship with him.
Remember – God told the people that they didn’t need a worldly king either – but they insisted and He allowed it – and even helped them appoint one anyway. And now he tells them He really doesn’t need a house or dwelling place (and of course he doesn’t) but he allows it and even helps Solomon build one anyway.
But while God didn’t need it, my guess is that he knew WE did! That having a set apart and holy place where we could seek him in quiet and faithful intimacy, as well as offer up meaningful worship and praise, would be a very good thing for us. And, of course it was and is! In so long as we don’t A.) make simply the “PRACTICE” of it the thing itself – and B.) allow the REAL relationship that we develop with Him to remain here and only here!
For Christ commanded that we go out into the world and preach the gospel to ALL people – in any way that we possibly can – to LIVE OUT our faith, not hide it under a rock – and surely not under an alter that is meant to lift him up!
Did you notice the pattern and sequence of Solomon’s prayer? He calls upon God to remember and hear not just HIS prayer – but the prayers of those servants who have gone before him (in this case David’s) as well as the prayers of those who are to come. Solomon intertwines the long cords of faith from the past present and future in an effort to convince God that they really are worth it . . . and more importantly – that they are UP TO THEIR END of the covenant!
“Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David . . . Regard your servant’s prayer and his plea, O LORD my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house . . . [and] Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling place; heed and forgive.”
Just as an intentional and earnest wrestling with God is very much a Jewish tradition in prayer – so is this reminding God of His past promises and the recalling of their own present and future commitments. Indeed, it is one of the ways that both the early Hebrew Fathers and the Prophets use to compel God to fulfill His promises in spite of their missteps: “Remember what you said Lord! If you don’t do what you said you would for us (even though we have been a rebellious people) then all the other people and nations out there will question your power and ability to do truly do so . . . So don’t forget!”
It doesn’t exactly seem to be part of the better part of our nature . . . But oddly enough on several occasions it seems to be enough and God forgives and acts boldly on their behalf. They know whom they must trust. They know to whom they can go. No matter WHAT they face – be it complaint or compliment or ongoing crisis – within or without the Temple.
The Jewish leaders in Capernaum face an ongoing crisis. Yet another “so called prophet” has risen up in the land and the word is that he is coming to their synagogue to speak. They’ve heard all of this before. What will it be this time? Magic tricks? A recruitment drive masquerading as a bake sale? A divisive speaker who wants to question one very sticky point of the Law?
Maybe everyone will get excited and immediately flock to him as recent reports indicate or maybe they will rebuke him as word has it he was in his own home town. They can’t be sure. Who is this Jesus of Nazareth anyway? And on whose authority does he speak at all?
Here’s what it may have been like . . .
Jesus is standing in the synagogue and he knows that no one understands a word he has just said. He looks around him. There are about 60 men in the room – maybe a few more. Three or four women crowd one of the doorways – several more stand just outside of the opening.
They are all there on a variety of pretenses – some to help keep both the men and the camels watered – but all have made sure they are there to hear the teacher who so many people have been talking about before he arrived in Capernaum yesterday.
And now he has just said something that none of them get – except one of the more disheveled older women – who smiles and nods knowingly when he talks about the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood and how he is the “bread of life.”
Her smile dissipates slightly as she turns and begins to slowly walk away. She has heard what she has come to hear. She needs nothing else. Her Savior is not only alive upon the earth, He is right here before her – just as the man had said he would be so long ago – the night of the bright star. She knows all that she needs to know. The time – it must be short. She must go tell the others to come.
But everyone else listening inside and outside the temple are in a state of disbelief. Up until this point the heralded new teacher, who is purported to have performed all sorts of miracles in the countryside, has been teaching some remarkable lessons about the law and about what God expects of them. And he has been doing it through the telling of some uniquely creative stories. Some of them have even been almost like jokes. But the teacher himself has never laughed at them. He has just smiled while the others were laughing.
But now the stories have stopped – and he has begun to speak to them more directly. But the allegory he just used seems to be lost on all of them except the woman who is now slowly walking up the path that leads away from the synagogue.
And it is a hard teaching indeed. An older teenage boy turns to his father and asks, “What does he MEAN by saying ‘Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them” and “whoever eats him will live forever?”
The man doesn’t dare answer. He gives his son a cutting glance and a quick shake of the head. “Not now,” it clearly says. Maybe, “Not ever.”
Jesus has seen this coming and he knows that many of them are already skeptical – and that some of them will now lose entirely what they have so far just barely managed to grasp. But that’s OK. Things are going as they should – some are simply not ready.
But now he is getting ready to speak an even harder truth – an expansion upon a teaching that he has just started to share with the core of his followers which they clearly are struggling with – the truth that, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” So after pausing for a moment and then looking directly at Peter, he REVERSES the statement entirely and says, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to ME unless it is granted by the FATHER.”
It is a simple enough inference. The two roles are reversible and Jesus and the Father are one. It’s the truth. That’s who He is: “The bread of life come down from heaven.” Not like the old bread that was the law – this is entirely NEW bread. This is God’s LOVE – pure and simple. Love that fulfills the law and gives what we need to know and live within and under it. Love that affirms us when we fly. Love that catches us when we stumble. God in Jesus (yes – there it is again – God in Jesus) Always there for us – if we will just drop all our defenses and posturing and worldly preconceptions . . . . And receive him.
“No one can come to ME unless it is granted by the FATHER.” The words hang like smoke in a canyon. No one in the room moves. Some of the elders look over at the higher ranking Pharisees and Sadducees among them – and then back at Jesus. Several of the Sanhedrin are looking down. In fact, most have not been able to look up since he started speaking about his own flesh and blood and telling them that his flesh is like the Spirit that gives life and that all other flesh is useless.
Jesus looks silently back at them. His expression has not changed. He is waiting for their reaction even though he already knows what it will be. Several rise to their feet – almost in unison and head for the door. This is enough for most of the main-liners who have given up their morning to come to the temple. They too rise at increasingly short intervals and begin to leave and they are soon joined by almost all of the others.
In less than two minutes only the core of his disciples remain and just two of the women by the doors. A dog walks through and sits down among them. Jesus smiles slightly and looks at the floor. There is a long moment of silence.
Finally he slowly brings his gaze up to meet theirs. “Do you also wish to go away?” he asks – with a soft shake of his head. Simon Peter glances at the others and then speaks for them all, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
The subtle smile returns to Jesus’ face. There is a pause, and then Peter adds: “We have come to believe and know that you – are the Holy One of God.”
And that is all Jesus needs to hear – and it is ultimately all they will ever need to know. Jesus smiles deeply this time. “Ah Peter,” he says, “We have so many great days ahead . . .”
But Peter isn’t so sure about that. In fact, after watching the looks on all of the elders faces he isn’t even sure what tomorrow may bring – but he has reached a very important place. He knows now that he doesn’t HAVE to know the workings of it all . . . he just knows one thing: This Jesus is exactly who he said he was – he truly is – the Holy One of God.
And now the Masters words (no one to the Father but through me and no one to me but through the Father) have confirmed what he has been preparing to tell them all along.
“Yes it is I – come down as the bread of life to fill you with my very being – and the blood of life to wash you clean. I KNOW how very hard it can be for you here – so much of the time.”
“Will you let me love you? Will you trust me? Will you receive me?”
What kind answer are our lives giving him?
Is it the one we want?
– Stuart Revercomb
