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July 26, 2009
2 Samuel 11:1-15, John 6:1-21

Ahhh…that’s it. It is good to be in this place, on this day. It is good to be here, together, in the presence of God. And ahhh…the scripture lessons from today are moving me from behind the pulpit. I need to be able to stretch my arms a bit, to be able to take a deep breath, to move around. I need to be able to take it all in.

This morning we listen to the familiar tale of David, stretching his legs after sitting too long , you know how you get stiff and uncomfortable being in one position for too long? Or maybe he needed to stretch his body after taking an afternoon nap.

Ahhh…there on the rooftop, standing in the springtime sun, I can imagine David stretching out his arms, taking it all in. High above the city of Jerusalem, he had a, well – a great view. In the expansive view of the cityscape the war in Rabbah was far away. As David’s mind wandered, his eyes did too, and he became enthralled by the beautiful Bathsheba. 

Now, before our thoughts get too tangled up in David’s embrace of power and temptation, I want to mention a couple of other people from this morning’s readings. First, there is my friend Phillip. In ways, I wish I could be a bit more like Phillip. Always thinking, always planning, Phillip was busy adding figures up in his head.

We have an  advantage this morning over Phillip: first because we heard the story of feeding the five thousand just last week from the perspective of Mark, and because the writer of John gives us the inside tip that the question Jesus poses is a trick question. Jesus already knows the answer (Of course, the best questions to ask are those to which you already know the answer!).

So why do I wish I was more like Phillip? Phillip is a calculator person. We all recognize the need of those people in our midst that take the necessary time to calculate the anticipated costs for any event. Truly, in our world of global economics, people who are good at accounting are needed. We need those of you who are calculator people at work. We need you here, in the life of the church. Unfortunately, that is not a gift God has given me!

Here is good ol’ Phillip, already sizing up the crowd. Now, I don’t know whether Phillip used the estimated crowd size of four thousand from the Gospel of Mark’s report, or the count of five thousand we read today, but even with today’s fast food restaurants offering Dollar Menus the dinner was going to be expensive!  We could work for months on end, work until we are exhausted, and not be able to pay for that one dinner.

The disciple Andrew also takes a look out at the expanse of tired people gathered about to hear Jesus, and recognizes that they are hungry – just like Phillip did. Unlike Phillip’s concern regarding cost, Andrew’s attention is drawn to the presence of a small boy.  We can all appreciate this gift in Andrew, and most of us would say that it is in the potential of our children that the future of the church is to be found.

So Andrew finds this potential of hope…or…maybe it is better said that almost recognizes this potential…when he notices the young boy in the crowd of five thousand men. How many other people in this crowd paid any attention to this boy?

Andrew was so close to opening himself up to God’s abundance, when he is side-tracked by his human nature. This experience of life that we all have that closes our minds to God’s full potential. “After all,” Andrew must have thought, “just what is the reality of feeding this mob with five loves of barley bread and a few dried fish?”

All this time, Jesus has been taking in the same view. He stands in the midst of these hungry people. Hungry to be fed. Hungry to be nourished with the Good News. Jesus sees the powerful potential of God standing right there. He knows the beauty of each person, and their ability to embrace the presence of God. He responds to their hunger by feeding them, knowing that in God they will each reach their full potential, and that there will be plenty left over.

The question the readings set before us this morning is how can we become more like Jesus and recognize God’s presence in this moment; God’s hopeful potential given to each and every one of us.

How do we not see this potential as we look into one another’s eyes?

How did Andrew not realize the power to transform that stood before him in this child?

How did Phillip grow up to be a man relying on the structure of numbers?

What is it about our human experience that causes us to “know” what to expect from God?

2 Samuel seems to blatantly point out how to recognize when God’s presence is ignored in our actions. We can point out the failings of David as a leader; this man chosen by God to lead Israel. Earlier in the book of Samuel, this young, charismatic shepherd openly spoke about God’s presence in his life. Now it is uncomfortable to hear the words of passion and power, war and murderous schemes to which David turns. 

These are stories of human nature. These are stories that we could write about in today’s world. Where is the point at which we should become uncomfortable with David’s actions?  Is it when David calls Bathsheba to the palace and these two people, married to others, conceive a child? Whether or not you can look past the infidelity, can you forgive David’s scheme to have Uriah killed in battle? A complicated plot, which does not work out quite as David plans. Or is it that in today’s reading we do not hear about God? For many reasons, we are left uneasy.

In this uneasiness, we might recognize pieces of our own lives. Are we, today, really all that distant from David’s delusion of wealth and power? The presence of power and the beauty of wealth is definitely not unknown in our world. All the media are abuzz the past year over the global economic crisis. It seems that so very often we hear that this extravagant lifestyle was an unsustainable pattern of growth, a bubble waiting to burst. Yet in general, instead of changing the looming problem, our lives have been full of enjoying the treasures that could be purchased.

It is so easy for us to say “I told you so” to David, to look at his human failings. He tries to use his power to manipulate situations. He uses his power focused on human things, not God’s. We are unsettled, but then comfort ourselves by pointing out how different we are from David, taking a step back and distancing ourselves from his personal flaws.

But Jesus takes time this morning to unsettle us some again. He knows what God is going to do, but he calls us to look up, and see the crowd. There are so many crowds around us today.

The crowd of people seeking jobs.

The crowd of people who have lost healthcare coverage when they lost their jobs.

The crowd of people who are facing the loss of their home.

The crowd of people living with HIV/AIDS. The crowd of people scarred by racial barriers.

The crowd of people living divided by walls erected along political boundaries.

The global crowd of people living with the environmental crisis looming.

It is overwhelming to hear this short list of crowds. Each of us could create our own list of the crowds we see gathering. As these crowds grow around us, God calls us to look up and to see, truly see, the crowd and God’s potential to feed the crowd. Jesus knows the potential that is there before us, yet he asks us the question anyway, just as he asked Phillip:

• Where are we to find jobs for all of these people?

• How are we going to develop affordable housing?

• Can we talk about safe sex? How can we reach out to those whose lives have been impacted by HIV/AIDS? The orphans in Africa? The individuals in our community?

• Who deserves to receive healthcare? Should we continue to accept the disparities that exist in the United States?

Jesus knows and sees the potential God has given each of us when we work together in community.  How do you answer Christ’s question in the midst of your crowd? Are we Phillip, saying that there is no way we could ever accomplish this task? Or are we Andrew, looking at the potential, but unable to think beyond the obvious limitations?

Or, can we be more like Jesus? As followers of Christ, can we begin to look beyond the mounting crowds of despair and grasp the bold response God offers us? Can we grab onto God’s presence in our grief and catch a glimpse of the vision God has for us? Of course we can! And Jesus knew the answer to that question too!

So take in a deep breath. Move around. Move around before you get stiff and uncomfortable from sitting in one place for too long. Move around and see beyond yourself. Look around. In the midst of the crowd, there is great potential.

Take in the view.

Take in Jesus.

See God’s potential in your life and embrace yourself in God’s presence.

Amen