On Line Bible Study - For the Week March 26-April 1, 2012
Lesson 529
John 6:1-14
We will think about three words as they relate to John's telling of the feeding of the five thousand: Gratitude: Giving: Gathering.
These are three qualities that relate to our celebration of The Lord's Supper, or The Eucharist, or Holy Communion.
Gratitude: When Jesus is with his disciples at the 'Last Supper', he 'gives thanks' over the cup in Matthew, Mark and Luke. He offers thanks over the bread only in Luke.
When the crowd is with Jesus and he feeds them, he first takes the bread and fish and 'gives thanks'. Each of the gospels records this moment of 'thanksgiving'.
Gratitude is a hallmark of Christian gathering around the table, whether with family and neighbors in a social setting, or around the altar in a liturgical setting. First, we give thanks.
Giving: One of the interesting differences in the story of the feeding of the five thousand, as mentioned in the previous study, is the fact that Matthew and Mark both speak of 'compassion' as one of the motivators for Jesus to feed the crowd. This emotion is missing in Luke and John when they tell the story. Do we give out of compassion, or out of necessity - because it is the right thing to do?
Only in John's telling of this miracle story do we read that Jesus himself 'gives' - or distributes - the food to the people. In the renderings of the 'Last Supper', it is Jesus who gives the bread and cup to his disciples. John keeps this eucharistic imagery in his telling of the feeding of the crowd. Perhaps this symbolizes the fact that Jesus offers himself - it is he himself that does the 'giving'. The Eucharistic invitation is for us to receive; it is also for us to give.
Gathering: All four gospels record that twelve baskets of leftovers were collected. One of the strong eucharistic themes in the writings of the early church has to do with 'gathering the Church up from the four corners of the of the earth into your [God's] kingdom. What is scattered will be collected and accounted for. The feeding of the multitude has this imagery of a God who gathers together, who bring us in. Our Communion Table must be open, it seems to me, for in some sense, we are all waiting to be 'gathered' to God and brought into fellowship.
These simple, common acts - of Gratitude, Giving, and Gathering - are at the center of John's account of this miracle. It is a 'sign' - a script, if you will - telling us what God is about.
mmm
John 6:1-14
We will think about three words as they relate to John's telling of the feeding of the five thousand: Gratitude: Giving: Gathering.
These are three qualities that relate to our celebration of The Lord's Supper, or The Eucharist, or Holy Communion.
Gratitude: When Jesus is with his disciples at the 'Last Supper', he 'gives thanks' over the cup in Matthew, Mark and Luke. He offers thanks over the bread only in Luke.
When the crowd is with Jesus and he feeds them, he first takes the bread and fish and 'gives thanks'. Each of the gospels records this moment of 'thanksgiving'.
Gratitude is a hallmark of Christian gathering around the table, whether with family and neighbors in a social setting, or around the altar in a liturgical setting. First, we give thanks.
Giving: One of the interesting differences in the story of the feeding of the five thousand, as mentioned in the previous study, is the fact that Matthew and Mark both speak of 'compassion' as one of the motivators for Jesus to feed the crowd. This emotion is missing in Luke and John when they tell the story. Do we give out of compassion, or out of necessity - because it is the right thing to do?
Only in John's telling of this miracle story do we read that Jesus himself 'gives' - or distributes - the food to the people. In the renderings of the 'Last Supper', it is Jesus who gives the bread and cup to his disciples. John keeps this eucharistic imagery in his telling of the feeding of the crowd. Perhaps this symbolizes the fact that Jesus offers himself - it is he himself that does the 'giving'. The Eucharistic invitation is for us to receive; it is also for us to give.
Gathering: All four gospels record that twelve baskets of leftovers were collected. One of the strong eucharistic themes in the writings of the early church has to do with 'gathering the Church up from the four corners of the of the earth into your [God's] kingdom. What is scattered will be collected and accounted for. The feeding of the multitude has this imagery of a God who gathers together, who bring us in. Our Communion Table must be open, it seems to me, for in some sense, we are all waiting to be 'gathered' to God and brought into fellowship.
These simple, common acts - of Gratitude, Giving, and Gathering - are at the center of John's account of this miracle. It is a 'sign' - a script, if you will - telling us what God is about.
mmm
posted by Mark D at 4:41 AM
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