Midweek Musing/Day 13 of Lent: March 19, 2025

Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Fatherwho sent me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

John 6:41-51

The Rev. Dr. Mike Graves is the William K. McElvaney Professor Emeritus of Preaching and Worship at the Saint Paul School of Theology. 

After he recently retired, he wrote a critically acclaimed book that was published in 2023.  It is entitled Jesus’ Vision for Your One Wild and Precious Life.

Though I haven’t read it yet, I have read several excerpts, and I came across a statement that really made me think deeply and consider how I look at life. I think it especially struck me as we are in this season of Lent where we are journeying from ashes to alleluia!

Dr. Graves writes the following. “While it’s plain and obvious that we aren’t born just to die, for some reason a lot of people think Jesus was, that dying was his purpose in life, making Christianity all about death and the next life. Not me. I don’t for a moment think Jesus came just to die. I believe he came to live, and for the way he lived, he was put to death.”

I could not agree more with Dr. Graves. Indeed, I believe the way Jesus lived during his time on earth is a model for all that a full life entails.

When we study the life of Jesus, we discover a full life for Jesus was not one where he sought to be served but choose toselflessly serve others. For Jesus life was not about just having transactional dealings with the powerful and elite but instead it is about having deep relationships with folks from all walks of life. Friends, the Gospel texts are clear that Jesus spent his time on earth building holy friendship and not personal wealth. 

And when his life was over what was behind as our inheritance was not physical prowess or riches or but the power of radicalinclusive love we can experience and share in the present.

In fact, when we study this passage from John from the beginning of this Musing, we discover Jesus is not really talking about death as we might think— neither his own or ours. 

Rather we should note that the passage ends this way: “Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Jesus came to give us life and life abundant in the present. Yet so many folks focus not on the life he provides now and the opportunities in front of us today but instead focus on “saving souls” and promising a future in heaven where life will then begin. And they ignore the very real opportunities to experience God’s presence in the here and now. 

As some have quipped “people can be so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.”

What is particularly sad is many folks (including some of us I imagine at time) miss the gift of this life and especially God’sgrace and forgiveness in the here and now. But remember life doesn’t wait until we die. Even on this side of heaven we can experience moments of the kingdom as we experience the alleluias of a life that is available each and every day.

How do I know this is true? Well, I believe the Bible says so! Just reread today’s gospel reading from John, because if I understand the text, these words will lead us to conclude, in Dr.Graves’ words, that Jesus offers us a vision of our wild and precious life here and now - this very day! 

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Alleluia amen.