BREAD THAT PERISHES
Matthew 4: 1-11
John 6: 1-14, 25-35

           I might be in the minority with this statement, but I find few experiences more depressing than a yard sale. I've heard the defense, "It's a great way to find bargains", and I've heard the cliché, "one person's trash is another treasure"; but I still find them to be depressing. Think about what a yard sale really represents...yesterday's glitz, glamour, and treasure has become today's junk. What we could not have lived without yesterday is now just taking up the space that could be filled with that which we could not live without today and that stuff will be tomorrow's yard sale. Yard sales are the epitome of what I call a "use it then lose it" approach to things; we use those things that we cannot live without until we discover life's okay without them and then do our best to get rid of those things. Deep down, yard sales reveal something about the human nature.

           Human beings are always looking for the next satisfaction. In truth, we are hungry people looking to satisfy those desires we have. We even tell ourselves, "If it feels right, go for it"--we try so hard to satisfy those desires, urges, impulses that we have. Those in advertising have mastered this part of human psychology. Every day, we are encouraged to simply satisfy our desires. Go home and flip the TV on for ten minutes--you will be bombarded with commercials that encourage us to find satisfaction in consumerism, in the latest fashion trends, the newest gadgets, etc. I remember a commercial from about this time last year--I believe a Super Bowl commercial--in which a man is shown in the "unmentionables" department with his wife, daydreaming about the "big game" he is missing. The commercial goes on to show him trying to sneak a peek at the game in the electronics department, before being drug off to another shop. The commercial is for a hand-held TV about the size of a cell phone and promises its users will "never miss a minute of the action!" I confess that when I first saw this, a part of me wanted one and, for a brief moment, I craved the satisfaction of having this device. I think Pepsi summed up the human attitude toward satisfaction and gratification best a few years ago when its slogan was simply, "GOTTA HAVE IT!"

           This human quest for satisfaction is nothing new to human beings. Recall Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden--God told them they could eat of any fruit they wanted except for the Tree of Life. The serpent played off of that curiosity and quest for satisfaction in convincing them to eat of that fruit. They could have anything else they wanted, but their desire lay in satisfying the urge to eat of the one forbidden tree. As we read the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes, the story starts out on a promising note: the crowds follow Jesus because of what he is doing and won't go away. On top of that, they hang around until the next morning. At this point, it is tempting to look upon these people and think, "they've got it"! In the next moment, though, Jesus reveals to them and to us their true motivation. They hung around, not to hear what Jesus might teach, not to see what Jesus might do next, but because Jesus gave them a meal and satisfied their immediate needs. Their hunger was limited to what was in their bellies rather than their heart. It is here that Jesus counsels them, and us, not to labor for that which will not last, but for that which will last forever. In essence, Jesus counsels them and us to question our own motivations and ask of that we seek, "Is it really that important, or is it bread that will satisfy for awhile, but will eventually perish?”

           Jesus says all this as a challenge to those who hear him; a challenge to see a bigger picture, a greater horizon, to enlarge our focus, and to see the ultimate and not just the immediate. If we go back to the reading from Luke about Jesus' time in the wilderness, we see him embodying this challenge. We are told by Luke that for 40 days he fasted and was tempted by Satan. Luke only records three of the temptations, but I'm sure there were many more. Each one of these recorded temptations, though, puts Jesus in a position of satisfying immediate needs or gratifying himself or focusing on a bigger picture. Luke records that for these 40 days, Jesus went without food and was famished; Satan tempts him to satisfy that immediate need by using his power to turn rocks into bread--Jesus' response, bread by itself does not produce life. Jesus was tempted by the allure of power and authority if he would only worship Satan, rather than God. Jesus, by his actions, shows what is important--what will last forever...attending to the will of God and keeping God in the center of all we do. As we go back to Jesus' teaching the crowd in John, he tries to explain to them that in Him (Jesus) is found all that will last forever, after everything else has passed away. He tries to get anyone who will listen to see that in Him is the satisfaction for the human hunger--not the hunger that comes around every few hours, but the hunger that makes us yearn for satisfaction and fulfillment.

           At this point, you might be saying to yourself, “you really aren’t telling us anything we didn’t already know.” After all, what would expect a Christian pastor to say? Of course, I’m going to lift up Jesus as the satisfaction our hearts yearn to find. Consider, though, this parable: A desert traveler had lost his way and was near death from thirst and hunger. He found himself beside a bubbling oasis. He could almost taste the water and the fragrance of the fruit was thick and ripe. Yet he told himself that it wasn’t really there; that it was a wish projection and a figment of his imagination. With that, he curled up and died.

           A short time later, two nomads, who knew the oasis well, came and found the traveler’s body. One said to the other, “How can this be? The water is nearly is within his reach and he died of thirst; the fruit is almost dripping from his mouth and he died of hunger.” The other answered, “He was a modern man who was afraid of being fooled by a wish projection. He was too sophisticated to accept reality.”

           Perhaps we can identify with this traveler. The idea that Jesus is the satisfaction for our hungry hearts seems almost too simple, too good to be true. Yet, through love and grace, God has made it this simple to find what we truly desire. Deep within us, we are people with hungry hearts. We yearn for that which will endure and keep us satisfied--not just for a moment's time, but for eternity. Part of following Jesus means trusting that He will satisfy our hunger; that Jesus is the Bread of Heaven, which gives life to us and to the world. AMEN.

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