Laetare

Rev. Thomas Van Hemert

St. John 6:1-15

Laetare

March 14, 2021

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.  

Why are you so downtrodden? Why are you so weary? It is because you hunger and thirst for that which does not satisfy. You are weary, tired. Tired and fed up with this life because you have made friends with enemies who hate and hurt you. You have sought loyalty from traitors who have betrayed and cheated you. You have worked and toiled for a wage that cannot support you. You are downtrodden because your masters and rulers lord it over you and you suffer the brunt of their corruption. Even though that may not be your fault, you’ve made it about you. You love to complain. Nothing ever goes your way and you force others to stoop down to your level. You have spent your days in darkness, in lament and sadness, begging for relief, begging for the sun to shine.

You are exhausted and weary because you seek after earthly things. You seek love and pleasure, but search for it in sinful and demon-filled places. Your sin is ever before you and you cannot separate yourself from it. You find no rest. And still, you seek earthly fulfillment, temporary relief. You are like a large crowd that has come all the way out into the wilderness and to the mountainside in search of temporary gratification. So much so, that you did not even plan ahead. You forgot to prepare and to bring food. You are hungry and cannot return home without nourishment because you might faint along the way.

But you have come to Jesus and He does what He always does: He provides. Come. Lie down in green pastures. For here is much grass. It’s comfy. It’s soft. Not to mention there’s also a cool breeze. Jesus will provide. He always does. You are walking through a shadowy valley of death. But come. Lie down and find rest. Let your soul be restored by Him who does all things well. He is preparing a table before you in the presence of your enemies, in the presence of those who hate you and oppress you. Jesus prepares a table for you in the midst of this living death we call “life.” Come, all you who thirst. You who have no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. It’s free. There is plenty. For the Lord Himself is providing it for you.

You have prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and He has given it to you. You are not as bad off as it seems or as bad off as you think. You have clothing on your back; you have shoes on your feet; a roof over your head. You have friends. And not only friends, you have Christian brothers and sisters who care for you and who love you. That’s what it means to be part of the Christian Congregation, the Communion of Saints.

 All of this and more, the Lord has provided. Out of His goodness, He has given you all things. He defends you against all danger and guards and protects you from all evil. He richly and daily provides you with all things that you need to support this body and life. If that were not so, God wouldn’t be God. And you wouldn’t be here. He would not be your Father and you would not be His child. But you are. He created you. He washed you clean. He redeemed you by buying you back from the snares of death. He loves you. Jesus gave Himself for you. Now He takes bread. He breaks it and it multiplies. It never runs out. He breaks it and gives it to you. The bread that He gives, He gives for the life of the world. It is His flesh.

 He gives you bread because you are Israel wandering the desert without food. You need strength to endure. You are wandering through this desert called “life.” You need bread from heaven to eat, lest you faint along the way back to your heavenly home. Because there is no shortage of evil waiting to befall you here. You’ve had your days of lament. Your days of complaining and cursing your birth. You’ve been shamefully treated. Satan accuses you night and day. But come. Lie down and receive Manna—bread from heaven. Receive it and eat your fill. This is how God sustains you so that you might continue this journey.

 And if all of that isn’t enough. God provides for you a Lamb. It is slaughtered. It’s blood drains from its body and covers you. Satan can no longer accuse you. God is opposed to Satan. He will have to go pay for his crimes. But you are declared innocent. You are innocent. There is no more evil to fear. For God is with you. His rod and staff comfort you and He makes you lie down in green pastures.

 The posture of lying down is the posture of a master and teacher. Thus, when Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount, He lies down and the disciples and learners stand. But behold a great reversal. You are now the master. Jesus is the Servant. He came not to be served but to serve. So let Him serve you. Receive from Him what He desires to give. He desires to give you Himself. He desires to give you His Body, it was crucified but it is risen. He wants to give you His blood. It is poured out for you—a sign of His testament and promise. Now He’s teaching you how to hunger and thirst for things that truly satisfy. But He not only teaches you how to hunger and thirst for heavenly food. He also provides it for you as often as you need it.

 God is God. He is pure and holy. Because you are His children, you are also pure and holy. But surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life: and you shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

 In +Jesus’ name.