Proper 13 Series B study notes

 

Proper 13
Exodus 16:2–15
Ephesians 4:1–16
John 6:22–35

Jesus Is the True and Living Bread from Heaven 

Having rescued Israel “out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 16:6), the Lord manifested His glory and made Himself known to His people. He fed them with “meat to eat” in the evening and with “bread from heaven” in the morning (Ex. 16:4, 8, 12). But now, the “true bread from heaven,” which the Father gives to you, is the Son, “who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32–33). Whoever comes to Him “shall not hunger,” and whoever believes in Him “shall never thirst.” He is “the bread of life,” who gives Himself to you as “the food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27, 35). By the gracious working of God, you believe in Him by the calling of one Spirit through the Gospel, so that you also have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph. 4:4–6). As you eat His one body in the Holy Supper, so you belong to the one body of His Church, in which you “are to grow up in every way into him who is the head” (Eph. 4:15). 

John 6:22-35

Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacrament, that we may be nourished unto life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

According to the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

 400 1bs of hot dogs,

3,000 popcorn boxes,

8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)

 684 candy bars,

436 nachos,

284 boxes of caramel corn,

917 soft pretzels,

247 polish sausages,

100 sandwiches,

179 bags of peanuts,

50 muffins,

160 cups of coffee.

This was for a 2 pm tip where the crowd had already had breakfast and possibly lunch!  And they had to pay for their food!

Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege

“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.” John 6:27

Jesus declared that one must work…for the food that endures to eternal life.  This maxim of Jesus—like most of His teachings—generated questions in the hearts and minds of the hearers. The first question they asked Jesus dealt with this “work” described by Jesus: What must we do, to be doing the works of God [v 28]?  What works are you talking about, Jesus?

Jesus responded, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent [v 29]. Jesus now generates more questions, one of them being, “Who is this one whom God has sent?”  Jesus has already answered this question, and He will repeatedly answer it by explaining that He is the one God has sent:  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me [v 38].  So the work of God is that people believe in Jesus, the Sent One.

When Jesus speaks of the work of God, especially from an Old Testament perspective He is NOT speaking about a work that God requires us to do, but He is speaking about the work that God does!  This is God’s work—in other words this is the work that He performs—that you believe in the one whom He has sent.  God enables people to believe in Jesus, and Jesus frequently presents this miracle.  For instance in verse 44 Jesus explains, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And again in verse 65 Jesus reiterates, I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.  It is truly God’s work… that we are enabled to come to Jesus, that is, believe in Him.  Many today consider their faith to be their own work, but it is God’s work.

Nonetheless, to believe in Jesus is—empowered by God—something we truly “do”, for we are not mere objects like puppets.  We each can rightly maintain that believing in Jesus is indeed “my” faith, “my” trust in Him.  Thanks be to God that He takes spiritually dead people (Eph 2:1ff) and gives them new birth, so that such newborn people can and do believe in Jesus!  Through His Word, God sends forth the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, and by the Spirit’s power people are connected to and believe in the One whom God the Father has sent.

What then is the food that endures to eternal life [v 27]?  Such food is not the mere bread that Jesus miraculously provided in the feeding of the 5,000, nor is it the manna that God provided through Moses.  Both of these miracle-breads were merely for the body, and such bread will rot and perish.  The food that endures to eternal life is Jesus Himself!  Jesus thus avows, I am the bread of life…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.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever [vv 46, 48-51a].

Jesus then immediately connects this bread to His crucifixion: And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh [v 51b]. By identifying himself in this way—speaking of giving His “flesh”—Jesus is directing His followers to see Him as a sacrifice. An example of an Old Testament connection is found in Leviticus 7:15 where we read about the flesh of a peace offering:  And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. For Jesus to give His flesh, meant that He would offer Himself as sacrifice.  In this way Jesus is directing us to realize that our faith in Him is directly linked to His crucifixion (and resurrection).  To believe in Jesus is to believe that He came purposefully to be sacrificed for mankind’s salvation.  This faith is indeed “eating” the food that endures to eternal life; it is the food flowing from Christ’s cross.

How then do we work…for the food that endures to eternal life?  A Christian, having been given spiritual life, thus “works” to continually receive the food (God’s Word and Sacrament), eating the Bread of Life (Jesus) to eternal life.  A wondrous continuity flowing from the Old Testament is that spiritual nourishment involves the actual bodily eating of a sacrifice.  Recall from the Leviticus quote above, that the people were directed to eat the flesh of the thanksgiving peace offering.  So now—but in a far superior way—we not only feast upon Jesus as we hear his word, but we feast upon Him as we eat of THE sacrifice.  Christians must thus be continually encouraged to “work” for the eternal-life food, to be lifelong partakers of Jesus (the Bread of Life) through His Word and Sacrament.

John 6:22 

Τῇ  ἐπαύριον  ὁ  ὄχλος  ὁ  ἑστηκὼς  πέραν  τῆς  θαλάσσης  εἶδον  ὅτι  πλοιάριον  ἄλλο  οὐκ  ἦν  ἐκεῖ  εἰ  μὴ  ἕν,  καὶ  ὅτι  οὐ  συνεισῆλθεν  τοῖς  μαθηταῖς  αὐτοῦ  ὁ  Ἰησοῦς  εἰς  τὸ  πλοῖον  ἀλλὰ  μόνοι  οἱ  μαθηταὶ  αὐτοῦ  ἀπῆλθον·

On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.

John 6:6:22 

narrated from Jesus' disciples - assessing the situation, the crowd could not figure out how Jesus could have crossed the sea. 

John 6:23 

ἀλλὰ  ἦλθεν  πλοιάρια  ἐκ  Τιβεριάδος  ἐγγὺς  τοῦ  τόπου  ὅπου  ἔφαγον  τὸν  ἄρτον  εὐχαριστήσαντος  τοῦ  Κυρίου.

Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks

John 6:23 

Tiberius GK city on the Sea of Galilee, mentioned only in John 6:1; 21:1) Herod Antipas built it in AD 16-22 and named it in honor of the reigning Romans emperor. 

"Having given thanks..." does this make the text Eucharistic?  It's bread but more than bread...he comes to us, then when He came and now as He has compassion and teaches.

John 6:24 

ὅτε  οὖν  εἶδεν  ὁ  ὄχλος  ὅτι  Ἰησοῦς  οὐκ  ἔστιν  ἐκεῖ  οὐδὲ  οἱ  μαθηταὶ  αὐτοῦ,  ἐνέβησαν  αὐτοὶ  εἰς  τὰ  πλοιάρια  καὶ  ἦλθον  εἰς  Καφαρναοὺμ  ζητοῦντες  τὸν  Ἰησοῦν.

So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus

 John 6:25 

καὶ  εὑρόντες  αὐτὸν  πέραν  τῆς  θαλάσσης  εἶπον  αὐτῷ  Ῥαββί*,  πότε  ὧδε  γέγονας;

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

John 6:26 

ἀπεκρίθη  αὐτοῖς  ὁ  Ἰησοῦς  καὶ  εἶπεν  Ἀμὴν  ἀμὴν  λέγω  ὑμῖν,  ζητεῖτέ  με  οὐχ  ὅτι  εἴδετε  σημεῖα,  ἀλλ’  ὅτι  ἐφάγετε  ἐκ  τῶν  ἄρτων  καὶ  ἐχορτάσθητε.

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves

:26  faith in Jesus was the purpose of all the signs. At the miraculous feeding, the crowds saw only the gifts, not the Giver.   You saw and had your bellies filled...they saw but did not understand. 

Look at the change of verbs...

John 6:27 

ἐργάζεσθε  μὴ  τὴν  βρῶσιν  τὴν  ἀπολλυμένην,  ἀλλὰ  τὴν  βρῶσιν  τὴν  μένουσαν  εἰς  ζωὴν  αἰώνιον,  ἣν  ὁ  Υἱὸς  τοῦ  ἀνθρώπου  ὑμῖν  δώσει·  τοῦτον  γὰρ  ὁ  Πατὴρ  ἐσφράγισεν  ὁ  Θεός.

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

:27 labor - food. Jesus posed an absolute contrast between physical and spiritual "food" without denying the importance of the physical. Set His seal...see Jeremiah 32:10

"Stop working for the perishable food" bread that we eat will not keep you alive forever...it's the bread you work for after the fall which comes from the cursed earth and your sweaty brow...you still die.

The Orthodox use this terminology of "seal" for baptism.

John 6:28 

εἶπον  οὖν  πρὸς  αὐτόν  Τί  ποιῶμεν  ἵνα  ἐργαζώμεθα  τὰ  ἔργα  τοῦ  Θεοῦ;  

Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

:28 don't trust in your daily labor 

John 6:29 

ἀπεκρίθη  ‹ὁ›  Ἰησοῦς  καὶ  εἶπεν  αὐτοῖς  Τοῦτό  ἐστιν  τὸ  ἔργον  τοῦ  Θεοῦ,  ἵνα  πιστεύητε  εἰς  ὃν  ἀπέστειλεν  ἐκεῖνος.

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.

6:29 "work of God, that you believe" The crowd asked about righteous "works" but Jesus singled out one necessary work; faith in Him, which is God's gift.

John 6:30 

εἶπον  οὖν  αὐτῷ  Τί  οὖν  ποιεῖς  σὺ  σημεῖον,  ἵνα  ἴδωμεν  καὶ  πιστεύσωμέν  σοι;  τί  ἐργάζῃ;  

So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?

:30 what sign do you do that we might understand? Who are in the crowd?  The Pharisees?  Mocking...they use the same verb for work. See Matthew 12 show us a sign...

John 6:31 

οἱ  πατέρες  ἡμῶν  τὸ  μάννα  ἔφαγον  ἐν  τῇ  ἐρήμῳ,  καθώς  ἐστιν  γεγραμμένον  Ἄρτον  ἐκ  τοῦ  οὐρανοῦ  ἔδωκεν  αὐτοῖς  φαγεῖν.

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

:31 the crowd quotes the OT to support their demand that Jesus perform a miracle like Moses had done, which they assumed was greater than Jesus' signs. Like Mary and Martha only one thing is needful...

John 6:32 

εἶπεν  οὖν  αὐτοῖς  ὁ  Ἰησοῦς  Ἀμὴν  ἀμὴν  λέγω  ὑμῖν,  οὐ  Μωϋσῆς  δέδωκεν  ὑμῖν  τὸν  ἄρτον  ἐκ  τοῦ  οὐρανοῦ,  ἀλλ’  ὁ  Πατήρ  μου  δίδωσιν  ὑμῖν  τὸν  ἄρτον  ἐκ  τοῦ  οὐρανοῦ  τὸν  ἀληθινόν·  

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

32   Jesus corrected the crowd on two points - manna came from God not Moses and Moses' bread was not the "true bread from heaven"  Only the Father gives that bread. 

John 6:33 

ὁ  γὰρ  ἄρτος  τοῦ  Θεοῦ  ἐστιν  ὁ  καταβαίνων  ἐκ  τοῦ  οὐρανοῦ  καὶ  ζωὴν  διδοὺς  τῷ  κόσμῳ.

For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

33 the one who gives life for the world is a person, the one Whom the father sends

John 6:34 

εἶπον  οὖν  πρὸς  αὐτόν  Κύριε,  πάντοτε  δὸς  ἡμῖν  τὸν  ἄρτον  τοῦτον.

They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.

John 6:35 

εἶπεν  αὐτοῖς  ὁ  Ἰησοῦς  Ἐγώ  εἰμι  ὁ  ἄρτος  τῆς  ζωῆς·  ὁ  ἐρχόμενος  πρὸς  ἐμὲ  οὐ  μὴ  πεινάσῃ,  καὶ  ὁ  πιστεύων  εἰς  ἐμὲ  οὐ  μὴ  διψήσει  πώποτε.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

:35 "I am" Jesus clearly identified Himself as the sources of real life, which lasts forever.

Proper 13 - Series A

Proper 13 – Series A

(6 August 2023)

Series A

Isaiah 55:1–5

Romans 9:1–5 (6–13)

Matthew 14:13–21

Christ Jesus, the Living Bread from Heaven, Feeds the Children of God

By the Gospel of “the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever” (Rom. 9:5), we are “the children of God” (Rom. 9:8), “not because of works but because of him who calls” (Rom. 9:11). Therefore, “listen diligently” and “hear, that your soul may live.” By His sacrificial death in His flesh and blood, He has made “an everlasting covenant” for us. Since He now calls us to Himself, we come to Him “and eat what is good, and delight … in rich food” (Is. 55:2–3). He has come with divine  compassion to save us from sin and death and to feed us with Himself. As our Lord Jesus once took bread, “said a blessing,” broke the loaves “and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds” (Matt. 14:18–19), He also now takes bread, blesses it by His Word to be His very body, and distributes it to His Church by the hand of His called and ordained servants. Just as “they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces,” there is more than enough for His whole Church to eat and to be satisfied (Matt. 14:20).

You Give Them Something to Eat

“They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16)

In the account of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, Jesus invites His apostles to feed a crowd which likely exceeded 15,000 people!  How could the Apostles obtain sufficient food for this mandate?  Interestingly the Apostles would be the ones to distribute this miraculous meal, but they were not the ones to purchase or create it.  Jesus blessed the bread and fish, then Sunday’s Gospel records, “Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” (v 19b).

Through the centuries theologians have seen a connection between the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of God’s people in the Lord’s Supper.  Parallel to the Eucharist, Jesus blesses the food, breaks the bread, and then gives to the Apostles for distribution.  Though this meal for the 5,000 men is NOT a celebration of the Lord’s Supper, yet it is a Holy Supper celebrated in the presence of the One who blessed the food.  Though we cannot see the Lord Christ when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, yet He is every bit as present as when He fed the 5,000.  Interestingly early church art also frequently depicted the Lord’s Supper as a meal of fish, no doubt calling to mind all the miraculous fish-meals blessed by Jesus, uniquely reminiscent of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 and then the feeding of the 4,000.  Oscar Cullmann explains, “Early Christian art frequently represents the Lord’s Supper under the form of a meal of fish.”[1]

A person seeking Christian truth might ask how it is possible that Christ could, in Holy Communion, sacrificially feed the millions of Christians throughout the centuries with His “finite” body and blood.  As if anticipating this question, Jesus, as recorded in all four Gospels, fed the 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish—with more left after the meal than when the meal began.  Including women and children, the number that Jesus fed likely exceeded 15,000!  Christ truly and miraculously fed around 15,000 people with merely a handful of bread and fish.  If Christ can feed 15,000 with the truly finite elements of fish and bread, can He not feed millions His body in which the fullness of deity dwells?  In the Lord’s Supper Christ, though His flesh and blood are truly eaten, is not consumed or used up; the body and blood of Christ will not run out, something taught by the continually flowing bread in this miraculous feeding of the 15,000.

As the Apostle Paul rehearses the foundational meaning of the Sacrament of the Altar in his first letter to the Corinthians, he rhetorically reminds us, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (10:16). Though this verse is rightly used to explain the belief in the Real Presence, note also that Apostolic distribution of the Sacrament underlies the verse.  The cup of blessing that WE BLESS…The bread that WE BREAK.  The “we” doing the blessing of the cup and the breaking of the bread is indeed the Apostles and then those who carry on this Apostolic work as pastors.  Though Christ’s blessing at the institution of the Sacrament is the source and power behind the miracle of the Lord’s Supper, yet even as He told the Apostles at the feeding of the 5,000, “…you give them something to eat,” so it continues today as the Apostles and those continuing their work are called upon to give God’s people the holiest food.  It is a food far holier than the bread and fish in the feeding of the 5,000, for it is the very body and blood of God.

[1] Oscar Cullmann and F. J. Leenhardt, Essays on the Lord’s Supper, (London:  Lutterworth Press, 1958), First Essay:  “The Breaking of Bread and the Resurrection Appearances,” 10.


Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege

Romans 9:2 I have great regret/grief unceasing sorrow...because they have thrown Christ off...there is no hope...they have confidence in themselves, their heritage, their background...

V. 8 is critical -

Matthew 14:13–21

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Matthew 14.13

Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνεχώρησεν ἐκεῖθεν ἐν πλοίῳ εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατ’ ἰδίαν· καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ ὄχλοι ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ πεζῇ ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων.

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.

Matthew 14.14

καὶ ἐξελθὼν εἶδεν πολὺν ὄχλον, καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν.

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14.15

 ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντες· Ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος καὶ ἡ ὥρα ἤδη παρῆλθεν· ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ὄχλους, ἵνα ἀπελθόντες εἰς τὰς κώμας ἀγοράσωσιν ἑαυτοῖς βρώματα.

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

Matthew 14.16

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν ἀπελθεῖν· δότε αὐτοῖς ὑμεῖς φαγεῖν.

But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

Matthew 14.17

οἱ δὲ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Οὐκ ἔχομεν ὧδε εἰ μὴ πέντε ἄρτους καὶ δύο ἰχθύας.

They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”

Matthew 14.18

 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Φέρετέ μοι ὧδε αὐτούς.

And he said, “Bring them here to me.”

Matthew 14.19

καὶ κελεύσας τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνακλιθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου, λαβὼν τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους καὶ τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας, ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εὐλόγησεν καὶ κλάσας ἔδωκεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς τοὺς ἄρτους οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις.

Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

Matthew 14.20

 καὶ ἔφαγον πάντες καὶ ἐχορτάσθησαν, καὶ ἦραν τὸ περισσεῦον τῶν κλασμάτων δώδεκα κοφίνους πλήρεις.

And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

Matthew 14.21

οἱ δὲ ἐσθίοντες ἦσαν ἄνδρες ὡσεὶ πεντακισχίλιοι χωρὶς γυναικῶν καὶ παιδίων.

And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

 ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

Time in the Word - Proper 13

July 31 – August 05 2023

The day emphasizes God’s love in providing for all our needs. Our physical needs are met by Christ in the feeding of five thousand. In the Old Testament lesson we are invited to come to God for spiritual food. God also provides us with love form which we cannot be separated by the world. (Epistle lesson) Compassion motivates Jesus to feed the five thousand. Love causes God to invite us to come and enter into a covenant with Him. God, moreover, will not allow the world to separate us from His love.  In the Collect for the day we acknowledge that God has given us all we have and we ask that our material wealth might be a blessing rather than a curse.

Collect for Proper 13 –Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

“Pour out upon us, O Lord, the Spirit to think and do what is right, that we, who cannot even exist without you, may have the strength to live according to your will.”

For blessing on the Word – Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it; through Jesus Christ, my Lord.

A simple yet heartfelt Prayers – “Almighty God, grant us a steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, a cheerful hope in Your mercy, and a sincere love for You and one another.”

A prayer before we study the Word – Almighty God, our heavenly Father, without Your help our labor is useless, and without Your light our search is in vain. Invigorate the study of Your holy Word that, by due diligence and right discernment, we may establish ourselves and others in Your holy faith.

Monday, July 31, 2023 – Psalm 105:39-43 - This is the Psalm portion from which the Introit for next Sunday is taken. The antiphon is taken from verse 1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!”  The psalmist encourages us to give thanks. We give thanks to God through our praises. We call upon Him in prayer. These two commands – to call upon the name of the Lord and to praise Him – highlight the rest of the psalm in which the author gives ten imperatives or exhortations. Praise and prayer are expressions of devotion to the Lord. The Psalmist throughout the Psalm will encourage the reader to celebrate the Lord’s past saving acts and to trust Him for future deliverance and blessing.

Notice at the end of verse 1 we are to tell of the Lord’s mighty deeds among the peoples (among the nations).  Missions cannot be separated from the work we do. We reach out to others as we praise the name of our Lord.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023–Isaiah 55:1-5 – God offers food for our souls (spiritual needs). God calls thee hungry and thirsty to come to Him for spiritual food and drink.  Can we buy without money or credit cards? There are some things that cannot be bought at any price. Can we buy love, friendship, happiness, or peace? Can we buy friendship with God? The best things in life are not for sale. They come as gifts from God.

Wednesday, August 2, 2023 – Romans 9:1-5 – God blesses us with inseparable love (emotional needs). Paul is desperately concerned for non-Christian Jews. Christ deals with the anxiety for non-Christians especially Jews who had accepted the Gospel. He is so concerned that he would be willing to be excluded from the Kingdom if it were the price of getting the Jews into the Kingdom.

Thursday, August 3, 2023 – Matthew 14:13-21 – God through Christ provides food for our bodies. Jesus feeds five thousand people with five loaves and two fish.

 Here is the heartbeat of the miracle. It is a greater factor than the power to bring food for 5,000 out of five loaves of bread. Because of His love for the hurting and the hungry, Jesus is moved to help and heal.

The people are not in a position to help themselves; it is at the end of the day; they are far from civilization; they are out of supplies.  To get food at that time and in that place demanded a miracle. This account teaches that Jesus is not only able but willing to help. Contrast this with many contemporary instances when people in trouble are ignored when they cry for help.

The power of the miracle is Christ. The 5,000 are fed with five loaves. He asks that the loaves and fish be brought to Him. He takes the food, gives thanks and breaks the bread until all are fed. The tremendous truth in this act is that man is little and Christ can do great things. This reminds us also that a common meal in the home or out in a field can be a sacramental act of love when the bread is blessed and shared.

Friday, July 4, 2023 –Psalm 136:1-9 – This Psalm is suggested for next Sunday. The theme of thanksgiving continues in the suggested Psalm for this coming week. It is a liturgy of praise to the Lord as Creator and as Israel’s redeemer. Verses 7 to 9 echo Genesis 1:16.

Saturday, August 5, 2023 – Luke 1:68-79 – This passage is the inspiration for the hymn “Jesus Has Come and Brings Pleasure.” {LSB 53}. They are the words of Zachariah as he prophesied concerning Christ at the circumcision of his son John. The words of the prophet are clear. Jesus, the Messiah from the house of David has the power to save and heal.

Sources:

LUTHERAN SEVICE BOOK © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO

LECTIONALRY PREACHING WORKBOOK SERIES A © 1980 John Brokhoff CSS Publishing Lima, OH

Schnorr von Carolsfeld, woodcuts Zachariah names John, Jesus feeds the 5,000 © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use. 

Proper 13 Series C

Proper 13 Notes

(July 31-August 6)

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12–14; 2:18–26

Colossians 3:1–11

Luke 12:13–21

O Lord, grant us wisdom to recognize the treasures You have stored up for us in heaven that we may never despair but always rejoice and be thankful for the riches of Your grace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

Faith in Christ Is Rich toward God

To live for earthly things “is vanity and a striving after wind,” and work that is driven by such vanity “is an unhappy business” (Ecclesiastes 1:13–14). The man who lives like that has nothing to show for “all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun. … All his days are full of sorrow” (Ecclesiastes 2:22–23). So, too, your “covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5), makes a god out of that which cannot give you life or happiness. For “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). But “Christ who is your life” (Colossians 3:4), in giving you Himself, gives you all the wealth of heaven. Instead of striving to lay up treasures for yourself, be “rich toward God” in Him (Luke 12:21).

Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege -

Sin is especially seen in selfishness.  As we worship and magnify self, God and our neighbor are pushed out of our lives. Thus they are not loved, and love is the fulfillment of the law.  Jesus thus warns in Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 12:13-21), ““Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness…”   Our self-worshiping lovelessness is clearly detected by the evidence of our covetous (greedy) hearts.

At first glance the parable of the wealthy farmer seems to have little meaning.  Every farmer wants his land to be productive, as was the case for the man in the parable. There is nothing inherently wrong with being wealthy; faithful Abraham and faithful Job are examples of wealthy Christians.  Additionally there is nothing wrong with building larger barns and there is nothing wrong with storing one’s goods in such barns.  It is not necessarily wrong to “eat, drink and be merry”, for this can even be something wonderful (Eccl. 8:15; Luke 15:23).

To understand the parable the context must be observed.  Preceding the parable Jesus states, “…one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  Thus the parable teaches how easily one can be caught up in the wrong-headed thinking that life does consist in “my” possessions.  After the parable Jesus explains, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”  From the parable we realize that to be “rich toward God” does not mean having all kinds of money and things. Being “rich toward God” foundationally means having faith and trust in God.  Thus the man Jesus was rich toward God, having perfect faith/trust in the providence of His God and Father.  Such faith culminated in Jesus giving up all his possessions—even his life—ultimately dying on the cross.  Christians realize Christ did this to earn forgiveness—even for our sins of covetousness.  We are now “rich toward God” when we have (as a gift) a Christ-like faith/trust in God, with such trust in God including a repentant faith, a faith that, upon confessing sin, receives the forgiveness earned by Christ.

A second aspect of being “rich toward God” consists in our God-generated love for our neighbor.  The Lord Jesus had this wealth beyond measure as He gave His life as a ransom for even His enemies.  The wealthy farmer in the parable had none of this wealth; he was only rich toward self.  Jesus shows the omission of the farmer’s love toward his neighbor as He repeatedly uses the little word “my” in the parable.  The farmer confesses self:  “my crops”  “my barns” “my grain”  “my goods”.  Both faith in God the provider and the resultant love toward neighbor are absent in the “me-centered” rich man of the parable.  This lovelessness toward the neighbor is also conveyed by the little word “all”.  In his new barn the wealthy farmer says, “I will store all my grain and my goods.”  None of his wealth will go to his neighbor; it’s all mine!

Appropriately Jesus follows the parable with statements summarizing being “rich toward God”.  He first describes faith/trust in God the provider, climaxing with the salvation promise:  “Fear not, little flock, for it is our Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  Secondly the Lord Jesus describes our love toward our neighbor:  “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.”  May the Spirit grant us grace to be “rich toward God”, trusting His temporal and eternal providence in Christ, and loving our neighbor with our God-given wealth.

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Luke 12:13 

Εἶπεν δέ τις ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου αὐτῷ• Διδάσκαλε, εἰπὲ τῷ ἀδελφῷ μου μερίσασθαι μετ’ ἐμοῦ τὴν κληρονομίαν. 

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

- He is expecting a certain outcome.

Luke 12:14 

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ• Ἄνθρωπε, τίς με κατέστησεν κριτὴν ἢ μεριστὴν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς; 

But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”

- Jesus does not teach about the way, He is THE WAY, to be the reconciler and mediator.

- People want something from Jesus rather than Jesus Himself.

- Do not worry about what you will get from the dead guy. What will you do when you’re the                dead guy? 

Luke 12:15 

εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς• Ὁρᾶτε καὶ φυλάσσεσθε ἀπὸ πάσης πλεονεξίας, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν τινὶ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ. 

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

- Not in the abundance of one’s possessions does one’s life exist.

- Remember, riches attract greet!

Luke 12:16 

εἶπεν δὲ παραβολὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων• Ἀνθρώπου τινὸς πλουσίου εὐφόρησεν ἡ χώρα. 

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,

Luke 12:17 

καὶ διελογίζετο ἐν ἑαυτῷ λέγων• Τί ποιήσω, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχω ποῦ συνάξω τοὺς καρπούς μου; 

and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’

- He argued within himself. A negative argument. He wants to keep it all for himself. 

Luke 12:18 

καὶ εἶπεν• Τοῦτο ποιήσω• καθελῶ μου τὰς ἀποθήκας καὶ μείζονας οἰκοδομήσω, καὶ συνάξω ἐκεῖ πάντα ὸν σῖτον καὶ τὰ ἀγαθά μου, 

And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

- I will build even bigger barns. 

Luke 12:19 

καὶ ἐρῶ τῇ ψυχῇ μου• Ψυχή, ἔχεις πολλὰ ἀγαθὰ κείμενα εἰς ἔτη πολλά• ἀναπαύου, φάγε, πίε, εὐφραίνου. 

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’

- You eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we live!

- Ψυχή – the whole person – body and soul.

- See the temptation in the garden, “you will be like God!”

Luke 12:20 

εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ θεός• Ἄφρων, ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ• ἃ δὲ ἡτοίμασας, τίνι ἔσται; 

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

- On this night, your soul (all of you) will be demanded of you.

Luke 12:21 

οὕτως ὁ θησαυρίζων ἑαυτῷ καὶ μὴ εἰς θεὸν πλουτῶν.

So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

- Where does God hide today? He hides in the neighbor.

__________________________

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

LCMS lectionary summaries © 2016 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Collect for Proper 13 Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Luther's Seal copyright ©  Higher Things

Time in the Word - Proper 13

The theme for this coming week is “possessed by possessions”. In the Gospel lesson Jesus refuses to champion the cause of one who wants his inheritance and goes on to teach by a parable that in the pursuit of wealth one can lose one’s soul. In the Old Testament lesson, the theme of vanity is shown when a man works hard to accumulate wealth only to leave it to one who did not work for it. In the Epistle lesson Paul gives us a contrast between heavenly virtues and earthly vices which are to be shunned.

A Collect during Pentecost: O God, the Protector of all who trust in You, without whom nothing is strong and nothing is holy, increase and multiply Your mercy on us that with You as our Ruler and Guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Collect for Proper 13: O Lord, grant us wisdom to recognize the treasures You have stored up for us in heaven that we may never despair but always rejoice and be thankful for the riches of Your grace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God now and forever.

For proper use of wealth: Almighty God, all that we possess is from Your loving hand. Give us grace that we may honor You with all we own, always remembering the account we must one day give to Jesus Christ our Lord.

For steadfast faith: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in the faith to the end and finally come to love everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Against the love of money: Almighty God, heavenly Father, You have called us to be Your children and heirs of Your gracious promises in Christ Jesus. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may forsake all covetous desires and the inordinate love of riches. Deliver us from the pursuit of passing things that we may seek the kingdom of Your Son and trust in His righteousness and so find blessedness and peace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Monday, 25 July 2022—Psalm 49:7-8, 13-14a, 15; antiphon, Psalm 49:1-2 God is the owner of the earth and all that is therein. In giving to God we merely return that which is His own. The vanity of life is explained in this psalm. Also this psalm teaches that death comes to all. This psalm is similar to Psalm 39. Psalm 49 is a meditation on life and death. A typical piece of wisdom on life’s inequalities. At the end of the line death waits for the materialist not even he can buy himself off. The “moral” is similar to that of Jesus’ parable of the rich man found in Sunday’s gospel.

Generally speaking the psalmists have no clear concept of life after death and verse 15 is therefore often taken as a reference to premature death. But this undermines the reasoning, which requires ironing out of this life’s inequalities beyond the grave.

Tuesday, 26 July 2022—Psalm 100— Praise God. His mercy endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. “The Lord is God” and “The Lord is Good” Let the whole earth sing and be glad.

Wednesday, 27 July 2022—Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-26— The vanity of accumulating wealth and leaving it to one who did not work for it. To get property, financial security, and a sizeable nest-egg, one usually must work hard and long for it, unless he inherited a fortune. To get ahead financially, a husband may work night and day, hold more than one job, and his wife may work, too. The question must often come to these people’s minds: Is it worth the work? Are our material desires and standards too high? Are we missing out on the better things of life by giving all our time and effort to making money? Our lesson speaks to these questions.

Thursday, 28 July, 2022—Colossians 3:1-11— A Christian seeks to acquire heavenly virtues and shuns earthly vices. Many live according to earthly values. Usual folks walk with heads down, seeing worldly things, and thinking negative thoughts.

A Christian lives with his feet planted in two worlds – in this world of materials and vices, and in a higher world of heavenly values where Christ is. Since Christ has ascended, we on earth look to Him for our values, goals, and ideals while on earth. Our lives are impoverished by preoccupation with worldly values leading us into negative thoughts and wicked actions. The wagon of life needs to be hitched to the star of Christ.

Friday, 29 July 2022—Luke 12:13-21— The parable of the rich fool. Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” If it does not consist of material goods, of what does life consist? Most people feel that money is the key to real living. After winning the Irish Sweepstakes, a woman exclaimed, “Now I’m going to start living!” People need to know what makes life worthwhile.

Saturday, 30 July, 2022 – Psalm 143:8 – The hymn of the week is “All Depends on Our Possessing” (LSB 732). This much loved hymn is best summed up in stanza three. Contemplate its impact in light of the readings for the week, “Many spend their lives in fretting over trifles and in getting things that have no solid ground. I shall strive to win a treasure that will bring me lasting pleasure and that now is seldom found.”

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House

Collect for Tenth Sunday after Pentecost from Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House

LECTIONARY PREACHING WORKBOOK SERIES C John Brokhoff © 1979 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH

Proper 13 Series B

Proper 13

Exodus 16:2–15

Ephesians 4:1–16

John 6:22–35

For 1 August 2021 

Jesus Is the True and Living Bread from Heaven

Having rescued Israel “out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 16:6), the Lord manifested His glory and made Himself known to His people. He fed them with “meat to eat” in the evening and with “bread from heaven” in the morning (Ex. 16:4, 8, 12). But now, the “true bread from heaven,” which the Father gives to you, is the Son, “who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32–33). Whoever comes to Him “shall not hunger,” and whoever believes in Him “shall never thirst.” He is “the bread of life,” who gives Himself to you as “the food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27, 35). By the gracious working of God, you believe in Him by the calling of one Spirit through the Gospel, so that you also have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph. 4:4–6). As you eat His one body in the Holy Supper, so you belong to the one body of His Church, in which you “are to grow up in every way into him who is the head” (Eph. 4:15).

John 6:22-35

Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacrament, that we may be nourished unto life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

According to the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

 400 1bs of hot dogs,

3,000 popcorn boxes,

8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)

 684 candy bars,

436 nachos,

284 boxes of caramel corn,

917 soft pretzels,

247 polish sausages,

100 sandwiches,

179 bags of peanuts,

50 muffins,

160 cups of coffee.

This was for a 2 pm tip where the crowd had already had breakfast and possibly lunch!  And they had to pay for their food!

Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege

"Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.” John 6:27

Jesus declared that one must work…for the food that endures to eternal life.  This maxim of Jesus—like most of His teachings—generated questions in the hearts and minds of the hearers. The first question they asked Jesus dealt with this “work” described by Jesus: What must we do, to be doing the works of God [v 28]?  What works are you talking about, Jesus?

Jesus responded, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent [v 29]. Jesus now generates more questions, one of them being, “Who is this one whom God has sent?”  Jesus has already answered this question, and He will repeatedly answer it by explaining that He is the one God has sent:  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me [v 38].  So the work of God is that people believe in Jesus, the Sent One.

When Jesus speaks of the work of God, especially from an Old Testament perspective He is NOT speaking about a work that God requires us to do, but He is speaking about the work that God does!  This is God’s work—in other words this is the work that He performs—that you believe in the one whom He has sent.  God enables people to believe in Jesus, and Jesus frequently presents this miracle.  For instance in verse 44 Jesus explains, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And again in verse 65 Jesus reiterates, I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.  It is truly God’s work… that we are enabled to come to Jesus, that is, believe in Him.  Many today consider their faith to be their own work, but it is God’s work.

Nonetheless, to believe in Jesus is—empowered by God—something we truly “do”, for we are not mere objects like puppets.  We each can rightly maintain that believing in Jesus is indeed “my” faith, “my” trust in Him.  Thanks be to God that He takes spiritually dead people (Eph 2:1ff) and gives them new birth, so that such newborn people can and do believe in Jesus!  Through His Word, God sends forth the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, and by the Spirit’s power people are connected to and believe in the One whom God the Father has sent.

What then is the food that endures to eternal life [v 27]?  Such food is not the mere bread that Jesus miraculously provided in the feeding of the 5,000, nor is it the manna that God provided through Moses.  Both of these miracle-breads were merely for the body, and such bread will rot and perish.  The food that endures to eternal life is Jesus Himself!  Jesus thus avows, I am the bread of life…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.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever [vv 46, 48-51a].

Jesus then immediately connects this bread to His crucifixion: And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh [v 51b]. By identifying himself in this way—speaking of giving His “flesh”—Jesus is directing His followers to see Him as a sacrifice. An example of an Old Testament connection is found in Leviticus 7:15 where we read about the flesh of a peace offering:  And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. For Jesus to give His flesh, meant that He would offer Himself as sacrifice.  In this way Jesus is directing us to realize that our faith in Him is directly linked to His crucifixion (and resurrection).  To believe in Jesus is to believe that He came purposefully to be sacrificed for mankind’s salvation.  This faith is indeed “eating” the food that endures to eternal life; it is the food flowing from Christ’s cross.

How then do we work…for the food that endures to eternal life?  A Christian, having been given spiritual life, thus “works” to continually receive the food (God’s Word and Sacrament), eating the Bread of Life (Jesus) to eternal life.  A wondrous continuity flowing from the Old Testament is that spiritual nourishment involves the actual bodily eating of a sacrifice.  Recall from the Leviticus quote above, that the people were directed to eat the flesh of the thanksgiving peace offering.  So now—but in a far superior way—we not only feast upon Jesus as we hear his word, but we feast upon Him as we eat of THE sacrifice.  Christians must thus be continually encouraged to “work” for the eternal-life food, to be lifelong partakers of Jesus (the Bread of Life) through His Word and Sacrament.

6:22 narrated from Jesus' disciples - assessing the situation, the crowd could not figure out how Jesus could have crossed the sea.

6:23 Tiberius  GK city on the Sea of Galilee, mentioned only in John 6:1; 21:1) Herod Antipus built it in AD 16-22 and named it in honor of the reigning Romas emperor.

"Having given thanks..." does this make the text Eucharistic?  It's bread but more than bread...he comes to us, then when He came and now as He has compassion and teaches.

6:26 faith in Jesus was the purpose of all the signs. At the miraculous feeding, the crowds saw only the gifts, not the Giver.   You saw and had your bellies filled...they saw but did not understand.

Look at the change of verbs...

6:27 labor - food. Jesus posed an absolute contrast between physical and spiritual "food" without denying the importance of the physical. Set His seal...see Jer. 32:10

"Stop working for the perishable food" bread that we eat will not keep you alive forever...it's the bread you work for after the fall which comes from the cursed earth and your sweaty brow...you still die.

The Orthodox use this terminology of "seal" for baptism.

6:28 don't trust in your daily labor

6:29 "work of God, that you believe"  The crowd asked abour righteous "works" but Jesus singled out one necessary work; faith in Him, which is God's gift.

6:30 what sign do you do that we might understand? Who are in the crowd?  The Pharisees?  Mocking...they use the same verb for work. See Matthew 12 show a sign...

6:31 the crowd quotes the OT to support their demand that Jesus perform a miracle like Moses had done, which they assumed was greater thatn Jesus' signs. Like Mary and Martha only one thing is needful...

6:32   Jeus corrected the crowd on two points - manna came from God not Moses and Moses' bread was not the "true bread from heaven"  Only the Father gives that bread.

6:33 the one who gives life for the world is a person, the one Whom the father sends

6:35 "I am" Jesus clearly idnetified Himself as the sources of real life, which lasts forever.

Time in the Word - Proper 13

Time in the Word

July 26-31 2021

Proper 13

Preparation for next week, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

This coming Sunday marks an interlude in the long series of passages from Mark during the Pentecost season. The Gospels for three Sundays are taken in course from John 6 - The Bread of Life chapter. Jesus explains that the people have come for more physical bread, but He would rather they had spiritual food which comes from heaven, food for the soul. He then identifies Himself as the bread from heaven similar to the manna God sent to His people in the wilderness. The Old Testament. Paul speaks repeatedly of growth into the fullness of Christ’s stature and growth as “bodily growth”.  As everyone knows, physical growth is not possible without adequate food. The Psalm of the Day sings of God’s goodness and greatness in satisfying the physical needs of every person. Jesus our Savior fills our deepest needs.

Collect for Proper 13 –Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting;; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Monday, 26 July 2021—Psalm 78:23-25, Antiphon, Psalm 78:72 – With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with His skillful hand. Israel under the care of the Lord’s royal shepherd from the house of David was for the prophets the hope of God’s people (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:23 Micah 5:4) fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 2:6’ John 10:11; Revelation 7:17)

Tuesday, 27 July 2021—Psalm 145:10-21; key verse v 15—"The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time." This is a psalm of praise and fitting for our theme for this week. The Lord is the provider of all both physical and spiritual blessings. He supplies physical food for us daily as we acknowledge in the Lord’s Prayer. He also supplies us spiritually as He comes to us through the means of grace.   

Wednesday, 28 July 2021— Exodus 16:2-15— In response to the people’s complaint that they had no food, the Lord sends food from heaven. Only a few weeks after deliverance from Egypt the people complain about the lack of food. They murmur against Moses and Aaron, but God knows that hey complain about Him. They doubt whether the Lord cares about them and His ability to provide for them. In response to their complaints the Lord sends quail in the evening and bread, “manna,” in the morning. To this day the Manna is a mystery – “What is it?”  Moses answered, “it is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” By this the people are to know that He is their God.

Thursday, 29 July 2021—Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 — Bread makes for bodily growth. Christians are to live lives worthy of their calling in love, unity, and growth to maturity in Christ. The church is urged to become what they are by the grace of Christ. Paul appeals for unity on the basis of the unity of Spirit and body. Various functions are gifts of Christ to equip the members and to build up the church in love. The goal of the growth is the matching of the stature of Jesus so that we are not children but mature in faith and love.    

Friday, 30 July 2021—John 6:22-35 — Bread satisfies hunger. John urges the people to seek bread from heaven and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life. What is the work of God? Jesus replies that the work of God is to believe in Him. The people ask for a sign that would persuade them to believe in Him and refer to the manna received in the wilderness. 

Jesus assures them that God sent the bread from heaven, the bread that gives life to the world. Then they ask Him to give this king of bread. He reveals that He is the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Him and believes in Him will never hunger nor thirst.

In John 6:1-15 is recorded the feeding of the 5,000. (A prelude to the next three Sundays of readings)  Some believe that the crowd could have been over 5,000 as only "men" were counted. If you would count "women and children" it could have been up to 15,000 (See Matthew 14:21). Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana seats close to 17,000 people....

According to the phone conversation I had with the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

400 1bs of hot dogs,

3,000 popcorn boxes,

8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)

684 candy bars,

436 nachos,

284 boxes of caramel corn,

917 soft pretzels,

247 polish sausages,

100 sandwiches,

179 bags of peanuts,

50 muffins,

160 cups of coffee.

This game was played on an afternoon, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 pm. Most fans had eaten their breakfast and had probably had their lunch also! Besides fans had to pay for their food at the concessions stand! 

Jesus feeds the crowd freely. Without cost! When we pray "give us this day our daily bread" we can know that the Savior will supply us with all that we need to support our body and life.

Saturday, 31 July 2021—John 6:22-58 - The hymn, Father, we Thank Thee (LSB 652) is a liturgical hymn based on John 6. The point of Jesus’ teaching and the text of the hymn is that to live spiritually we need the bread which comes from heaven namely our Lord and Savior Jesus. As Christ is received we as the children of God live new lives. Throughout the next several weeks we will be focusing on Jesus’ teaching on this import chapter from the gospel of John.  

In the center of Pentecost we will be reading the Bread of Life chapter of John 6. Following are the Gospel readings for the next three Sundays.

 – [Proper 13] John 6:22-35

Eat More Than Bread - The Necessity of spiritual bread for life.

 – [Proper 14] John 6:35-51

Eat and Live – Spiritual food gives eternal life

– [Proper 15] John 6:51-69

To Eat or Not to Eat – The decision whether or not to follow Christ

Sources:

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 and Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House and from Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House.

Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts "The feeding of the 5,000"  used with permission  copyright © WELS for personal or congregational use

Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B – John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH

The Sacrament of the Altar copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

The Crowd copyright © Indiana University Athletics