Sermon - 2014-11-25 - Thanksgiving

Within the Deuteronomy text, the people of Israel are being told how they shall bring their offering, their sacrifice of what God has given to them, to the Temple of the Lord as a gift of Thanksgiving.  The people are to be reminded and speak of all the moments in the past in which God has been a part of their existence.  To remind them of all that God has done for them, of all that has shaped and formed them to be God’s Chosen People but also to be humbled of all that God has done for them.  As they gather together the things that have been given to them by God, by past generations, they should be reminded of the work, the sacrifice and the love in which all of this has been gathered together. 

Which brings us to this holiday, that we celebrate, in which we are called to stop and be reminded of all the gifts and blessings that we have within our own life.  Yet before we get too far in listing those blessings in our own life, I want you to stop and think for a moment.  Have you ever asked God for a sign? Have you ever wanted something to happen so much that you wanted it to help you during the difficult time that you found yourself in?  A time of clarity, a moment of understanding, and a sign for guidance in order to make sense of all that was happening to you.  A sign that would let you know that God is with you, even in your suffering?

Today, Jesus is confronted with an entire crowd who actually received that sign.  They had received bread in a moment in which they were hungry.  A food that filled them and satisfied their hunger.  When they received that bread, they were overjoyed.  They were amazed about how much it brought to them. However, after that moment happened, they wanted more.  They wanted more bread to fill them and satisfy their hunger that came back to them.  They wanted Jesus to take care of everything in their life.  To save them from all pain, all suffering, all hunger, and to satisfy all their needs within their life.

The people are so focused on the one sign that they actually miss the message.

Jesus reminds the people that right now they are in the Two Kingdoms.  They are part of the earthly world in which we are called to work, to enjoy and to care for one another within our journeys of life.  Yet now they have tasted the other Kingdom.  The Kingdom of God in which we will be in God’s presence and love.  They hear and find out that God is really a part of all that they are doing in this world. However, instead of getting lost in that one moment, God comes to them and gives them all that they need.  He directs them to the future, for the ongoing call that God has for them.  Calling them to follow the Word that Jesus is bringing to them.

In Jesus we find the Bread of Life, a bread that nourishes, sustains, and guides us.

As we gather for this Thanksgiving, may we not only be reminded of the signs of God’s love for us, our family, friends, the food, our home, and the love that we share with one another.  Let us remember the message of this holiday. Let us give thanks that God is with us, loving us, and gave us His own Son.  Let us share that love with others who we encounter.  Amen.