Trinity 7
Dear friends in Christ. Today’s Gospel account is one that is rich in comfort in so many ways for us that we cannot ponder it sufficiently. Of course, the great miracle of Jesus feeding the 4000 points to Jesus being the true God: first, because just like the true God preserved the Israelites in the desert with manna during their 40 years wandering, so here Jesus preserves this crowd with just a few loaves and fish; second, this miracle shows Jesus to be the true God, the God who takes care of and provides for His creation. But also take great comfort from this: even before the crowd realized its need, Jesus did and took steps to provide for the crowd. “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” Jesus knows our need even before we do and He knows how, in His mercy, He is going to provide for that need. What a wonderful comfort for us when we come to recognize our need—Jesus already has. And He will provide for us in our need in the best possible way for us. Our needs often seem to us to be so overwhelming, so that in despair we say like the disciples did that day: “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” But in the midst of our need, let us remember the one to whom we are praying—our Lord Jesus Christ—is the true God who knows our need and provides for us at the right time and abundantly: And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.
And this is the other point of comfort: this crowd had been with Jesus for 3 days, many far from home, and hungry. The devil could have easily planted in their mind the thought: You follow this Jesus? What did it get you? How’s that working for you? What did these people “lose” for following Jesus? Absolutely nothing! Not only did they hear the words of eternal life which brought life and strength to their soul, but Jesus also provided for their lesser need—nourishment of the body. That’s absolutely vital for us to keep in mind because we, too, can so easily fall prey to the same temptation—what does being a Christian benefit me—am I heathier, wealthier or wiser than others; haven’t I “lost” much instead—many sinful “pleasures” others like to indulge in, all the money I gave to the church over the years, maybe even friends or relationships, etc.? Today’s Gospel account helps illustrate what Jesus said later to St. Peter who asked Him [Mk. 10.28-30], “We have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life." Like this crowd experienced, though the way may be difficult, we lose nothing following Jesus and only gain, just differently than we might expect.
There’s also something else that we read in today’s Gospel: And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. Not only is this the way Jesus distributed the bread and fish to the crowds that day, but it is a beautiful picture of how Jesus provides for His Church, that is, how He gave the Church her doctrine and how He continues to teach His Church down through the ages. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. Jesus taught His disciples, entrusted doctrine to them, and sent them into the world to teach us all things, even leading some to write it all down. So the teaching goes from Jesus to the apostles, then from the apostles to Christians down through ages.
1. Our text today from St. Luke describes the life of the Church after Pentecost when 3000 were added to the Church via holy baptism. As we examine our text we will see that a church with strength and life is one in which its members have a solid spiritual foundation from which they live their everyday lives in the world.
Again, what beautiful imagery today’s Gospel provides. And [Jesus] directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. Notice Jesus directs the crowd to sit and receive from the apostles. That’s the Church! That’s the picture of faith in its purest form—simply receiving from the Lord Jesus His graces, gifts, and blessings. And what does St. Luke say in our text the Christians of the Church in Jerusalem were doing? And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching… That’s doctrine! They were receiving from the apostles what they themselves had received from Jesus. Right before Jesus’ ascension He told the apostles, He told His Church to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Here is how the Church grows—by the word and Sacrament of Holy Baptism. The very word of God which is the apostles’ teaching, Jesus is still teaching us today through the word of the apostles. Christianity, from the very beginning, dealt with doctrine and the teaching of that doctrine. For a Christian to have strength and life/ for a church to have strength and life, devotion to the apostles’ teaching is necessary, is the foundation. The fact you are here today means that the Holy Spirit led you and is aiding you to be devoted/ faithful to the apostles’ teaching. Left to ourselves, left to following the ways of the world around us, we wouldn’t. But the Holy Spirit works in us the desire to cling to the words of the apostles, to be intent on a better and deeper knowledge of it. Through it Jesus is teaching us; through it the Holy Spirit is working on our hearts increasing faith and love. May our daily fervent prayer be that we grow in love and devotion to the holy word.
And where there is that one Spirit worked faith through word and sacrament, there is fellowship. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship. What these Christians shared/ had in common is faith in Jesus. The same applies to us and all Christians. Christians are united in the same faith and love to Jesus; we are one with another and in union with Jesus. The Bible calls/ describes the Church as “the Body of Christ.” A Christian is never off alone by him/herself. Instead we are one with our fellow Christians/ the Church. St. David says in the Psalm 68.6: God sets the solitary in families. We, dear Christian, are by baptism, in God’s holy family, the Church. The Church, and each congregation, is not some organization seeking members but a group of people the Lord has called together into one faith. Especially as you think of this Church right after Pentecost, made up of 3000 people from so many nations of the earth, all national, linguistic, cultural differences faded into unimportance; only 1 thing counted—they were one in Christ. St. Luke in our text: And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
This fellowship is something these Christians had to devote themselves to. The Church, and each congregation, is God’s work; again, St. Luke in our text: And the Lord added to their number day by day… Because the Church and her oneness/ unity/ fellowship is God’s work, you can be sure that the devil is out to destroy it. Precisely by devoting ourselves to the Apostles’ teaching is our divinely worked fellowship maintained, strengthened, and defended.
This unity of faith, this devotion to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, goes hand in hand with the Sacrament of the Altar. The Blessed Sacrament was not some additional add on or incidental to the life of these Christians in this Jerusalem congregation, but they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread. There, in the Blessed Sacrament, the breaking of bread, the risen and ascended Jesus is recognized. On Easter Sunday evening, Jesus went with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and St. Luke 24.30-31 records: as [Jesus] sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him. The Church/ our Lord’s dear Christians recognize Jesus in the Sacrament of the Altar; we recognize His presence with us; we recognize and receive Him along with His gifts and blessings. That’s why the Church in Jerusalem in our text and we today devote ourselves to the breaking of bread, to the Sacrament. And because we also devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, we, like the Church from the very beginning, practice closed communion, communing only those confessing the same faith.
Closely connected with devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, is the devotion to joint public worship, to the Divine Service. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Notice: the prayers. These Christians in Jerusalem still gathered at the appointed time for the prayers/ liturgy of the temple. They saw and recognize the fulfillment of the prophecies and sacrifices in Jesus. Later on, when driven from Jerusalem by the persecutions, these Christians still gathered together for the daily prayers and for the sacrament, the breaking of bread, just like other Christians in other areas gathered in synagogues or homes. From this came the liturgy, the prayers, of the Church: the Divine Service. Here, gathered around word and sacrament, we are grounded spiritually, we have spiritual strength and life—personally and as a congregation.
2. A strong foundation from word and sacrament is vital as we live out our daily lives. What are our lives that we live out as Christians in this world but a continual confession of our faith, a faith grounded upon and strengthened by the holy word of God and the sacraments? Our Christian faith is not just one little corner of our life but it is truly who we are; it affects every aspect of our life. Look, for example, how this congregation in Jerusalem regarded their property/ possessions: And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. They regarded their property as means/ instruments the Lord gave them to serve their neighbor with. This was not some forced communism; it wasn’t some law. Instead they were freely expressing their Christian love and charity. They did not see their possessions as things to be hoarded but as gifts to be shared and so they were ready to help the other, even if it meant selling their possessions to do so.
The confession of their mouth was confirmed by the evidence of their works. Not only was their doctrine and its heavenly origin confirmed by many wonders and signs … being done through the apostles, but also by their works of love—and every in ordinary daily things: they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. Rejoicing in the great gifts of forgiveness of sin, peace with God and eternal life, there is contentment with what God gives, be it much or little. There is no envy or jealously or discontent because the heart is full of joy and praises God for His gifts He has given purely out of His grace and love to us unworthy sinners.
The Church in Jerusalem, the Christians from Pentecost, were different. They had that spiritual vitality because they had that solid spiritual foundation, having devoted themselves to the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, the Blessed Sacrament and the Divine Service. INJ Amen.