Readings for Proper 13B:
Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15; Psalm 78: (1-13), 14-20, (21-22), 23-25; Ephesians
4:17-25; John 6:24-35
August 3, 2003
The Rev. Robert J. Mayer
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Four years ago my wife Joanna and I went to China to meet our future daughter in law and her family. During our visit all of us celebrated together several times. The event I remember most was a banquet hosted by her family. We sat beside the patriarch of her family, her great uncle. We began to be served. Family style, of course. And all of a sudden I saw Great Uncle reach out for portions of food with his chop sticks and place them on Joanna's and my plates. Yes, he reached for some portions of food with his chop sticks and placed them on our plates. I can't forget it. How gracious! How hospitable! Whether his act of hospitality was common--place is not as important as that it was a gift freely given. And that is the subject of today's sermon, Hospitality.
We receive God's hospitality. It is more than a legacy from our spiritual ancestors. We heard earlier how they murmered against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and they recalled how well they were fed prior to their flight from tyranny. They had to flee. Yet, they did not go beyond themselves when they were in capitivity. Perhaps they were victims of the 'Stockholm Syndrome.' They abandoned themselves to their captors. But, when they sought the living God, they were promised sufficient food for the journey. A gracious and loving God provides sustenance then and now; and, our predecessors in their wilderness received hospitality.
So much of civilization deals with food: planning it, worrying about it, and seeking it out. And, a portion of the psalm we read (78) for today summarizes God's side of things wonderfully and poetically, So mortals ate the bread of angels; he provided for them food enough. (v. 25) Even now as wayfaring strangers we receive God's hospitality
Jesus was with his friends, as we heard earlier, and they were far away from convenient sources of food. They were just as concerned about their immediate needs as the people with Moses and Aaron were, and as we would be in a similar situation. Once again Jesus stays -- not surprisingly -- with the subject at hand but changes the frame of reference. The frame of reference has become more than about the benefits of some nutritional food pyramid, more than just about food food. This is a multi-layered message. First, Jesus makes manifest what God is about among us. Next, God gave Holy Food for Holy People. God didn't have to do this. Even now we receive God's hospitality. A gracious and loving God provides for us. We are God's guests.
I like to watch television commercials. I believe they are an art form. Some tell a story quickly, in addition to advertising a product. When you watch a television commercial, for example, from the Olive Garden restaurant chain, an actor says, When you're here your're family. Most everyone wants to be part of that gathering because most everyone wishes they had a family like the one in the commercial.
True hospitality extends to those who are not members of any family. Hospitality customs go way back In biblical society they related to the traveler and the resident alien. Even now such people are called foreigners, aliens, sojourners, strangers, and wayfarers. Have you ever felt like one, a foreigner, an alien, a sojourner, a stranger, or a wayfarer? Travelers and resident aliens may have some legal protection now; but, it is mainly a rule of life in a culture that protects foreigners, aliens, sojourners, strangers, and wayfarers.
Hebrew scripture describes how hospitably and well Abraham welcomed strangers. (Gen 18.) And, the Gospel of Luke described how inhospitable behavior could be considered as being sinful (Luke 7:36-47) and needing forgiveness.
So, take a moment to remember when someone was hospitable to you. … … And, take another moment to remember when someone was not hospitable to you. … … While being hospitable can mean sharing food or providing shelter, being hospitable really is a caring action and a sign of friendship. For example, the person who provided shelter in Bethlehem for a pregnant Mary acted as a friend. Conversely, to be falsely hospitable is a form of betrayal. In Jesus' Last Supper with his closest friends he, Jesus, says one of you will betray me. (26:21) Remember both such events in your own life.
It is more than an architectual coincidence that our visual focus here is the altar. We gather before God's holy table and we see the Cross as well. By God's example and because of our baptism, we are called to practice hospitality (Rom. 12:13). We are called to do this wherever we are. We are called to cherish sojourners, travelers, strangers and wayfarers. Joan Chittister wrote, "Hospitality means we take people into the space that is ourselves ... It is the first step toward dismantling the barriers of the world. Hospitality is the way we turn a prejudiced world around one heart at a time." (Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict)
| Updated 8/4/03 |
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