How quickly we forget truth and begin to embrace lies that try to steal, kill, and destroy the very power, wonder and glory of God.
Now that is a big statement, that is a heavy statement to start a sermon with, but it is true. I don’t think anyone of us wants to live with lies guiding our lives, but unless we begin recognizing the lies and cling to the truth we are bound to go down the road of deception and fear that does not lead us to all that God desires.
How many of you have ever been mountain climbing or participated in a ropes course that required you to be tied in with climbing gear. Maybe you have repelled over a cliff or over a wall.
If you have, then you know the system only works if you lean back and trust the gear. You can always tell who has or hasn’t done this before when you see them come up to the edge. Those who have trust and will lean back into the ropes and start repelling down without concern or fear.
Those who haven’t will hug the rock or hug the wall hoping they have enough strength to keep them from falling. But of course they can’t and it doesn’t take long for them to lose control and be overcome with anxiety and fear. Once a person gets to this place, their climbing is over and the only way down is to completely let go of everything and let the gear take over.
To lean back and trust the gear is counter intuitive. But that is how the gear is designed and its full potential cannot be realized until you sit back, trust the gear, and let the ropes hold you in position.
So too is our faith. Jesus is intended to be all that we need, all that we hope for, all that we trust in. In today’s Gospel Jesus says as much, when he responds to the critics, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
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It is much easier to say we love God, it is much easier to say we love Jesus, it is much easier to say we love others than it is to actually do it. But only by trusting in the power of the cross do we find that our faith that our love comes alive with the vibrancy of all that God has promised.
If we embrace our Baptismal Covenant and continue in the Apostle Teaching, the fellowship, the breaking or the Bread, and the prayers we will see just how strong and powerful the arms of Jesus really are as he holds us and leads us to new places of God power, wonder, and glory.
May we come to the edge and with sure confidence in Jesus fall back into his loving arms stretched out for us.
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