The Joshua Victor Theory

  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Looking around I see that you are all land-dwellers…no fish here…but in the Gospel Jesus invites us to imagine catching fish out of the water. Jesus called His disciples “fishers of men.” Enter Jesus’ metaphor for a minute; imagine ourselves as fish happily swimming in our familiar home, an ocean or lake, like the Sea of Galilee. If we put the Sea of Galilee here on Maui, I estimate it would stretch roughly from the base of West Maui mountains up to Makawao, and from Kahului Harbor to Maalaea Harbor—13 miles by 8 miles. Small, but big enough to get caught in a storm. Imagine happily swimming in your watery home when a net encircles you and pulls you out of the water. Panic fills your gills as you gasp and gawk at the frightening fisherman looming over you! I’m dead meat! This guy’s gonna make poke outta me! Peter tasted this fear once or twice in his fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee, looking up at Jesus....

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Today is part 2 of Jesus’ Bread of Life sermon, where He taught that He is the Bread of Life, and whoever comes to Him will not hunger or thirst. Last week He urged us not to labor for bread that perishes, but the bread that endures to eternal life—namely, Himself! He is the imperishable bread and eternal life.   Do you ever ask to “be disturbed?” Feel like you need to be shaken up a little, wakened from a drowsy slumber? Or is the “do not disturb” sign permanently hung on your doorknob, or even on your forehead? On Sunday mornings, do we hope only to be lulled into a peaceful calm? Of course, not all disturbances are good ones—but then again others are. Sometimes we need a jolt to get us thinking and doing, or to surprise us with good news. The crowds that followed Jesus to hear this great sermon, were disturbed to be sure. They didn’t know what to make of Jesus’ words, and the further into His mes...

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. We’re in the midst of several weeks of Gospel readings that follow a close order of events in Jesus’ ministry. To help you keep track, we had the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, then Jesus’ walking on water, and upon arrival back on shore, He begins teaching about the Bread of Life, which is in John 6. We will hear that sermon of Jesus in 3 parts, beginning with part 1 today. Crowds still following Jesus are having a tough time keeping up, because they didn’t know about His secret nighttime stroll across the Sea of Galilee, and arrival in the boat with His disciples. But eventually they catch up. But rather than indulging in their attention, Jesus discerns their motives and desires are misguided. Jesus answered, “ Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, ...

Sermon Outline: ·          Who was Thomas? (larger question Thomas had answered: Who is the Christ, the Messiah of promise?). Thomas and Lazarus (John 11). “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14). Loyalty, brotherhood, certainty, skepticism, avoid deception, proof, conviction. Eyewitness. Where was the flaw in his thinking? That he doubted Jesus’ word? Needed proof? ·          Jesus met Thomas’ challenge, as though He’d been eavesdropping. Thomas’ reaction. Jesus’ response. Thomas’ role in the resurrection accounts—not just a fantastical tale, nor a wispy hope based on rumors. Thomas’ encounter passed this skeptic’s tests, proved the Jesus’ resurrection in the body was real. Important “test” to pass, because the future faith of those who would never get to see, but still would believe, is not based on flights into absurdity or “magical thinking.” Rather: the very ...