"Great deal of grass"-Sermon for Proper 12, John 6:1-21
As you perhaps know, my family and I arrived home just within the past few days from our annual vacation. As is typical for us most summer, we traveled on an extended camping trip to Colorado to fish, hike, eat and play in cooler temps and in the midst of the majestic mountains. We always drive…as I love a good road trip and, more importantly, so we can pull our home with us…our beloved camping trailer named Trixie the Trailer…so when I say we go camping…glamping…might actually be a better descriptor. And, as we drive to the mountains most summers there is always a moment much, much closer to Colorado than Austin when the flora and fauna begins to markedly change from hues of brown to hues of green. The temperature begins to drop and from the car windows everything outside looks softer and more colorful…the vibrant green grass maybe being what’s most eye-catching. The state motto “Colorful Colorado” always seems true to its billing.
Now, not on this year’s vacation, but a number of years ago on a similar trip, we stopped for two nights at Palo Duro Canyon in Texas’ panhandle on our way to Colorado, specifically, to Rocky Mountain National Park. We had always wanted to see what some call the Grand Canyon of Texas. And, it is, indeed, an awesome place. But, friends, in July, it was hot and it was dry and the earth was, indeed, withered and brown. It felt like everything was literally trying to kill us. Every insect seemed to bite. Every plant had some sort of thorn on it. There was no shade to be found and, in the canyon, it was well over 110 degrees that summer. Now, we are fairly experienced hikers and, due to the heat, took on a fairly short hike to a rock formation called the lighthouse on our one full day in the canyon. And, though I am sure it is an amazing rock formation, we didn’t actually see it, as we had to turn back a short way into the hike when our significant water rations quickly ran out, and we became genuinely concerned that the situation could become life-threatening. Upon returning to our car with the AC on full blast, we diverted to an indoor, well airconditioned museum at West Texas A&M, which, if in the area, is a super interesting and well-appointed museum. I do want to return to Palo Duro Canyon one day, but in the late fall or early spring next time. But, I will say that surviving our short stop in the West Texas dessert led to an even greater appreciation for what awaited us at our first campsite in Colorado. I remember taking my shoes off and walking through the soft, green grass, needing a light sweater in a gentle evening breeze…wildflowers were abounding against the backdrop of snowcapped mountains. I am not exaggerating when I say it felt like, especially after our experience in West Texas, that we had arrived at the Garden of Eden.
Which, believe it or not, takes me to our Gospel reading this morning. But, before attempting to weave this all together, let me begin by saying that the story before us today, John’s version of the feeding of the 5000, is one of only a handful of stories captured in all four of the Gospels…Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Specifically, Jesus’ feeding of the masses is one of only four moments in Jesus’ life and ministry included in each of the four Gospels, if you don’t include the events of Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, which, of course, all four Gospel writers include in their own specific writings. Now, if I were to ask you what are the two most important events in Jesus’s life or, at least, the two that get the most attention in the life of the church, you would likely respond Christmas and Easter. And, I would agree…but friends…though I just noted that Easter is in all four Gospels, Jesus’ birth is actually only recorded in two…Matthew and Luke. But, not the feeding of the 5000, it is, again, important enough, memorable enough to be recounted by all four Evangelists. Which is all to say, we should likely pay attention to it. Something is happening here that demands our attention.
And, though, every part of the story, including the similarities and differences in the four versions in the four Gospels, is worthy of our attention and rife with meaning and purpose…what I would like for us to pay close attention to today is a particular detail in the story, captured by Mark and John, that could be easily and understandably overlooked. It feels a bit like a non-sequitur…an unimportant detail…a throwaway line…or at best a footnote. But I don’t think there is such a thing in scripture. It is all important…all of it is saying something to us. And, in this case, that detail is about the setting…or, more specifically, where the great crowd sat down to share this divinely provided meal, which is in the grass. Though, again, we have John’s version before us today, Mark adds the word green to describe the grass…green grass. And, though, again, this could be easily and understandably overlooked, it is, indeed, a “not to be missed” detail in the story. In John’s version before us today, he writes, “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to [Jesus], “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.”
So, what might the great deal of grass in John’s version of this story and green grass in Mark’s be suggesting to us or pointing us to? Let’s remember that in John’s Gospel all miracles are called signs…that is they point us to something beyond the miracle itself. And, in the case of this miracle, I want to suggest the reference to grass points us both backwards and forwards to something very specific in scripture. So, let’s look back first, and I already gave a hint, in the story that I began with, at that to which we are being pointed…which is nothing less than…the great, green grass of the Garden of Eden.
Now, there are three fundamental relationships that exist in Eden. And, if I had to choose one word to define the character of those relationships it would be harmony. And, those three relationships are between God and humans, between human themselves, and between creation and humans. In Eden God and humans stood together…zero degrees of separation. Genesis provides this lovely image of God and his people walking together in the cool of the evening in the garden…side by side…I imagine hand in hand. And, Genesis tells us that humans stood before one another naked and unashamed. Which to me means, humans standing before one another as the fully unique and authentic people they are created to be…without fear of judgement…only madly in love with each…offering complete and unquestioned care and support for each other. And, Genesis tells us that, in the garden, humans and nature coexist in a mutual flourishing. The abundance of the garden provided for all the physical needs that the humans had without toil or suffering or hunger or want, and the people cared for the garden, stewarded the garden, respected the garden…in return.
Thus, it is the re-establishment of Eden that we get to see a glimpse of in Jesus’ miracle today. God’s people in God’s very presence…Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us caring for his people, dinning with his beloved people…seated comfortably, in the garden like, great, green grass. And, we get to see people eating together…with food and not weapons in their hands. I have often thought of eating together as being one of the greatest expressions of human intimacy and connection in this life. Sharing food…feeling full…enjoying good company and conversation…that’s heaven on earth for me. Further, sharing food is for me an expression of our desire to be living food for one another…that is providing for one another the spiritual and emotional sustenance we need to live a life fully alive. And, the food itself, which is born from the earth, wheat and grape, is an expression of mother earth feeding her children. And, I imagine the great crowd gathered receiving this gift without toil…a gift that filled them all the way up with some left over…also filled them up with gratitude for the earth’s great bounty. When willing to care for and share the earth’s resources…really share…there is always enough…no matter the size of the crowd. And, this miracle, this sign is pointing us to not just what was…but what will be. For, in Jesus, God is restoring Eden for everything that is made…for you and even for me. This giant, community meal, which we re-enact every Sunday in this crowd and around this table, is foreshadowing the great, never-ending dinner party that awaits all of creation in the fullness of time where we feast together, not as enemies but as friends, where there is always enough…and there is a place at the table for everyone…all in harmony…all madly in love. What a delight. And, friends, that is literally, from the Hebrew, what Eden means…delight.
And, the means by which Eden, creations delight, is restored and the promise that it will be restored, is the second place that the great, green grass in this miracle, this sign points us, which is to a second garden. As I said…the one we look forward in the story scripture tells…to find. For much later in the Gospel of John, we come to the story we read on, of all days, Good Friday. In that story, John writes, “They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” So, following Jesus’ death on the cross he was buried in a garden. And, friends, that means Easter also happened in a garden. And, it is Jesus’ resurrection from the dead that is both the means and the promise that Eden has been restored, which we will all know and experience fully in our bodies…in the fullness of time. For, Jesus is the first born from the dead into the new and forever Eden that awaits each of us….and not the last.
Thus, this miracle before us today, this divinely appointed meal in the garden-like great, green grass is a sign and promise that all that feels parched will be renewed. All that seeks to do us harm, bite us, poke us, squeeze the water of life out of us will come to an end. All the dessert like places both in and around us will be refreshed. Till all that is left is the delight discovered in walking together with shoes off in the soft green grass, in a cool evening breeze, as we take our place at the forever, feast that awaits us…all of us…with Jesus, the Lord of love, always at the center…always the host of our gathering. Amen.