I was told a few years ago in Washington, D.C., that I was one of very few Episcopal priests who actually used the word “Jesus” in preaching. Today we’re going to talk about relationships with Jesus. We might even use the word “Jesus” a lot this morning.

The setting for today’s story follows on last week’s feeding of the five thousand. The story begins with the people who remained overnight after having their bellies filled the day before. “They themselves got into their boats and followed Jesus to Capernaum.”

I have no scholarly backing for this, but from the few words describing this setting, it must be early morning and Capernaum must have been enough of a rowing job across the sea that for Jesus and the disciples to be there already would have meant that they departed while it was still dark. The people are hungry so they ask Jesus a loaded question. “Rabbi when did YOU get here?” Translation: “We’re hungry again. Are you going to feed us like you did yesterday?”

Let’s stop the story right there because our childhood memories of Jesus are going to help us understand what happens next. As children, many of us were taught that if we did not give our life over to Jesus, we would spend eternity in hell. You can see that today on a billboard sign coming back from Tahlequah. Jesus is pictured in the background as this hip looking white guy who might have just stepped out of a tattoo parlor. The sign reads “Eternity without Jesus is hell.”

Once presented with that rosy concept, most children and adults will say “I’ll take Jesus.” They may not believe all the rest of the stuff, but if for no other reason than to hedge their bets, they’ll go along with the program. “What if it’s true?”, they ask. So with this approach to Christian formation, we manipulate our children and adults into having a relationship with Jesus, even though they probably don’t even know what that means. Hook, line and sinker they have just purchased fire insurance.

Isn’t it odd that we manipulate people into believing, and as a result the new believers turn around and manipulate Jesus? It’s a theological “what goes around comes around” thing.

Back to Capernaum: Jesus sees the same kind of manipulation going on. He tells them, “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because I filled your bellies yesterday.” For them, Jesus was a kind of magic bread machine that required no coins or expense. Many people today, thousands in Muskogee, preserve this kind of magic thinking. For them, all they need to do is stand up in church saying, “I have a relationship with Jesus”, and Jesus will bless them with full bank accounts, beautiful spouses, and well behaved children.

Trouble is, Jesus would have nothing to do with this nonsense.

Somewhere along the line, as children, most of us learn a thing or two about the nature of relationships. We learn that healthy relationships are based on self-giving and unhealthy ones focus on receiving. We learn that having a relationship with someone because of what they can do for you is wrong. We call that “using” someone else or manipulation.

Now here’s the interesting thing: The majority of people who call themselves Christians are just like the people at Capernaum. They profess to believe in Jesus because of what he can do for them. It is an unhealthy, manipulative relationship. They actually tell Jesus, “Give us some bread.”

Each time the crowd at Capernaum asks Jesus a question, he responds by talking about the bread of life that is imperishable, that leads to eternal life. Let me back you up to the purpose of the entire Gospel of John – that you may have faith in Jesus who reveals the nature of God. The five-thousand, who were fed, filled their bellies but missed the sign. Poet T. S. Elliot says, “They had the experience, but they missed the meaning.” Jesus tells them that. They missed the nature of God revealed by Jesus. It went right over their heads.

What is this bread of life, this imperishable food that gives eternal life? First of all, it is not something you can do on your own. You cannot be “spiritual but not religious” and really grasp God’s signs while hiking alone in the woods. God’s nature is revealed to us though Jesus Christ who is really, truly present right here in our community. It is what we do in our common life together; in our community, in our communion that enables us to see the signs.

Jesus constantly referred to his followers as sheep. That is why we don’t sit in our comfortable places and receive a little cup of wine and a morsel of bread. Like sheep, we must go to the altar rail, getting down on our knees, extending our hands in the ancient symbol of a person pleading for mercy. Like sheep we need frequent, regular feeding. Like sheep, we need to know there is a shepherd who will bring us back to the flock when we mess up.

Frankly, fire insurance is an easy sales job. This bread of life stuff is a lot more difficult to market. People won’t sit still long enough to get the concept. Then they won’t come to church often enough to experience the presence of Jesus. Finally when they become old and life’s infirmities slow them down, they may pause to ask themselves if they made the right decisions, but their life patterns are all set by then. A magic bread machine is a lot easier.

Week after week, we come to the altar rail. We leave all the messy stuff of life behind in our pews. We no longer worry about the problem we have with our brother or sister. We are alone, on our knees, with hands extended for bread, pleading for mercy. At the same time we are together shoulder to shoulder with other people in our community. We are in this together. Every now and then we get a little glimmer of heaven. We KNOW that there is a lot more going on than some bread, a little wine, and some old music. We absolutely know there is more. We return to our seats with the peace of God that passes all understanding. It doesn’t happen every time; hopefully, just often enough to keep us coming back.

When we are old and life’s infirmities have really slowed us down, we are going to pass through that glimmer we saw at the altar rail years earlier. We will know that Jesus has called us home.