How well do you know the boy next door? That is not a totally benign question these days. With the violence that happens around us in seemingly
peaceful neighborhoods, it is a fair question. In the wake of violence, the perpetrator, who is identified as a danger to society—after the violent act—was someone’s quiet neighbor—the boy next door they thought they knew.
Let us pray,
Gracious God, Thank you for being with us this day as we come to worship. Help us to be aware each day of your presence in our lives in whatever form that may take. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
This reminds me of my neighbor. I’ll call him Fred, thats a good generic name, not his real one, of course. He is in his early forties I think, covered with tattoos and piercings, body art and quarter size holes in his ear lobes to handle the loops. He is divorced with two little girls that in are the elementary school down the street. He has shall we say, a cozy relationship with another neighbor lady who has a young son. It is on again, off again relationship that I hear about from time to time when Fred and I talk. He is a fairly smart person, but doesn’t want to work. He gets away with it, because his mother supports him.
Fred also has, or I should say had, a large stash of guns. He locked them away at his sisters house during the divorce proceedings so his soon to be ex-wife couldn’t use them as a means to wrench away custody for the girls. He is not a violent person. A few years ago when there was shooting in our little neighborhood Fred was outraged. Couldn’t believe that kind of thing happened in our little piece of the world. A drug deal gone bad, I guess and a neighbor died.
Fred also smokes like a chimney with the cigarette butts often ending up in my driveway or yard. When he and the neighbor lady friend have a little tussle, a handful or two will end up in her yard. I know, because he brags about that to me. At first glance and after a short conversation with Fred and his language, that could make most anyone blush, in the same pair shorts that gets worn day after day with no t-shirt, you would first wonder why you were so foolish to move into the neighborhood in the first place.
Fred hasn’t changed much in the twenty years we have been neighbors. In spite of the cigarette butts and sometimes unruly behavior, I trust him. He knows the garage code to get into our home. When we are away on a trip He calls when he sees water running down the driveway or the wind blows a limb off the tree or picks up a package that arrived to place in the kitchen. Since he is always home, he keeps an eye on the neighborhood and doesn’t miss much. He would be the go-to person in the event of a mishap.
I’ve been working on Fred for the past 18 years to get him to come to church. I know the odds are long, we have made some headway. He has been to church a couple of times and he asked my wife Pat to officiate at funeral for one of his friends who had died in a motorcycle accident. We have this ongoing contest to see who gets started first in putting up Christmas decorations.
When I’m outside doing woodworking, he will come over and we have long conversations about life. He is trying to understand how Pat, my wife, and I have a sense of peace and remain optimistic. I try in simple ways to explain my faith, but I haven’t done so well. Fred is a work in progress. God willing, we will help him understand. I don’t know if he will ever be a regular church-going person, but then he is always surprising us.
Getting to know him means looking beyond his dress, smoking, language, tattoos and gnarly sense of humor to get to see the person, the real person hidden behind that facade. He has a good heart and takes good care of his girls.
In our story for today Jesus is back on his home turf. The confusion of the crowd who prayed last week, “Sir, give us this bread always” has turned into a confrontation with the religious leaders of the Synagogue who want to put down the boy next door after Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6: 34, 35).
In the Gospel of John it’s very important that we understand that everyone with the exception of the Roman governor and soldiers is either Jewish or a Samaritan, a Jewish cousin once removed. When John speaks against “the Jews” he’s not condemning a race of people, but speaking of the religious leaders who refuse to recognize Jesus for who he is – the Word made flesh.
In today’s reading the religious leaders can’t get beyond Jesus being the son of Joseph and Mary, whom they knew. They can’t see Jesus for who he is – God’s son. They can only see the boy next door who they think they know.
What do you think you know about Jesus? When our Gospel writer John speaks against “the Jews” he’s also inviting us within the church to look at our blind spots when it comes to Jesus and God. Like my neighbor Fred, Jesus is an offensive boy next door. He has his good points – that bread and fish miracle is a winner – but he also offends – claiming that no one sees God except through him – no one sees God unless God wants to be seen. Jesus teaches with authority, preaches God’s love for the world, and insists that though we are to follow his lead.
It’s never about what we do and how well we do it, but about what God has done and continues to do through Jesus once and for all time.
If you – if we – aren’t at least a little bit offended than perhaps we aren’t listening – perhaps Jesus has become for us the boy next door we think we know – nice and quiet – forgiving and nurturing – when in reality Jesus is telling us he’s dangerous and voracious. Yes, he’s willing to give his life for us, but he expects us to eat his body and drink his blood. He expects us – indeed makes it possible for us – to give our lives – kicking and screaming – to God so that God can indeed love and bless the world that God so loves.
That world includes Fred and others like him.
Listen – and be uplifted – by God’s desire – Jesus’ mission – that all the world should be raised up through him – that Jesus should lose nothing of all that God has given him – and God has given him all. It may not be your own doing. You may have to give up control of your destiny. You may struggle to accept people who do not behave the way you were taught they should. You may seek to be the boy – or girl – next door whom everyone wants on their block. You may not know Jesus any better than the religious leaders that set out to crucify him, but it’s all good news.
You are not alone. Jesus is with you. The church is with you – even with all her imperfections.
Together we are being taught by God what it means to be truly human – what it means to live life abundantly with joy and peace and acceptance of our neighbors. No one is outside God’s love. There’s a throwaway line in John’s gospel telling of the feeding of the 5000. After everyone has been fed and satisfied, Jesus instructs his disciples “Gather up the fragments left, so that none may be lost” (John 6: 12). Even the leftover crumbs are important to Jesus. Jesus knows that God’s reach goes beyond our human hearts. No one is to be lost.
This week open your eyes to the bread of life and let him feed you. What offends you about Jesus? Sit with that. See Jesus standing with those you don’t like. Feel Jesus standing with you too. What does it mean that God loves both of you – all of you? Breathe in God’s love and forgiveness. Let it permeate your heart, mind, soul and body. Breathe out the living bread of heaven as you turn your world upside down – loving the unlovable – forgiving the unforgivable – accepting the unacceptable – just because in Jesus’ name, you can – just because in Jesus’ name, God does.
Amen.