Baptism of Baby Mayra
Picture the scene – imagine yourself to be there on the shores of Lake Galilee in the Holy Land. The day before, a huge crowd had gathered – at least 5000 people – they had come to hear Jesus, a local preacher, who everyone was just wild about.
Come and see! They said to their friends and families. Come and hear the wonderful things he says – come and see the amazing things that he does – he makes you feel better – he helps you understand God – he makes it all seem so simple!
And the people came – a huge crowd of them, all sitting down on the grass not far from the shore – and not only did they hear and see all that Jesus did – but they were all fed by him too! How was it possible that everyone there – more than 5000 of them, were able to eat their fill and there were still 12 baskets left over?
Last week we heard that part of the story – and Becka brought in 12 baskets so we could see just how much that was – and that was just the leftovers! But now, the people want more! More of Jesus, more of his stories, his healing, his miracles. They want more of that bread. But now Jesus and his disciples are no longer at that same place. So they all get into boats and set out across the lake to find him.
But the lake is huge – you can’t see the opposite shore – how would they know where to go?
We know from the end of last week’s part of the story, that Jesus and his friends end up at the fishing town of Capernaum.
Now, those many boats full of people seeking Jesus also arrive. They are looking for more of that miraculous bread – they are poor people, free food makes a big difference! But this time Jesus wants them to understand something else. What they need is not just bread for their bellies but food for their souls!
The people know their faith stories – they know that the great leader Moses who led their ancestors out of slavery in Egypt – was able to provide food for the hungry people who were crossing the desert. They think that maybe this Jesus is going to do a similar thing for them now – perhaps set up a sort of bread basket food bank – with plenty of bread for them all – every day.
We all need our daily bread – we pray for it every day – we need food to stay alive. But we need much more than that – we need to be fed in a much deeper way if we are to truly live and not just exist – to live all the fullness of life that Jesus promises us.
Jesus tells the people that the manna in the wilderness was not provided by Moses, but by God – true bread from heaven. And the people now understand that there is something special about this bread – that it will feed them in a different way – and they say ‘Sir – give us this bread always.’
And Jesus replies: I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
What do you think? How do you feel? Do you feel a yearning deep down in your body – an aching in your soul? We know we need this food – we need Jesus.
There is a hunger and thirst in us that is nothing to do with ordinary food and drink – we can eat a huge meal and drink a vast amount and somehow never feel full.
This is not about our physical need to survive. This is about food for our souls that nourishes and sustains us – that answers our longing and heals our wounds, meets our needs and fills us with God’s own Spirit.
As St Paul puts it in his letter to the Ephesians – through this heavenly food we become the body of Christ, the unity of the faith and the full knowledge of the Son of God, we grow up into the full stature of Christ.
Wow!
Baby Mayra, I wonder if you knew that all this is what Baptism is about?! How could you know? It is something we spend a lifetime learning and never get anywhere near fully appreciating this!
Mayra, today you begin your journey of faith – the adventure of a lifetime – that will continue well beyond this life – what an adventure all this is to be! In a moment you will come close to the water – just like those people came to the water of the lake seeking Jesus.
In the water of baptism we all come to Jesus, and as we grow, we learn more about who he is, and how we can become like him. He is called the bread of life, the light of the world, the water of life – in baptism, we come to the water and we are given his life and light. This changes our lives and helps us change the world too for the better.
Mayra, at the end of this service, you are given a special baptism candle, and are sent out to be like a light in the world – to help others, to spread love and kindness, to challenge injustice, to care for creation, to make the dark places brighter – this is what it means to be a Christian – Jesus says – I am the light of the world, I am the living water – I am the bread of life.
Well, if all this fresh bread is making you hungry – let’s follow Jesus and come to the water – where we will find food for our souls where we will find all that we need. Amen.
Service: Reverend Michelle Dalliston 4th August 2024. (St John The Baptist Church Peterborough UK)
Readings: Exodus 16.2-4,9-15; Psalm 78.23-29; Ephesians 4.1-16; John 6.24-35