It is one of the hard lessons of growing up that you rarely
if ever get “something for nothing”. If
a deal seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Even if a company or a business appears to be
giving away some product or service, they are almost always getting something
for it – either some of your information, or some marketing value, or even just
some goodwill from a potential future customer.
And then, of course, there are other times when the giver is a
scam-artist, and some more nefarious strings are attached to the freebie.
But just as with so many other things, the Kingdom of God is
not like all the kingdoms of this world.
The economy of God flies in the face of earthly wisdom and our usual
ways of doing business. Take our Old
Testament reading for starters. Isaiah
the prophet gives us an oracle which promises something for nothing: wine and milk without money, and bread
without price.
In our marketplace, you get what you pay for. In God’s kingdom, gifts are given
freely. In our world of selfish
corruption, we count and measure, we price and bargain. Everything has a cost. Nothing is truly free. Perhaps the closest we get is when we feed
and clothe our children, or care for our family members.
But even the love of family is not so pure in our fallen
world. Even in the home, you don’t
really get “something for nothing”. We
see shades of it when we feel unappreciated.
When we other people aren’t pulling their own weight. When you’re at odds over expectations and
when you miscommunicate. Or when
selfishness overshadows love, and my own way becomes what’s most
important.
No there’s no truly perfect example of grace – pure and free
grace – apart from the gifts of God in Jesus Christ. Only he gives freely and purely of himself
for all people. Only he gives without
cost, without price, without expecting or exacting something in return. His love is unconditional. His mercy is the only true, ontologically perfect
gift there is.
Take a look at our reading from Isaiah. Here we have the prophet speaking in poetic
terms about the grace of God. As with so
many other places in Scripture, the gifts of God are depicted as food. But here Isaiah also makes it clear – this is
no ordinary food that is given for free.
This is not subsistence level.
It’s lush and lavish. It’s
sumptuous. Wine and milk! Rich food.
Food that delights. Food that
satisfies.
Such is what Christ gives.
Such is the character of the giver, and the quality of his gifts. He does not give us meager grace, but only
the best! He doesn’t give you a mere bit
of help toward salvation. A nudge. A boost.
A helping hand if only you’ll cooperate.
Oh no. He does it all. He fulfills the law, keeps the commandments –
not just mostly, but perfectly, and then credits you with that
righteousness. Even more. He offers a sacrifice. Not a bull or a goat or sheep. A sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood
than they. He sheds his own holy,
precious blood. He offers his own
innocent suffering and death. His death
on the cross covers every sin. Pays
every debt. Finishes everything. Even death itself. This is the lavish provision of God for you.
We see Jesus giving freely also in the Gospel reading, the
Feeding of the 5000. Now there is much
we could say about this miracle, many angles from which to examine it. But consider today how generous our Lord
is: far beyond the expectations of any
that day. Certainly beyond what the
disciples had in mind. “Hey look, we’ve
barely got enough to feed ourselves!
Let’s send the crowd away to go find their own grub!” No, you give them something to eat. And when the disciples won’t, because they
can’t, Jesus does.
And he doesn’t just feed some – the most deserving or the
most needy. He doesn’t grade the crowd
on a scale of who was listening to his teaching and who wasn’t. His generosity is indiscriminate. Men, women and children are fed.
And all are satisfied.
He fills their bellies. He gives
even more than enough, as the 12 baskets of leftovers show.
The generous nourishment of the Gospel – this is just one
more lens through which to see and appreciate the exceeding riches of God’s
grace in Jesus Christ. And it really is
what sets the Christian faith apart from every other. What must I do to be saved? Believe in Jesus Christ and be baptized for
the forgiveness of your sins. In other
words, receive the gifts of Christ.
That’s it. That’s all. No works of merit. No heroic moral achievements. No tipping the scales in your own favor by a
preponderance of good deeds over bad.
Just trust the giver. He will
take care of you.
This same God who led and fed his ancient people, this same Jesus
who fed the 5000 miraculous food, also gives freely today – food and drink that
is rich and lavish. He sets a table
before you of rich food without price and fine drink without cost. He feeds you his body and gives you his blood
in this blessed sacrament.
It’s like no other meal on earth. In fact, it’s heavenly. It’s far more miraculous than the feeding of
the 5000 – for here at the Lord’s Supper he feeds the church of all times and
places. Here we join the great company
of heaven – all the saints in glory – even angels and archangels – in a
mystical sweet communion that transcends time and space. All are one in Christ when we receive him
here. All who partake of this heavenly
feast receive its many blessings.
You confirmands, the
greatest blessing you receive this day is not that you get to wear fancy robes
and a special certificate. It’s not the
accolades of your family for completing your instruction well. Today, you are invited to the feast. Today you join the ranks of those who have
been instructed and examined, and now partake of the body and blood of
Christ. You’ve been Christians since
your baptism. Now you receive Christ in
yet another way, fed and strengthened as you continue to grow in faith your
whole life. What a wonderful couple of
scripture passages for you as you receive your first Holy Communion today.
And still it gets better. For as our liturgy reminds us, as
wonderful as the Sacrament is, it is yet only a foretaste of the feast to
come. One day we will join that great
company of heaven on the other side of death – and even bodily in the
resurrection. Then will come the great
marriage feast of the Lamb in his kingdom that will have no end. Yes, heaven itself is pictured as a feast – a
banquet – in the mansions of the Father.
And Jesus himself is preparing a place for you even now.
This side of heaven, in our everyday experience, you really
don’t get something for nothing.
Everything has a price, a cost, some strings attached. The sinful world is transactional and
selfish. And we are just as much a part
of it.
But here in Christ, we do get something for free – though it
cost him everything. He gives us all the
blessings of life in his kingdom – rich food, fine drink, forgiveness of sins,
and a hope of even better things to come.
Thanks be to God in Jesus Christ for such great gifts! May we receive them always in faith. In Jesus’ name.
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