Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

           Text: St. John 6:28-35

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”  Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

           “Stop the presses!” That’s the order that had to be given several years ago when the United States Government Printing Office was turning out federal office calendars. Someone had been mistaken about Thanksgiving Day. The calendar designated November 29th as the holiday – but that was wrong. It should have been the fourth Thursday, November 22nd. Well, rather than destroy the over one million calendars that had already gone through the presses, the General Services Administration decided simply to attach a correction to each of the calendars in error – and let it go at that. That’s not the only mistake that has been made concerning Thanksgiving. 

If over a million calendars were wrong about it – so are many individual observances. Oh, they may have the right date, but they have the wrong idea. Like the people in the text, who thought they had to do something to earn God’s favor, many Americans today celebrate Thanksgiving Day in a way that’s little more than a bribe. Many people are just religious enough to feel that there must be a god and that it’s only sensible, therefore, to pause occasionally to show this god, whoever he may be, a certain amount of consideration. In fact, it just might pay off.

So there are thank offerings that smack of being bribes. They may be made with folded hands, bowed heads, and subdued voices. They may be offered in the name of kindness and gratitude. But actually this kind of thanksgiving is no better than the business gifts that some firms give to their customers. These gifts are given as part of a deal – whereby the business hopes to reap a return. Treat your customers well, and it will pay off in the end!

Thank offerings with strings attached remind us of the businessman. He slips an under-the-table gift to a client – and he expects a return. It’s in this same vein that some people come to God around Thanksgiving. For them, this is the time for an annual trip to church. They empty their pockets of a few dollars – because they have the opinion that, if they give some of their hard-earned cash to the Lord – He, in turn, will bless them. They feel they have to do for God – to get Him to do for them.

           By nature, human beings like to bargain. They believe that they must offer God something – if they’re going to gain the favor of their Creator. The Galileans in the text were like that. After they had witnessed our Lord’s miraculous feeding of the five thousand, they got the idea that it would be nice to have a king like Jesus, who could supply all their needs – and they were anxious to make that kind of an arrangement. As a result, they started to discuss terms that would keep the King of heaven in their corner and insure for themselves the good life. They asked – “What must we do to do the works God requires?” The very form of their question shows that they were bargaining. In effect, they were asking how much doing on their part was necessary to get God on their side. They were ready to buy God’s favor – and the same thing is happening here in this country also today. Spiritual bribes are all too common.

           People who ought to know better actually expect to put God under obligation to them. They may never have been so disrespectful as to think of God as one who could be bribed – but for all practical purposes, they treat Him as such. They’re not above trying to jockey God into a position where they feel He owes them a favor. And they would feel cheated if, after they have gone through the motions of gratitude, God would withhold prosperity from them – in the weeks and months between now and next Thanksgiving. They would feel that God had not kept His part of the bargain. And you’d be pretty safe in predicting that under adverse conditions – their hymns of thankfulness and praise would be sung less frequently. They would drastically cut back their gifts to the church – not because of their inability to give, but because of their unwillingness to give to a God you can’t buy off. “What’s the use of giving? If we’re not going to get ahead by doing so, why bother!”

           People who are trying to buy God off – have the wrong idea as to what Christianity is all about. Christianity isn’t a bargaining table where people make deals with God – and haggle over the terms. Rather, our God is continually offering us a bargain. And the bargain is this – that God gives us more than we could ever expect of Him. In fact, He grants us eternal life – as a gift, free! And here’s the very heart of every proper Thanksgiving celebration – God so loved us that He sent Jesus Christ, His Son, into the world to be our Savior, the Bread of Life.

           It is written – “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. That’s why He could call Himself – “the Bread of Life”. He’s the One who gives us spiritual food. He’s the source of our deepest joy right now. He’s also the source of our hope – everlasting life in that place where we will eat of the eternal manna forever.

           “God so loved the world that he gave…” This is the message not only of the upcoming Advent and Christmas season. This is the pattern that has prevailed ever since the dawn of creation. Every day – God so loves that He gives. Every day is a day of grace – whether we go back to the Garden of Eden, to the little town of Bethlehem, or stay right here in Midland. We can never catch up to God in the matter of giving – much less get ahead of Him. Even when we give Him our best, we’re doing nothing more than giving Him of His own.

           Thanksgiving in America is traditionally a kind of harvest festival. We thank God especially for the fruits of the field and our daily bread. As He nurtured the people of Israel with manna, God nurtures us with food for our bodies. The people of Israel, as the text indicates, were grateful for the tremendous way in which God provided for their forefathers. The manna that Moses gave the people was really a gift of God, as is our daily bread – and it’s certainly in order to thank Him for it.

           But in the text, Jesus reminds us that there’s a blessing of even greater importance – and that is the Bread of Life. The greatest blessing of all is that Christ took our sins to the cross, died for them, and rose again to be our resurrection and life. Through His saving act, “paradise lost” became “paradise regained” – and for that, we can never praise God enough. Today, we thank God for big gifts – and also for small ones. We thank Him, not with ulterior motives, but simply because we’re grateful for everything that comes into our lives, everything our God has given us.

           Isn’t it great that God is like He is, blessing us – without any worthiness on our part. Isn’t it great to live in His world, even though we so very often mess it up. Isn’t it great that God loves people like you and like me. And isn’t it great to hear Him saying day after day – “This is for you.” A bribe – forget it! Thanks, to be sure, in word and in deed – for He is good, and His mercy endures forever. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.