Preaching the Scriptures

  The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 6:56-69   Never Easy   It could have been easy.   The masses were ready to fall in love with Jesus; they wanted to fall in love with him, the man with the limitless supply of bread.   They do say that the way to a person’s heart is through the stomach.   Jesus was a walking buffet.   He fed; they ate.   He fed; they were satisfied.   He fed and they followed.     They were hooked from the first bite.   And for a moment, Jesus was everything.   He was powerful.   And he was popular.   They liked him.   Or at least they liked things about him, the way he pampered them, the way he took care of them.   They liked the food mostly, if we are being honest.   But still it was enough.     Entrepreneurs spend a lifetime desperately hoping to stumble onto a successful business model.   They workshop and focus group.   They scrap and...

  The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 6:1-21   Jesus Walks St. John’s, Ogdensburg   He just walked away.   The bread was still warm.   The fish were still fresh.   The crowds had never been more enthused, never more ready to embrace his reign.   And Jesus just walked away.   Like he had done his entire life.   The temptations from the desert, from the haunted wilderness, from the days just after his baptism, never left him alone.   They would fade for a time, but they would come back.   Always whispering about a throne.   Playing the songs of national triumph through his mind: songs of power and might and success, the songs they play for mighty kings.   And promising long life.   Certainly no cross.   The crowds, on that day, in this Gospel, they were convinced that he was the one.   And so they decided to come and take him by force to make him king.   Convinced that he was the...

  The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 4:1-11   Stones   I did not make bread.   Not out of stones.   And not during quarantine.   I, of course, have nothing against bread.   Three out of the four members of my family eat a lot of bread.   I enjoy it in most of its many forms.   Loaf, stick, pizza crust, host: all good.   Pretzels, pita, banana, naan: delicious.   But I did not make bread.   Not out of stones.   And not during quarantine.   But I know a lot of people did make bread when COVID incarcerated them in their homes.   I know that because the TV told me constantly that people were making bread.   But I did not.   Instead, I made videos: Bible Study videos, Morning Prayer videos, sermon videos, videos of my littlest son eating unexpected foods.   So many videos…   But again, I did not make bread.   But maybe you did.   And so, on the first Sunday in this most pe...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 4:1-11 Bread or No Bread? Jesus did eat.   Not in this particular Gospel reading of course, but in the thirty-three years of his mortal life, Jesus most assuredly did eat food.   He even ate bread.   Not in this particular Gospel of course, but throughout his life, and in many other Gospel stories, Jesus did eat bread – loaves of it.   In fact, around the village, Jesus was kinda known for eating, was known for his appetite.   Apparently, some folks, not the polite folks, but some people, used to say about Jesus, “Hey! Look, a glutton and a drunkard.”   And so, according to the Gospel, although not this particular one, Jesus did eat. It seems Jesus was one of those rare gluttons who possessed the will power to fast for forty straight days.   And so certainly, by the time the devil approached him, Jesus was hungry, famished even.   So why not transform a few stones into a long anticipated breakfa...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 6: 24-35 Part 2: No Secrets are Hid The people are in hot pursuit: 1 st   century paparazzi after the hottest thing this side of Capernaum.   Rumor has it: this guy could be the next king.   That's what people are saying.   And it is hard to believe, I know, but he is a one-man bread and fishes factory. And so they are after him. The day before seemed surreal – too good, too weird, to be true.   Five thousand people ate, no, feasted on, two fish and five small loaves of barley bread.   Obviously it was impossible but also it happened.   The guy who made it happen, who fed them, was just a guy from Galilee but also very clearly more than just a guy.   He was special; he was the one.   They were going to force him to be their king.   Sure, he was playing hard to get for now, but they could change his mind.   They could be persistent.   If anyone was worth their adulation and e...