You can find plenty of confusion and misdirection in the Gospel of John. John seems to want us to conclude… conclude… conclude very little!
It’s clear that the early disciples were also in a state of confusion for much of the time; and so John’s writing is at least reflective of that.

But what about us, who like answers. Our ways of thinking, that are hugely influenced by a scientific approach to evidence and conclusions, don’t handle mystery very well. And we don’t appreciate misdirection!

So what can we say about our reading then? It appears as though Jesus is preparing the disciples for an emotional roller-coaster of a ride. It appears as though John is reminding his early readers of how confusing those last days in Jerusalem were. And for us, who live a long time after this event and the writing down of it, it appears to be reminding us that we live in the Days of Joy.

“Your hearts will rejoice and no one shall take your Joy from you.” Says Jesus. By any measure, we are living after the ‘little while’ that the disciples were finding so confusing. We are living in the Days of Joy

One man asks another, “Are you happy?” “Yes!” the man replies. “Well tell your face then.” Retorts the first.

So the question I’ll leave you with is: to what extent do we need to be reminded that we are living in the Days of Joy.

Kate has this amazing ability. I can go to the cupboard and see that they is nothing for supper; but Kate can go to the same cupboard and produce something to eat for whoever happens to be at our house at the time. This ability has become a source of humour between Kate and I; that she can essentially produce food from nothing

It seems to me that Jesus is doing the same thing in our passage today. He is not sending them home to find their own super; he is inviting them to stay at his place. He is not despairing that more people have turned up than he had planned for; rather he takes what’s available and stretches it. Quite apart from the miracle that happens on the hillside there, Jesus is doing what mother’s up and down the country do occasionally, week-by-week, day after day as they feed their families and whoever happens to have come home with them that day. Stretching the family budget and food cupboard; sending no-one home.

The feeding of the 5000 is an exercise in motherhood; it’s Jesus being a mother. This, and the many times that Jesus feeds his followers and disciples, should be and is an enormous encouragement for those who are mothers, and those fathers and carers who are the ‘mother’ in their situation – if only they, and in particular mothers could hear it.

Here we are at communion; and here is Jesus being a mother again. Take, eat, all of you. Drink this cup, all of you. Whoever you are, however you have got here, wherever you have come from and whom ever you have been with, your welcome at this table and there is enough for you; I am enough for you says Jesus.

Jesus turning our assumptions up-side down – again. The market in the temple had become a normal way of doing things. People arriving at the temple for their acts of worship needed these services; to change money and purchase their sacrifices. Perhaps it is my capitalist conditioning that means that this is just obvious and if I were such a visitor I would be lamenting that I hadn’t though of providing such services to such a captive audience.

But perhaps it is precisely my capitalist tendencies that need turning up-side down and to hear the challenge; the challenge that asks whether their is anything more important than convenient services and financial growth. This rhetorical question of course demands the answer “Yes!”. Yes there is more important things than convenience and disposable income, but I’m not sure what they are!?

What I mean, is that I can thing of some more important things and in fact they are mostly people. My problem is, and the real challenge is, acting as if these are more important people, and things.

When the Jews demand a sign from Jesus, just to check that he is allowed to come in and rampage through their marketplace and small business workshops, Jesus continues to turn things upside down. I’ll try and paraphrase: “You thin that this temple is important, and my actions have shown you that I think it is important too, possibly more important than you think it is. However, if you destroy this place it does not matter at all, because the real temple is me, and in fact you too.”

Jesus’ challenge is doubled up. What’s more important than the temple marketplace? The Temple! Ahh, but what’s more important than the Temple?

Lent if anything, should be driving us back to the important things in our life, but at the same time challenging what those important things are.