Why do we always feel that we don’t have enough? Enough money, enough respect, enough time,
enough love, enough of what our neighbors always seem to have? We all want more than we have. I
think that is part of the human condition, to always want more.
The Israelites wanted more. God had rescued them from slavery in Egypt, then parted the Red Sea to
lead them to safety when Pharaoh changed his mind. Then he closed the sea again to destroy the
army that pursued them, assuring their freedom. They composed a song of praise and sang it to the
Lord to celebrate his glory! “In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you
guided them by your strength to your holy abode”. That was chapter 15. But as we hear today, by
chapter 16, all of that is forgotten. “If only we had died in Egypt when we sat by the fleshpots and ate
our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into the wilderness to kill us with hunger.” Notice that
they don’t say, “Gee, I am hungry and wish there was some food here. No, the Israelites appear to
have quite the flair for the dramatic.
God, being kind and loving, sends them manna to eat. The psalm tells us, “He rained down manna
upon them to eat and gave them grain from heaven. So mortals ate the bread of angels”. And that is
good. For a while. In Numbers, the same story appears and tells us that eventually, manna was not
enough either. “If only we had meat to eat! Our strength is dried up and there is nothing at all but
this manna.” God literally provides for them the bread of heaven, and it is not enough for them. And
God answers their plea and sends quail each evening. Of course you know the rest of the story. The
Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years and complain bitterly at every turn. “Why did we ever
leave Egypt!” “If only we had died in Egypt!”
I guess it is easy to fault the people of Israel for wanting more. But it is not their exclusive province.
For just as they wondered why they couldn’t have meat, I wonder why I can’t have a million dollars
and a house in Maui. In other words, why does God answer some prayers, but not others?
It is at this point that Bishop Dan would quote from a great philosopher or an ancient mystic. I can
never hope to match his level of erudition and won’t even try. But I do have a quote from a 20 th
century prophet that seems to apply. He is a fairly unlikely prophet, but his message is spot on. I refer
of course to the great prophet Mick Jagger. “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try,
sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.” I find this to be excellent advice, even if
from an unexpected source. God does not always give us what we ask for. God is not some candy
shop owner in the sky who will give us a lollipop whenever we ask for it. But God does give us what
we need. The Israelites were given freedom, protection, water and food, but they wanted more. God
has given me good health, a wonderful family, and the privilege of being your priest, and still I want
more. I think we all need to listen to the Prophet Mick and focus less on what we want and more on
the blessings that God has sent by giving us what we need.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” Does that sound familiar to anyone? It should.
That is how we begin the baptism liturgy. Now you know where it comes from. Paul’s words to the
people in Ephesus echo down through the ages, and are as pertinent today as they were 2,000 years
ago. “Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. The gifts he gave were
that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip
the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
Why are we given these gifts? Think about the Israelites, how they had been given gifts, but
complained about their “meager diet” of manna from heaven. Think of the crowds that pursued
Jesus. “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate
your fill of the loaves.” In both stories we see people who are concerned only with their next meal.
But Jesus wants us to focus not on things earthly, but on things heavenly. “Do not work for the food
that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
That is why we are given gifts. So that we may know there is more than our simple existence; more
than our empty bellies. As Paul tells us, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown
about by every wind of doctrine”. This includes a focus solely on ourselves, on our wants and needs.
Like my house in Maui. Rather, “we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”
That is the purpose of our gifts, to bring us closer to Christ, and to one another.
Each of us is blessed by the Spirit with gifts that enable us to work together to serve God’s purpose
here on earth. We don’t all have the same gifts, but listen well when I tell you that we ALL HAVE
GIFTS. Your gifts are not like mine and mine are not necessarily like yours, but we all have them. That
is why Paul calls us a body, as each part of the body is unique, yet each is necessary for the body to be
healthy and whole.
We are working through a series of conversations called Discerning God’s Call. This is an ongoing
dialog and the next session is Wednesday night. Together we are exploring the idea of being called
and seeking to discover the gifts God has given us. I promise you that you have gifts that you don’t
even recognize, and learning about them is the best way to begin to use them.
Let’s work together to be satisfied with the blessings we have and discover ways to use the gifts we
have been given to bring others to God. For there is no greater joy than having God in your life, and
we can work together to bring others to that same joy. That is our mission. That is evangelism. That
is how we are the people of God.