Have you ever been “flummoxed?”
Another “fine” word…
In its original meaning it meant “to make untidy.”
But as we know – “word meanings” have a way of changing-slowly-over-time.
Today, if someone was flummoxed, we might say they are bewildered, confounded, perplexed, confused, baffled, mystified, bemused, puzzled, disconcerted or “thrown off balance.”
Ever been confused? Ever been flummoxed? Have you ever had the experience of not being able to wrap your head or your mind around something?
I have and I do not like the feeling. I want to understand. I want to be able to sort things out. I want to get it! I want to learn and to grow!
The Jesus we meet in John’s gospel is somewhat “different” than the Jesus we know from the Synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke.
In John, Jesus is totally and completely in charge and in control at all times. He is all knowing. He is bigger than life. You almost get the impression that when he walks, he is at least three feet off the ground. Nothing can touch him. Nothing bothers him. Jesus is not down to earth, the boy next-door. Rather, he is the Savior of the Whole World.
Jesus is theological, he is spiritual, he is poetic and he often times comes off as being tremendously mysterious.
In John’s gospel Jesus has long conversations that go on for long periods of time. We call them “discourses.”
They are not teachings, not lessons, really, but at length and very involved conversations…on important subjects.
Like the Samaritan woman at the well. Who Jesus has an all day conversation with…
Or the man who was blind, his parents, Jesus, the religious authorities and others. These conversations go on for- ever…and are oh, so repetitious…
Then, there is the whole Lazarus story which actually starts out prior to Lazarus’ death…and continues on till after he has been entombed for a few days…
Then there are the great “I AM” sayings of John’s Gospel…
“I am the light of the world.”
“I am the Good shepherd.”
“I am the way, the truth and the life.”
“I am the door.” Or. “I am the gate!”
“I am the TRUE vine and you are the branches…”
“I am the Resurrection and the life.”
And, “I am the bread of life.” All of these famous sections take some explanation…and explain them Jesus does, sometimes in great detail.
But he is also – not always very clear.
You have to almost pity his audiences. They are easily stumped, floored and discombobulated by his words…or dare I say, flummoxed?
He says one thing – they think another.
Or, he speaks metaphorically or figuratively and they can only think in literal terms.
They talk past one another. There is a lack of understanding. Things are not always crystal clear! There is a lot of confusion.
They are not dumb, they are not stupid – they are just so beneath his understanding of things…that they cannot comprehend.
So, even “a simple topic” like BREAD can bring tons of misunderstanding.
When Jesus talks about the “TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN” –
The people are thinking “yum bread” – just the word bread can bring up all sorts of things in our minds eye.
Ah, the smell of fresh bread being baked in the house…or the smell of freshly homemade biscuits, for that matter…
Challah Bread, Wonder Bread, Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl, Whole Wheat Bread…Unleavened or Leavened Bread…Asiago…Panera Breads…
So, the people quite naturally say, “Sir give us this bread always!” Free Bread…fresh bread…gimme, gimme, gimme…
We want some! Maybe they were speaking from their empty stomachs!
But “we know” in John’s Gospel, Jesus’ equals bread. And he will eventually give his body for the life of the world.
But for those poor people on this given day… They were flummoxed, stymied, confused and couldn’t wrap their heads around the things he was saying.
All they knew, is that free bread sounded good to them! Amen.