A Place to Belong Eph. 2:11–22; Jer. 23:1–6; Mark 6:30–44

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us a place to belong.

One of the basic human needs we have is to belong to something, to be accepted and loved there. For that reason God gives us our home and family, our community, our church, and most of all, our heavenly home, where we’ll belong perfectly.

We long to belong to a place where we’re loved and cared for. In our Old Testament, Jeremiah confronts the leaders who were failing to do that; who scatter the sheep of my pasture, declares the Lord.

Instead of taking care of them, and providing a place for them to belong, they were taking advantage of them.

Last week, we talked about the corruption that Amos exposed in the northern Kingdom, Samaria. Today’s Old Testament exposes the corruption in the Southern Kingdom, Judea, about 150 years later.

As Amos was sent to prophesy the destruction of the northern kingdom, Jeremiah was sent to prophesy the destruction of the Southern kingdom. The destruction of both kingdoms was because the leaders and people refused to repent and change their ways, so God withdrew His protection.

Sadly, both nations and their leaders chose greed over God. So God told them they would be replaced by godly leaders. That happened after the people had been taken away into exile, and then years later when they returned home. God made the land a place where people could safely belong and be cared for.

Ultimately, though, this is talking about the Messiah, who would come centuries later, and establish His Kingdom of Grace on earth, the Church as the place for people to belong and be cared for.

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I shall raise up for David a righteous branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

This compares David to a mighty tree and his descendants as branches. One branch would be righteous, that was the Messiah. He would bring righteousness to the people.

And this is the name by which he will be called: Jehovah Tsidkenu, or the Lord is our righteousness.      

In the end, none of the kings or rulers or prophets or any of the people could be righteous and keep the covenant with God. So God sent His Son to be our righteousness and earn our salvation.

In today’s Gospel, we see how Jesus cared for the people who followed him to a desolate place. The followed him there because they were hungry to learn more about the gospel. Mark says that He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  Nobody else was teaching them the Gospel.

When it started getting late, the disciples told Jesus it was time to stop preaching so the people could go to the towns and get some food. But Jesus intended to do a miracle.

He told his disciples, “You give them something to eat.”. They said in so many words, “We can’t afford to buy that much bread.” Jesus said, “What do you have.” And they found five loaves and two fish.

He told the people to sit down in circles, and he prayed, and then the disciples handed out bread and fish to all the thousands of peoples, and they even had 12 baskets full left over.

This miracle showed the people two things: first that Jesus was indeed the Messiah they had been waiting for, and second that he cared about all the people in every way, in body, mind, and soul.

So the church today is also a place where we’re called to care and show compassion as we share the Gospel; and have fellowship, even eat together, at times, something we’re very good at here.

In our Epistle, we’re taught that the church is a place to belong and be taken care of for both Jews and Gentiles, and that’s everybody, every race and nationality, every age, every social class, God calls all to gather around His Word and Sacraments.

Paul says, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Jesus died for all and the Gospel shrinks the world, in a sense, brings different people together in faith and love.

I remember when I was in India, and we felt like outsiders there, almost like we didn’t belong there. But waiting for us in a meeting room at the hotel were fellow Christians. They welcomed us with open arms, and all of a sudden, we felt like it was okay to be there, like we belonged there.

Any differences of race or nationality or culture melted away as we shared the gospel and our common mission of knowing Christ and making him known.

As our Epistle says, Jesus has broken down the dividing wall of hostility… that he might create in himself one new man in the place of two, unify us as one, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body, the church, the body of Christ, through the cross, through the forgiveness Jesus won for all who repent.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

God gives all who believe, a spiritual family to belong to, a place to belong.

Sometimes in this world there might be places where we don’t quite feel like we belong or fit into.

It might be at school where we just can’t find a circle of good friends who will accept us as we are, or we just don’t feel like we fit into the classroom or into the academic setting.

Or it might be at work, where we just don’t quite believe in what we’re doing there, or we’re not really suited or equipped for our job, we don’t really have the right skills or gifts for it, or don’t fit into the culture there.

It can be the family we’re married into that we’re having a hard time fitting into or connecting with.

It can be the neighborhood or community, or sometimes even the congregation; it might not be a good personality or cultural fit.

While we may not all prefer or connect to the same kind of congregation, when we believe in Jesus, we all share the same God and Savior, and we’re saved by the same gospel.

Since we share in this Gospel, and are one great family through it, let us treat one another in a way that’s worthy of the Gospel.

Let this be a place where you know you can belong and be accepted. A place where you don’t have to pretend or impress.

We’re just imperfect, repentant sinners here, living by grace, and supporting each to grow in a more godly walk with Christ.

Out there you may be rejected for a variety of reasons: because you’re not rich enough, or not smart enough, or not good enough, or too good - not worldly enough, or not good-looking enough, or not out-going enough, or not popular enough -- there’s no end to the games we sinners try to play with each other.

God doesn’t play any of those games with us. He just loves us, and he helps us to love each other the way he does, so that this is a place you can truly belong.

Here is where we learn not to play games with one another, but to welcome and accept and embrace our fellow man, and woman, and child; no matter the age or race or class or culture.

No matter the affluence or poverty; no matter the past, no matter the achievements or failures, no matter any of these earthly things. The Gospel makes this a place for you to belong, to be loved and cared for, and a place for you to love and welcome others, and to serve God with joy.

Finally, in heaven we will belong perfectly. No one will have any trouble fitting in there. Any differences there won’t matter; we’ll all be of one heart and mind. The glory of heaven will make everybody happy to be there. Holy love will make everyone welcome and accepted there. It’ll be a perfect place to belong forever.

For now, let us belong and love and accept and welcome and serve here, in the family of God. And as we do may the peace of God, which passes understanding, guard our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.