Counting Our Resources

Matt. 14:13-21 Immanuel Chapel 2011

My name is James, brother of John, friend of fellow fishermen and disciples Peter and Andrew. I want to tell you about the day Jesus fed more than 5,000 people.

The story begins with the death, the beheading death, of Jesus’ cousin John the Baptizer. We heard his head was presented to a girl as a birthday present.

We were stunned and devastated. This news came on the heels of Jesus hometown of Nazareth rejecting him. He needed to get away from people for awhile, to think and to talk with God. Of course, Jesus had more on his mind than we knew. We didn’t have a clue about the cross and his awful death and awe filled resurrection.

We took a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. When we arrived on the other side a huge crowd was waiting. Furthermore, many had brought sick family members. When Jesus saw what lay before him his heart went out to them. Despite his great personal grief, Jesus spent the rest of the day teaching people and healing the infirm.

The concern he showed to those people, is the same compassion he showed the world when he died on the cross. He healed people who had no strength because for Jesus there is no difference between sin and sickness. Sin is the sickness that shows itself not only in evil thoughts, words and deeds, but is finally the cause of our physical weaknesses. He heals us of our sin sickness and will heal us of our infirmities of the body in the resurrection

However, as the day wore on, we became concerned. Sometimes Jesus wasn’t very practical. Now don’t get me wrong. We felt sorry for those people too. But what were they thinking in bringing their sick to this desolate place? They apparently hadn’t even thought about bringing something to eat. The day was coming to an end and we had over 5,000 hungry people on our hands. “Jesus,” we said, “This place is desolate. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said, “They don’t need to go away; you give them something to eat.” What? We’re not only disciples but we’re to be caterers too? See what I mean about being impractical? We said, “We haven’t anything here except these five loaves and two fish.” How were we to feed more than 5,000 with five little thin cakes of bread and a couple of fish?

Well, what would you have done? You must face reality once in awhile, don’t you? You gotta live within your means. And the only means we had were five half-inch-thick cakes of bread and two fish.

Then Jesus said, ‘Bring them here to me.” He commanded that everyone recline on the grass as if they were at a banquet back home. Taking the loaves and the fish and holding them in his outstretched hands he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. He broke the bread and began handing the loaves and fish to us and we distributed them to the crowd.

It seemed to flow out of his hand He just kept on handing out the food. He took a bit of ordinary bread and fish, said the ordinary table prayer and the food multiplied in his hands. We disciples knew how to count to seven, five loaves and two fish. We forgot to count to eight. We short counted on our resources. What we had was five loaves, two fish and Jesus.

As I worked, I began to think of how the Lord provided Moses and my ancestors with bread and the quail in the wilderness. Here we were in the wilderness and Jesus was providing the food. I thought of the prophet Elijah who multiplied a poor widows flour and oil supply to feed herself and son and Elijah too. All according to the word of the Lord. With our penchant to be realistic we had discounted what the word of the Lord could do. Now we were participating in an event, which out did the prophets. Indeed a greater one than Moses was here.

Does this sort of thing happen in your day? Think of the bread and wine you provide for Holy Communion. Jesus makes it a meal of his body and blood which strengthens faith, and gives eternal life and salvation. Today, he feeds millions with his body and blood. I also thought of how we pray that he would give us our daily bread. As one of your own has written, our Lord provides for “everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body.”

When the 5000 banqueters on the beach couldn’t eat another bite, we took our little wicker baskets and picked up twelve baskets of leftovers; one for each of us disciples. There was more food leftover than we started with.

As we sat down to eat our fill, we noticed that Jesus didn’t have a basket. Jesus had provided all this food but now depended on us to share some of what we had with him. Our Lord gives us so much to support our body and life and now we had an opportunity to give a bit back to him. We give him a bit of bread and wine to make his body and blood for our blessing. We give him a bit of our income that he might take it, bless it and help us call the world to believe in him. And there are so many more hungry people in the world today, than 5,000. There are millions. God would fill them too with his good things through our gifts. What grace, both physical and spiritual flows from him to us and through us to those in need.

What incredible patience Jesus has with us disciples. I was there and I saw that too. We grumbled. We doubted. We thought we knew best. Still he used us serve those in need. Then he used us to serve his needs.

Now you know my story. I wasn’t a perfect disciple. I discovered I never would be. Still God continued to forgive me. Still God continued to use me. Still God continued to provide for my daily needs. You too are witnesses to his great compassion. You too can give him the glory as he sends you out to be his servants, just as he used me. You too will continue to receive his bountiful grace, both physical and spiritual. Just as I was witness to his great works so are you. I give God the glory. Will you do the same?