Matthew 14:13-21
Grace peace and mercy from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
It's great to work from a gospel reading that shows that great Lutheran traditions can be found in the Old Testament. Hopefully, you recognize this event as one of the first potluck dinners.
As we think about this text we realize our lives do revolve around food, we need it to survive. In our land of plenty we take it for granted though. In ancient times this was a critical need as it is in many parts of the world today. Palestine of Jesus' day would be like any impoverished region of the world today. The pictures we see of these places are what Jesus witnessed first hand.
Think about how much our life revolves around food. Aside from supplying nutrients we find great pleasure in food. We can't have a party or any festive event without food it just doesn't work. Weddings and birthdays are nothing without a banquet. Want to have a family gathering bring out the food it unites the family even if it's only for a short period of time.
Even the action of eating gives us joy. What ruins a diet faster than eating tasteless unappetizing food? The thought of biting into a delicious donut just makes your mouth water, well it does mine. Is there a bigger disappointment than going to a restaurant and eating a mediocre meal? Well maybe one or two things could be worse.
In the sixties the astronauts were reporting how disappointing their meals were. The texture of nearly everything was like paste, they missed the pleasure of chewing food and the high oxygen atmosphere ruined the taste of their meals. As researchers tried to develop food in pill form they found it was no problem to get all the nutrients in the pill, but couldn't fulfill the psychological need for chewing and taste.
We find many food analogies in scripture relating to joy. God's great works are feasts. The great joy of finding Jesus is like the pleasure we find in a banquet. Most important there is the feast we celebrate in worship when we take Communion. The Lord's Supper is a meal that renews our strength in the one true faith by partaking of Jesus' body and blood. A remembrance of His sacrifice for His most precious treasure, us.
This reading is also one of those times we see the human side of Jesus. The reading opens with Jesus seeking solitude after receiving word of John the Baptist's death. He did grieve but didn't dwell on His grief. Jesus regains the focus of His mission as the people gather on that remote hillside.
Jesus may have felt grief from another source as well. As God's Son He would know first hand of the perfect paradise formed in the beginning. As He looked at the gathering crowd the despair of seeing the result of sin would have had a powerful impact. We read Jesus healed the people because He had compassion on them. The impact of seeing the suffering people gathering brought Him back to the mission of offering freedom from all that sin has done to this world.
I think we get so wrapped up in our own guilt that we often forget that Jesus did show compassion on suffering people. That didn't happen just in first century Palestine. That compassion is shown everywhere at all times. When we hurt He hurts. Even the disciples are showing compassion in this text. They are concerned for the people and suggest they be sent away so that they can find food.
Of course in the human way of thinking it made sense to send the people away to find food. It was a remote hillside, the people needed more than the grasses that may have grown there for sustenance. And even if grasses could sustain them there were too many people. Custom dictated that women and children ate separately from men in a public setting. If the text says 5000 men it is conceivable that 10000 plus were present that day.
Can you imagine what the disciples thought of dividing five loaves and two fish among 10000 plus people? It was such a meager amount of food even just for Jesus and the disciples let alone the multitude gathered that day.
Jesus does something very interesting, rather than telling the disciples to just take the food to the people He tells them to bring it to Him first. Why go the extra step? He could do a miraculous sign and feed the people whether He touched the loaves and fish or not. Further Jesus and the disciples didn't put aside a portion for themselves before going out to the people.
This is a very important lesson. No matter how meager the contribution we give to God He will bless it and multiply it. Not only did he bless the people with the multiplication of sustenance. He blessed the givers with 12 baskets of scraps.
If you ask anyone or any congregation that truly steps out in faith and tithes they will tell you that God blesses them in return. Whether its time, talents, or treasure when given with a right heart God provides the resources. A right heart isn't trying to maximize tax deductions. A right heart isn't giving under duress. A right heart is giving out of love for the Father no matter what the amount may be.
God always walks with us, even when we stumble. He picks us up and sends us in the right direction. Sometimes we feel our contributions are meager and of little value, however He can multiply whatever we bring to Him.
Jesus teaches us three important lessons in this text. When we fail or feel loss don't dwell on it. He wants us to move on and find joy. Our lives are too short to dwell on events of the past. Certainly we need to learn from them but not allow them to rule our lives.
Jesus shows us that it's important to have compassion for others. His whole mission was compassion from the healings He performed to His sacrifice on the cross for a suffering world.
Finally He demonstrates that no matter how small our contribution to the kingdom it is significant. He takes everything we bring to Him and multiplies it for the betterment of His people both the receivers and the giver.
No matter how difficult the challenges set before you seem step out in faith that Jesus will be with you and make sure your efforts are not in vain but multiplied to His glory.
In the name of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
