"From the Pulpit" - Reflections on the Weekly Texts, from Pastor Greg at Living Lord Lutheran Church
Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
Will There Be Enough?
Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the LORD Jesus Christ.
We've all asked ourselves this question, in some form or another, haven't we? Will there be enough? Will there be enough food for me? Will there be enough money in my savings account to last through my life and beyond? Will there be enough money in the church's treasury to enable us to continue our ministry in our community? You can add your own "will there be enough" question here. Too often, though, once we answer this question with a "yes", we become complacent - satisfied that we've "gotten ours", so to speak. Right? Let the rest of the world take care of itself somehow. I've got mine, so I'm safe. I think of the biblical image of the farmer who stored up his grain in big bins, to protect from what disaster may lie ahead. I think of Jesus' saying in Mark's gospel, "don't store up treasures for yourselves, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal." Not that there's anything wrong with storing up money for our future.
But two verses struck me this week in this gospel account of John. All four gospel writers cover this story, so it obviously was important to each of them in their own way. I've highlighted the two verses I'm referring to above. The first one, "there was a boy who had five barley loaves and two fish." We don't know for sure, but I'm guessing this boy had either brought them with him to this gathering this day, or else he had already collected this food from those near him, perhaps knowing that the crowd was hungry. We don't know.
But, in any event, the boy, like the poor widow in Mark's gospel, who out of her poverty gave her last two gold coins and put them into the treasury, gives up what he brought or had gathered, to Jesus in this setting. Hands it over to him. What an act of grace and generosity by this young boy! I mean, how many young people would think to do this?!
And the second verse that attracted my attention as I read the gospel lesson for this week, is where Jesus, gives thanks (we don't know if his thanks was addressed to the boy or to the Father in heaven), and distributes the bread. And after everyone had eaten their fill at this large gathering that day, there was food left over - 12 baskets full (maybe that's a reference to the 12 tribes of Israel??? I'd have to think more on that one.)
Here's the point, I think, for us 21st century, anxious Chrisitans and others, when we ask ourselves, "Will there be enough?" I think the boy represents us in some way. We often think that whatever we do or whatever we give won't be enough to matter to a hungry or thirsting world out there. The problems are just so overwhelming that nothing that I do will matter in the long run. "How can my meager Sunday offering make any difference to the wider church?" Or, more insidious maybe, there's this. "My offering can't make a difference, so why should I bother to give at all? I'll keep it for myself." I've said that in the past. Maybe you have, too.
But next, is the other verse that I highlighted in the gospel. And that is, when Jesus takes the loaves. And in that act, all who had gathered were able to be fed that day, with an abundance left over. Two actions - the boy giving over what little he had, and Jesus, giving thanks and distributing it to a hungry crowd.
You and I don't know what happens when we give over to the kingdom of God - give of our time, our talents, our possessions. But whatever it is, however meager we think it may be, when multiplied together with other churches, with other Christian social service agencies, with other denominations around the globe, people ARE fed. People ARE clothed. People ARE brought out of poverty. Miraculously it seems.
I think of two examples in our own congregation, among many. Right now, Dave Wallace and Claire Kaelin are working with Our Father's Table, a ministry right near us in Vero Beach, to start preparing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every week, 52 weeks a year, to supplement other food donations, to be delivered to people in our own community who are hungry - every day! Our little offering, which we think will begin in September, combined with food OFP prepares, will be delivered to roughly 100 homes in our area on Friday mornings. We need peanut butter, bread, and jelly to help make this work. And when you help, bellies are filled. Hope is delivered, at least for a day or two.
And second, we're gathering school supplies for our friends at Gifford Elementary School, one of the poorest communities in Indian River County. Just down the road from us. These kids need the basics - pens and pencils, backpacks, paper, erasers, rulers, and the like. It seems like such a small thing to donate. But remember when you were kid, and the pride you took in your own school stuff. You were proud of those things. And that's what your small donation does for these kids in Gifford. It gives them a sense of pride and hope for the school year.
We are the young boy in the gospel for Sunday. We give what we think may be meager and inconsequential things to the church - our money, our time, the fruits of our labor, wondering how it all can make any difference in the world. But in the mix is Jesus himself, blessing it, giving thanks for it, and making it multiply and grow, for the sake of the world.
We give thanks to God that God's heart is generous, abounding in steadfast love. The story in our gospel for Sunday is our story. A story of giving, out of our relative poverty, but entrusting it all to God for a blessing. And yes, there WILL be enough, with plenty to spare. Amen? Amen.
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