Five Loaves and Two Fish
The scripture from Isaiah is about abundant life,
God’s hope for all.
An invitation is extended to all:
everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
you that have no money, come, buy and eat;
eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Come to the banquet, come to the feast…
all are welcome.
God’s hope, God’s promise,
God’s everlasting covenant.
God chooses to invite all who are obedient;
God chooses to make a covenant;
God has mercy and grace;
God has love for the people
and hope for them to live an abundant life.
When you and I have a spiritual hunger and thirst,
we look to God to fill and satisfy us.
What about our daily basic need to be fed?
We pray ‘give us our daily bread’;
you and I need food to survive,
the minimum of bread and water.
Those wandering in the desert complained to Moses,
they are hungry,
and mana came from heaven.
So what do we do when we are on a journey and traveling,
how do you and I plan for ‘our daily bread’?
When I travel I usually have something to nibble on with me.
There is always some bottled water and
either crackers or maybe a candy bar or an apple.
In our modern world, you and I know at the next exit
we will find a McDonald’s or Burger King or
KFC.
We are never far away from food.
Yet, in our miracle story from Matthew,
there is no quick fix for feeding the crowd.
And what a huge crowd it is!
That number is not revealed until the end of the passage.
It is often referred to as the feeding of the 5,000,
but it was not just 5,000 –it was 5,000 men plus
women and children.
So the actual number could have been 10,000 or 15,000.
How could that many be fed, be filled, be satisfied
and still have food to spare?
Only by a miracle!
This is the only miracle story that is in all 4 gospels.
There is no sermon,
no
parable,
but lots of activity.
Jesus has heard about the death of John the Baptist,
he tried to find a place of solitude,
yet the crowds found him…
When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd;
and he had
compassion for them and cured their sick.
“This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late;
send the crowds away so that they may go into
the villages and buy food for themselves.”
Where are they going to find food?
No Starbuck’s or food trucks anywhere.
Jesus turns the tables on the disciples…
“They need not go away; you give them something to
eat.”
In that moment, in those few words,
Jesus is giving the responsibility to the disciples.
You, my disciples,
go, feed these hungry people;
You, my disciples,
find a way to meet this basic human need.
You, my disciples,
be a shepherd to these sheep.
You, my disciples,
embrace your responsibility,
your power in the world,
be active in your discipleship -do something!
There are thousands of people and the disciples have
five loaves of bread and two fish,
maybe enough for themselves.
So how can they feed thousands?
This is not a family dinner where
3 extra people show up without warning…
This is not a potluck where
everyone was invited to bring a dish to share…
This is not a picnic where
each individual has packed a basket for themselves…
This is not a stone soup situation where
according to the old folktale once
some small morsel is shared,
everyone contributes and then
there is enough for all to eat.
There are five loaves and two fish.
It is going to take a miracle…
The disciples give what they have to Jesus.
And
something familiar to our ears is heard:
Jesus looked up to heaven,
and
blessed and broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples.
Blessed;
Broke;
Gave.
The breaking of the bread:
Communion.
Sharing and fellowship.
The miracle:
And all ate and
were filled;
and they took up what was left over
of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
of God’s activity in the world.
Redemption and reconciliation.
Meeting a need, bringing people together,
and discovering the need for active discipleship.
The disciples had something to offer:
it may have been a meager offering,
yet, it was more than sufficient
once Jesus blessed, broke, and gave.
My first thought goes to Matthew 25:40:
‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
We do it because of our love for the one who first loved us.
God reaches out to us, we too must reach out to others.
God’s hope for us:
embrace life,
live abundantly.
love one another.
And remember, being a disciple means doing something!
to follow in his
footsteps, and to love one another.
We give our voice to God’s message of hope.
You and I are open to the Holy Spirit,
the presence and work of the living God
in our individual
lives, in the church,
and in the
world.
Through the Holy Spirit we are given the blessing
of discipleship, the
ability to reach out to others,
and to share the
gospel.
Why should you and I embrace active discipleship?
Our obligations are
here in the everyday world.
Our actions in the
world reflect our Christian love.
Each of has something to give, to share.
The disciples only had five loaves and two fish to offer,
and Jesus fed thousands.
No matter what small contribution,
you and I believe we have to offer;
God can take it,
multiple it,
and fulfill a need
with it.
That is our miracle story.
