"YOU give them something to eat."

The Feeding of the 5000

Matthew 14:13-21                              Rev. Todd B. Freeman

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Dallas              July 31, 2005

Today’s sermon text is the miracle story known as “The Feeding of the Five Thousand” – you have probably heard it about 5000 times. This is one of those stories that even people who are not active in any church are familiar with. We know how important it was to the early church because it is the only miracle story that appears in all four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each gospel writer tells the story a bit differently, adding or subtracting details to fit their own theological perspective and purpose.

Let me state right from the start that the most important question to ask of this text is not: Did this miracle really happen and is it, therefore, historically true or not? That argument has been around for centuries, and it will never be satisfactorily answered.

Personally, I would answer the question as Marcus Borg or Bishop John Shelby Spong would: Yes, the story it true; but no, it did not necessarily happen in any literal way. This is where many people get bogged down. They believe that truth and historical accuracy are inextricably linked. Modern biblical interpretation methods, however, have helped those of us on the progressive side of the theological spectrum to seek the truth that is revealed in a biblical story without needing it to have happened in any sort of literal way. This make scriptures, then, much more metaphorical than literal.

That being said, I think the best approach to this text, and to all of scripture for that matter, is to address the following questions: What does the story tell us about God, about ourselves, and about our relationship with God and each other? Also, what are the implications to us as disciples, individually and as the church?

So, what does this story tell us about God? Through the words and actions of Jesus we learn that God is compassionate and concerned for our well-being. That’s a very different picture from a God who sits far off on a thrown acting as a stern judge waiting to zap us when we step out of line.

It is important to note that Jesus had more than just a simple feeling of compassion for the crowd. He put his compassion into action by actually ministering to their needs. This feeding story reveals that God is concerned not only for our spiritual well-being, but also for our physical well-being.

The next question is: What does this story have to say about us as followers of Christ? Well, it has many things to say. Jesus’ compassion for the crowd, for instance, rubs off on the disciples. They become concerned about the lateness of the hour and the lack of available food for the crowd of people. Compassion for others can be, and most often is, contagious!

The disciples’ solution to the problem, however, is different than Jesus’. The disciples think it best to send the crowd away, so that everyone can go to nearby towns and eat. To their surprise Jesus tells them, “you give them something to eat” (v.16). I’ll return to this statement in a moment, because I believe it is at the very heart of the story – hence this sermon’s title.

The disciples respond with, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” With these limited resources in the midst of a crisis, the disciples would rather send the needy crowd away to seek help on their own.

So here’s something for us to reflect upon: Do not the disciples represent our own desire, from time to time, to “send away” others to find help? We, like the disciples, are often tempted to believe that our resources (individually or as a congregation) don’t amount to much of anything – so why bother, especially with so many needy people all around us.

As you know, I continue to struggle with what to do for the many who knock on our church door throughout the week – week after week. I hear in my head Jesus’ emphatic statement, “YOU give them something…” And I am reminded that for Jesus compassion is accompanied with action, not just kind words and the offering of a prayer. My own personal response, however, is increasingly more like that of the disciples. I acknowledge their need, spend some time with them, but then often send them away, citing our small church size and limited resources. As I have also mentioned before, I find that increasingly unsatisfactory and problematic – not only as a pastor, but also as a Christian. One biblical commentator and Presbyterian, Thomas Long, rightly reflects, however:

Indeed, the church is always in the desert, the place where it cannot rely upon its own resources, which are few. The church is hungry itself and is surrounded by a world of deep cravings, people who are lonely, disoriented, and poor in many different ways. Against the savage realities of human need, the church sees only small numbers on the membership roles and even smaller ones in the mission budget. It is no wonder, then, that the church joins the disciples in crying, ‘This is a desert. Send the crowds away to fend for themselves.’

This is a dilemma and challenge we must continue to face. And it is at this point in the story that we learn more about God and our relationship to God and each other: Yes, God is compassionate, and God is also abundantly able to provide.

With desperate and hungry people camped all over the hillside, which in effect has become the church lawn, Jesus turns to his followers, then and now, and speaks emphatically what seems to be either a cruel joke or divine humor: “They need not go away; you give them something to eat” (v. 16).

Have you ever thought about how much work it would be to find and distribute food to 5000? And that’s just the number of men, the story tells us. Add the women and children and there may be as many as 20,000. That’s like tending to the size of a crowd in a full American Airlines Center where the Dallas Mavericks play. Then think about the clean up afterwards!

This is the part of the story that teaches us about true discipleship. Being a follower of Christ involves not only worship and fellowship and learning, but often hard work. Sometimes, for miracles to occur disciples may have to do a lot of work. Certainly in this story the disciples had to work very hard to make it happen. “You give them something to eat.” The source of the feeding is God, but the manual labor is human.

Practically speaking, this story encourages churches to get beyond the attitude that says, “We have nothing, except for this very little.” For God uses even the very little we have to offer to minister in powerful ways to others. As I have learned from others, like Janie Spahr of That All May Freely Serve, we must focus more on a theology of abundance, rather than on a theology of scarcity. I will admit that I, too, forget to do that at times. After all, why would we be discussing a possible church merger if we had all the resources we needed? Then again, maybe it’s a merger that will provide us all the resources we need?

In today’s text the disciples express concern for the needs of the crowds. They bring those needs to Jesus. We, too, need to be concerned for others and bring those things to God in prayer. Yet, sometimes God’s answer to our prayers, like Jesus’ response to the disciples, is: You do something about it. Perhaps God is saying to us: I’ve provided you with food, distribute some of it to others. I’ve provided you with money, donate some to those in need. I’ve provided you with time and abilities, volunteer them.

Many people in this country, as we know, go to church each Sunday with a consumer-minded, “serve me” attitude. They demand to be entertained. Their primary question is often, “What can the church do for me?”

Perhaps we, at least as Presbyterians, are being called to stress an opposite approach – church members who are contributing-minded, with a “serve others” attitude. That approach leads to the question, “What can I do for the church in order to serve God and others?”

God will use what we bring, even if it’s only five loaves and two fish. Let’s emphasize, then, what we have, not what we don’t have – the possibilities and opportunities, not just the problems and seemingly overwhelming challenges. Miracles, which often include the type of compassionate ministries of Jesus, can require a lot of human work – our work.

I am indeed thankful for and appreciative of all the hard work of so many in this congregation. Let us not neglect this particular element of our calling as disciples and followers of Christ.

Amen.