Matthew 14:13-21
13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “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.” 16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Today's entire worship service is crafted around giving thanks, and obviously, it's timely because Thanksgiving is just a ‘couple of weeks away’ (ha ha). Actually, I wish it was a couple of weeks away, because I still have so much to do. How am I ever going to get it all done? Am I going to get those pearl onions, because they're usually sold out by now? And with all the Listeria going on with the onions, I don't know if I'm going to get them at all!
But I’m also grateful, because we're able to be back together in worship, which we couldn't do a year ago. We're grateful for the tremendous gifts of musicians, especially in this church, and the leadership and a special leader who we're going to acknowledge later today. And we're grateful for all that God has done for us, in and through Covid. I’m grateful for what God has done church members and family members who got Covid and recovered. At the end of the service, we'll be giving thanks for those who survived Covid and mourning and celebrating those who have gone on to their great reward, because they did not survive Covid.
“Giving Thanks in Faith, Hope and Love” is also our Stewardship Campaign for next year. This week we're speaking about the second of those pieces, which is “giving in hope”. When we take that sentence literally, when we can give something in hope, what does that really mean? Hope of what? What do we really hope for when we give a gift? What are we ‘hoping’ for when we're wrapping the gift or bringing it to the person, or to the party, or to the event? Do we silently thing “I hope they like my gift”. “I hope it fits”. “I hope they use it or wear it”. “I really hope they don't put it in a drawer or re-gift it”.
But sometimes it's not just about hope. We get caught up in hoping it’s enough. Enough is a trap that many of us fall into. Even as we prepare for thanksgiving, we wonder…. will the turkey be big enough to feed everyone? Will there be enough room at the table? Will there be enough side dishes, enough variety of desserts? And most importantly… will there be enough left over for a Friday Thanksgiving sandwich? I'm sure that you've heard, that because of Covid, there are also countless supply chain issues, especially impacting the consumerism of our country as well as many others. And people are frantically searching now for those toys and those electronics that they would normally order on Amazon up until about the 23rd of December. But no, because there are all these container ships stuck out in the middle of the bay off of Los Angeles. Things aren't getting through. Maybe there won't be enough electronics and toys and sweaters to go around. And all those fears around enough, are really issues around our own fears of scarcity. And, at the deepest level, it is a lack of faith in God's provision.
Many a session right now are frantically preparing budgets for the following year. You’ve received our letter/email about our 2022 campaign and we’re all getting letters and email every day from non-profits including the PCUSA and Princeton Seminary and letters from us saying “Please prayerfully consider increasing your pledge for next year.” But will there be enough?
The Skinners and I and Sandy worked through this issue last week in our devotional time together. We explored this incredible reading from Walter Brueggemann about the issue of “enough”. He writes “…there are enough flocks and herds and fish [for the Israelites] because this Creator God is the one who keeps giving gifts. The people around Moses were weary. They didn't think they had enough. They complained. They complained for a lack of fish and cucumbers and melons and leeks and garlic and onions. And in their scarcity, they became restless and contentious and romanticized the past--because scarcity does that. It produces greed and anxiety, and unfortunately, even violence. It results in selfish budgets and privatization. It produces violence and meanness and road rage. But right in the middle of that, God revs us up to ask the right questions. And what is the faithful answer? Enough. Enough grace to include all. Enough neighborliness to restore safety and dignity. Enough resources to share with widows and orphans and immigrants. Enough that we not need scandalize the poor with our selfishness. Enough that we not live with grudges and resentment and fear as if we're actually under threat. There's enough bread broken and wine poured to exhibit the gifts of God”.
In our reading today, the disciples too were anxious, because they were living out of a place of enough but a place of scarcity. When they saw all those crowds coming at Jesus, they said two things. “Uh oh, it's getting dark. And “we better send everybody back to their villages, so they'll have enough to eat.” But they were in a mentality of self-centeredness, protection, scarcity and worrying – worrying if there would there be enough. And what does Jesus do? He says, “No, no, no. Have them sit down. You feed them.” He helps them discover that beyond their own anxieties, the resources are sufficient. In Jesus’ hands and in Jesus’ power, they have more than enough!
Notice that Jesus doesn't explain how this is all going to work. He doesn't pull out a piece of parchment and draw up his plan: “Okay, we'll put 20 people here and 20 people here and we're going to break the loaves and fishes into two-millimeter pieces”. No, no, no. He just says to the disciples “get them to sit down. I got the rest”. It's only Jesus’ command to the disciples to ‘give them something to eat’ and the disciples’ faithfulness that makes it all work. Notice the disciples don't even debate with one another and ask for logistics, “How's this gonna work, Jesus? You can count all the people. We can't feed all those people with this these 2 fish and these scrimpy loaves. Jesus, have you ever actually counted the number of people here? There’ll never be enough!” But there was. Because Jesus had the power and authority to carry out the mission and the miracle.
The disciples follow Jesus’ instructions because at this point in their relationship with Jesus, they trust Him. They trust Him! And…it is only in the carrying out of Jesus’s directions that they then discover and experience the power, the depth of Jesus Christ; a power that goes way beyond what the disciples could imagine; way beyond their dreams. There was no ‘family hold back’ at this event. Jesus commanded them. They carried it out. And everything was not only fine, it was better than fine.
Friends, as we continue to care for those who need to receive mercy and love and care, there will always be enough, more than enough.
Yesterday, as I drove into the parking lot to participate in the coat drive, the line was out the door. I was overcome with emotion that that many people needed coats, and that they have the courage to step beyond their humility, and say, “Yes, right now I am in need.” “Yes, right now I am struggling.” “Yes, right now I do need some help.” Did we run out of coats? No. Did we run out of food yesterday? No, because God continues to support Loaves & Fishes for all those in need. My friends, when we give in hope, it's because we already trust that no matter what happens, God will give us the provisions that we need not only to take care of ourselves, but those who really, really need it.
And, I have to say on a personal note, I was utterly blown away when a moment I turned around as I was helping people try on coats. In walked a woman with her mother. That woman is one of my mother's aides, who cares so lovingly for my Mom without any care for herself. Friends, there is no us and them. There's only a we. And there's more than enough, so that none has too little and none has too much, if only we trust in the Christ.
May it be so. Amen