What God can do with a couple of fish and a handful of bread

      It seems as if Jesus just couldn’t get away from the crowds. The amaretz (the people of the land) followed him wherever he went. They crowded into the homes where he taught, they jostled him and cried out when he passed by, and they were waiting for him when he came to shore or down from the mountain. They always had some sort  of need and they followed him… because they were hungry.

      They were hungry. It’s as simple as that. Some of them were hungry for community. They had been isolated by a disability or by a condition that made them “unclean,” and they wanted to be healed and restored. Some were hungry for knowledge. They were interested in religious and/or spiritual things, and they thought that he taught with authority. Some of them were hungry for new beginnings and new names. They wanted to be forgiven, or accepted, or to have a second chance. Some wanted a king, who would overthrow the Romans and re-establish Israel’s sovereignty. They followed because they thought that the man from Galilee could meet their needs… and their needs, just like ours are, were varied. Some of them were hungry for serenity, for a sense of peace and knowing that things would be alright… and sometimes, yes, they were hungry for food… which brings us to the time when Jesus fed 5,000 men, sitting in 100 groups of 50, with just a couple of small fish and a little bit pf bread. It’s a moment that’s recounted in all 4 of our gospels, but our focus is on John.

      According to John, the crowds followed Jesus because they had seen the “signs” that he had performed. John believed that Jesus’ ministry was dotted with “signs” that he gave… so that people would believe that he was the Son of God. The people who congregated before Jesus arrived had seen one or more of these signs and before nightfall, they would see another sign of what Jesus could do. John says that Jesus specifically asked Phillip if they had enough money to feed the crowd, and Phillip could hardly believe what he heard. There’s no way, he noted. We couldn’t buy food enough to give each one of these people a single bite! Then, Andrew spoke up, “There’s a small boy here, but he only has five small barley loaves (a poor man’s bread) and two small fish.” Jesus heard what they said, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he told them to have the people sit down. Then he took the bread, gave thanks, and passed the baskets of bread and fish around. The people took the food as it was passed-50 of them, then 100, 500, 1,000, and finally each of them… and the food did NOT run out. It passed from person to person, but the baskets were always full. In the end, John notes, everyone was satisfied, and when they had had their fill, Jesus told his disciples to gather up the left-overs because none of God’s blessings should be wasted. It was a wonderful moment, but the people considered making Jesus their king “by force.” So, Jesus slipped away because he wasn’t called to be their king in the sense they had in mind. He fed them bread because he loved them, but he was in the salvation business- not the bakery business!

      Well, what does this ancient story say to us? Let me suggest that it says at least this much and it may say even more to you:

1.    God meets all of our needs! No need is too small or too unique to be outside of Jesus’ power. He healed those who couldn’t see; he healed people with long-standing illness and he also healed Peter’s mother-in-law of “a fever.” Jesus feeds our soul, our mind, our relationships; our finances, our hearts, and our stomachs. No one is ever outside of Jesus’ reach and none of our needs are too small to mention;

2.    Nothing that matters should be lost! Not loved ones, not good friends, not sacred moments and memories, not opportunities that God provides, not leftover pieces of barley bread that had taken part in a miracle of compassion and grace. Embrace the things that matter, Treat them gently and don’t let the slip away:

3.    Never, never underestimate the God factor! Nothing is impossible for God! God can feed 5000 with a handful of food; God can give a child to a woman who is a 100 or so, and God can still the waters. All things are possible with God, so we always need to factor him in. Mathematicians say that 1+1=2. Engineers say that this has to be connected to that in just the right way if things are going to work. Reason tells us what we can’t do, but faith shows us what God can do. Never forget the Christ factor, which is manifest through God’s grace and the power of prayer. I recall a moment when an elder stood at an important meeting when we were deciding whether or not we ought to sell our church building and unite with another congregation. He stood up and exclaimed, “Pastor Kenn and the Session are relying too much on faith”… and he wasn’t kidding! Without God, two small fish wouldn’t even feed one of us and five small barley loaves wouldn’t feed us either. Andrew and Phillip were right in a practical sense… but they were very wrong and limiting… because they left out the Jesus factor;

4.    We are called to give Jesus what we have! None of us have enough to do what God can do and few of us have enough to make the news. Most of us are in the small fish and barley loaves business… but God can use what we offer to change lives! We need to give as much as we can to as much of God as we understand every day. To do more would be impossible- to do less would be unfaithful. God could do it all himself, I am sure, but ever since he put Adam in his garden to tend to the animals and the plants, God has chosen us to love the world in his name. We are not full partners, but we are called to participate in God’s ministry here on earth;

5.    Jesus will not let us define him. He is NOT our servant, and he doesn’t seek our approval. He is more than able to do what we consider impossible… but this doesn’t mean that it’s all about us or that we always get what we want! The people whom Jesus fed out of compassion would have to feed themselves on the next day and they were not allowed to serve Jesus on their terms. God will bless us when he chooses, and we should praise him when he does. In the other moments of our lives, we ought to make it our business to serve him and feed others in his name! Amen!