Prop 13
Matthew 14:31-21 On Thursday as I was preparing my sermon for Sunday, I was feeling very inspired. I was inspired because I had experienced a lot of positive energy and enthusiasm about the service we participate in at FISH, the Emergency Voucher Program, and the Warming Shelter. I was feeling hopeful about things, and so I spent a little time at the piano with some books I hadn’t looked at in a while praying that my sermon would arrive. And there, in the book “Music by Heart” I found a little piece by Michael Hudson and Sandra Gay titled “Let the broken ones be healed”. From there, I not only started working on my sermon, but I also reworked the song for us to learn together. Let’s try it. Let the broken ones be healed. Let the lost be found and fed. These words resonated with me as I thought about our reading from Matthew; the lyrics seemed to fit so perfectly with the images that the gospel writer has given us. Here we have Jesus moved with compassion for those who had followed him out to the lakeshore, and he provides healing to those who have gathered. Then, as the end of the day draws near, instead of sending the people away, he instructs the disciples to feed them. This is not a story of abstract compassion, but a story of a specific response to those in need. I remember hearing someone preach on this story of Jesus feeding the 5000, and they got themselves all tangled up in the details of the miracle. How did it happen? How could you possibly feed 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish? Did people bring their own food? Did someone sneak in extra goodies? Was the gospel writer elaborating? But let’s not get tangled up. Instead, let’s look at a couple of ways to understand this story. First, we can understand it as a story of great compassion. In Bible Study, we’ve been reading Karen Armstrong’s book “Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life”. Last week, we began exploring step 6--Compassionate Actions. Armstrong tells a story about her arrival in the convent, and the Mother Superior was dying of cancer. Like all relationships, theirs had ups and downs. Armstrong recounts being called to her superior’s bedside, and that in this intimate moment between nuns, the superior said: “Sister...when you came, I was told that you might be a problem. But I want you to know that you have never been a trouble to me. You are a good girl, Sister. Remember I told you so”. Armstrong shares this story with the reader to illustrate that “one small act of kindness can turn a life around” (112). Jesus instructing the disciples to gather the food that the people had brought and then distribute it in order to feed all those by the lakeshore...while it wasn’t a small action, it was an action of kindness that deeply impacted people. Jesus could have easily said yes to the disciples...yes, send these people home. Instead, he fed them. I can’t help but wonder...were there people there for whom this was the only meal they’d had all day? When I think about the work that this community does at FISH, we are saying “yes” when no one else has. When you donate groceries, or put cans of food in the storage area, or prepare bags to be distributed, you are saying “yes”...your one small act of kindness changes a life in that moment. We can also understand the story of the feeding of the 5000 about God’s partnership with us. If you look closely at Matthew, it isn’t Jesus who gathers up the loaves and fishes, it’s the disciples. Jesus blesses the food, but he doesn’t distribute it...that’s the work of the disciples. I am reminded of hearing Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak about God needing us; that we were created so that we can be co-creators and partners with God. This story of the feeding of the 5000 is a perfect illustration of that very idea. Yes, Jesus could have prayed to God, and maybe, probably God would have sent down manna from heaven (like in the Old Testament), and then Jesus could have distributed it amongst the people. All that would have made for a wonderful miracle story too! But instead, God partnered with us. Through Jesus, God asks us what we have to offer, invites us to share it, and blesses us in our feeding of one another. As theologian Clifton Kirkpatrick states, “...if we join together in unity and faithfulness, God will be with us”. And finally, here’s my favorite way to understand the story...training for discipleship. At first, the disciples want to send the people home. They saw a situation that was too big and overwhelming. How often have we observed a situation and thought “nope...too problematic...it’s just too much” and have decided to pack it up for the day? The events of the world and even in our local communities can feel this way. I know I often feel this way, and it’s always easier to say “not my problem” and move along. But Jesus doesn’t let the disciples off the hook. He has shown compassion through the healing of those who had followed him out to the lakeshore, and now he’s teaching compassion to the disciples. Jesus invites the disciples to partner with him in feeding the gathered (here we are again with that lesson from Tutu), but he also empowers them to do their ministry. Jesus didn’t work alone, he worked through and with the disciples. This is what discipleship is about...concrete acts of love, justice and compassion as a way of expressing our faith and hope in Jesus. Back in February, the vestry approved the Emergency Voucher Program to be facilitated here at St. Mark’s. So for the last five months or so, I’ve been working with the volunteers on how to distribute the vouchers to those in crisis who need emergency food, shelter, or transportation. The first lesson is to welcome the guest and listen. The second lesson is to be compassionate. The third lesson is to act. It’s actually pretty simple to help someone out who views their situation as too overwhelming and confusing. It’s not that hard to write a gas voucher for $20 or call a local hotel and secure a room for the night. But these simple acts of kindness can turn someone’s life around. By being a disciple in training, our volunteers have the opportunity to witness someone’s struggle and pain, and to offer compassionate action to help alleviate the crisis. Like the disciples at the lakeshore, the volunteers gather the resources and distribute them. And their work is blessed. The feeding of the 5000 is indeed a miracle story. Not only in the sense that something amazing and otherworldly happened, but in the reality of people working together and having enough. Jesus, the disciples and the men, women and children at the lakeshore joined together in unity and faithfulness, and were partners with God. Let the broken ones be healed. Let the lost be found and fed. Let the grace of God roll on, let the grace of God roll on.
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AuthorI don't know what the future of the church is, but I know that we will continue to be a place of sanctuary and hope, working towards healing in the world. Archives
October 2017
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