August 3, 2008
(Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 13)

The Miracle of the Sharing by the Five Thousand

by The Rev. Dr. Richard I. Preis

Genesis 32:22-31  •  Psalm 17: 1-7, 16  •  Romans 9:1-5  •  Matthew 14:13-21
(From The Lectionary Page)

Since summer is a time for picnics, it is appropriate that on one of the summer Sundays, the gospel for the day be an event in the life of our Lord that is one of the largest picnics in recorded history.

When I was a boy growing up in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s, in addition to “Gone With the Wind,” there were two other books that were breaking all sales records in the book stores. The public libraries had long lists of people waiting to read them. They were written by a clergyman names Lloyd C. Douglas. The books were entitled “The Robe” and “The Big Fisherman.” They became two of the most popular books ever written on a religious subject.

The big fisherman is Simon Peter and the book includes many stories of events that took place in the relationship of Peter as a disciple of Jesus. One of those is an account of our gospel for today. It is interesting to note that reference to this event is included in all four gospels and occurs in Christian literature through the centuries.

Jesus was teaching the people and the crowds became larger and larger. On this particular day, they had been sitting listening to him long into the afternoon.

The disciples noted and so did Jesus that they probably were hungry, but how were they going to get enough food to feed all these people. I can almost see Jesus with a twinkle in his eye telling them to go out and buy some food. "No way," said the disciples. There were no near by supermarkets. "So what will we do?" said Jesus. Andrew comes forward and says, "There is a young lad here who is willing to share the food he has brought but it is only a few fish and a few loaves of bread."

Jesus has the boy come forward in the front of all the people. He takes the few fish and loaves and holds them up and asks God's blessing on just the loaves and fish? Lloyd C. Douglas thinks not and neither do I.

Jesus has the disciples start taking the food to some of the nearby folk.

All around the crowd there are people who have been sitting there all day with some packages, maybe under their folded legs or tucked in the cloaks and under skirts. They were unwilling to bring them out and start eating because they figured that there were people around them who were not so wise and did not have any food with them and then they would want them to give them some or maybe even would take it from them by force. Suddenly one man either thinks or says, "Well if that little kid can share what he has got, I guess we can share ours," and starts to take out the food he had stashed away.

He is not alone in this action and slowly all around that mob of people a miracle is taking place. People are willing to open their packages and share with one another. A miracle begins to happen. Hearts are softened. Selfishness disappears and in its place comes sharing and thousands of people are fed.

Now I firmly believe that Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God had the power literally to take a few loaves and a few fish and make them feed thousands of people. But I also believe that he had the power to use the generosity of that little boy as an example to the multitude of what sharing is all about and thereby softens the hearts of selfish people enough that they would be willing to forget themselves and be willing to share with others.

Theologians have referred to this event as The Miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. As a parish pastor I prefer to agree with Lloyd C. Douglas and call this The Miracle of the Sharing by the Five Thousand.

Both are miracles. Which is the greater? Who is to say? The important part of the story is that if Jesus Christ comes into the hearts and lives of people all kinds of miracles can take place. And now over two thousand years later, they can still happen if people are willing to submit themselves to the power of the love of Jesus in their lives.

One of the difficult things for people to do is share. Parents can attest to the fact that one of the difficult lessons they have to teach their children is to share. At any family gathering of brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts and cousins the situation of sharing always arises. Talk to any elementary school teacher and he or she will tell you that one of their most important tasks with the children is to assist them in learning how to share.

Jesus looks over the multitude today. Within that multitude are people who are hungry, hungry for physical food. Within that multitude are many who have the means to help feed those people. A check to Harvesters, the Kansas City Community Kitchen, Episcopal Community Services, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries can go a long way to helping people who are hungry and that help is most welcome.

On the other hand there is another group who are hungry -- hungry for compassion, concern, a listening ear, a friendly word, a smile. All too often there are those in that multitude today who are afraid that if they open up and offer that kind of food, it will take too much of their time. They really do not want to get involved. They are really very busy with their own needs and concerns, so they keep that assistance they could offer inside the folds of their lives.

Recently I read an article in a church publication entitled "The Ministry of the Postage Stamp." there are so many people known to each of us who are hungry for some kind of contact, some kind of expression of concern for them by someone. But we are so busy we do not have the time to write, or to phone or to maybe get involved. So we keep such contact in the folds of the garments of our lives.

When my grandfather died during the 1930s depression, my grandmother lost the house and had to move in with a niece. Our house was too small, but still one month each year, in order to give the niece a break, my mother had my grandmother come and stay with us.

I often think of my grandmother when I pick up my mail, and as I sort through it I comment, "The only piece of first class mail I got was a bill," every time the mail came to our house. She would ask, "Is there something for me?" There never was and I saw that look of disappointment on her face.

One day my mother wrote a note to my grandmother and mailed it to our address and signed it, "A Friend."

My grandmother carried that note and envelope in the pocket of her housecoat and took it out several times a day with a smile on her face. I then began to understand why once a month my mother sat me down and stood over me until I had written a letter to my grandmother.

There are so many people in our society who live alone and so long for the contact with another person. I live in a condo where there are a number of such people living there. Fortunately we have three wonderful men who, like the lad with the loaves and fish, open up their hearts to those lonely people. They are the three doormen at the entrance to the condo. Almost any time during the day or evening you can walk into the lobby of the condo and there in the bench across from their desk by the door will be someone sitting and talking, having found someone to listen -- someone to be another human being to them. A listening ear is a real gift to people who are hungry for human contact.

Where each of us is employed or goes to school are people who are hungry for food that we can offer. People who need someone to talk to, to listen to their hurts and their problems, and their loneliness. Sometimes they live in our own homes. Over and over again there are people in family relationships who frequently silently utter or even verbally, "You haven't heard one word I've said."

But we are busy. We do not have the time to get involved! Well, maybe we are just too busy. How lucky we are that our loving Lord is never too busy to take time for us. When we reach out to him we never get a rebuff, a closed ear, a busy signal, or an answering machine.

There exists a multitude today who are hungry and need to be fed. Food for the body, yes. But also food for the soul. Food for the spirit. The young boy offered what he had and Jesus blessed it.

The question in our gospel can be asked today. "How can anyone provide all theses people with bread in this lonely place?" Someone can. We have the nourishment to give to the people around us. Our Lord today can take what we are willing to share and bless it. Jesus asks us to open our hearts, open our lives to those of the multitude who are part of our lives today and be willing to share a call.

A kind word, a letter, a face to face conversation, a smile instead of the dropping of the heard or turning away.

In doing so you and I today can be a part of The Miracle of Sharing by the Multitude.