Matthew 14:13-21 (ESV)
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in
a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they
followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a
great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now
when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate
place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the
villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not
go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have
only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to
me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the
five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a
blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the
disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied.
And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And
those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
What a story! Is it real? Is it another parable? I’m not the
one to say. I’m just a Christian Layman Disciple of God interested in God’s
Word and God’s calling for me in my life. But I do have something to say. As
little as it is; I do have a reflection on the Word of God as to what I hear
God speaking to me in this passage.
In this passage, Jesus hears about John the Baptist’s
beheading and withdraws from the crowds to be alone. I have had this very exact
feeling lately. The desire to withdraw to be alone at the recent death of my brother-in-law
and my sister, just over a week apart. I withdrew and felt the feeling of being
in a boat in the middle of the ocean all by myself. My withdrawal, however,
turned into a selfish pity for my own loss. A selfish pity of my own pain. It
wasn’t until I heard the voice of Jesus calling me back to the shore, to be
with him, that I began to change. You see, Jesus had compassion for me. Jesus
loved me and wanted me to be with him, rather than to be alone in my little
boat in the midst of the ocean.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus has compassion on the crowds.
The crowds were beat down by, not only the rulers of the day, but the religious
authorities as well. John the Baptist, the one crying out in the wilderness for
the crowd to turn and repent, was now dead. Where were the crowds to turn now?
Jesus went to be alone, but he also came to the shore to the crowds. Jesus came
to the shore and was full of compassion for the people. The people were like
sheep without a shepherd. They had lost John the Baptist leadership. So, Jesus
had compassion for them.
And the compassion of Jesus means the power to save. Jesus
has compassion so rich, so deep, that he will save the crowds in need.
Contrast the meal in this passage, a meal of compassion and
love, to the party meal of Herod and the beheading of John the Baptist in the
few verses earlier in Matthew 14:1-12…
Matthew 14:1-12 (ESV)
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame
of Jesus, and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He
has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work
in him.” For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in
prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John
had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And
though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they
held him to be a prophet. But when Herod's birthday came, the
daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that
he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by
her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And
the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to
be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head
was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her
mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and
they went and told Jesus.
Back to the current Gospel passage…
Human troubles are too great for human strength. The crowd
is tired and hungry and away from civilization.
Here, Jesus takes a small amount of human resource (food)
and changes it into more than is needed. Jesus compassionate grace makes all
the difference. Jesus is the giver of the bread of life. Later in the Great
Meal, Jesus reflects on life in him in the gifts of bread, his body, of wine,
his blood and leads all to him in a salvation only in him and through him,
given freely to all who believe in him. All kind of a summary of this whole
passage in the Great Meal… Today… Yesterday… Forever.
Five loaves and two fish, leave the multitude helpless.
I should not fail to mention to some of the literalists out
there, nowhere in the Gospels does it claim that Jesus multiplied the food.
There is something much deeper happening here as Jesus gives his compassion
away to the crowds. Crowds, today, yesterday and into eternity.
The bread came through human hands after all. Someone had to
make the bread from the gifts God gave to them from the earth. This tiny bit of
bread was given into the hands of Jesus. Jesus bids us to bring our tiny bit of
troubles to him. Jesus bids and calls us to come to him, even as Jesus comes to
us. Bring what we believe to be insurmountable, starving, death filled,
troubles to Jesus.
And, in another sense, bring what we have to offer from our
hands to Jesus to make something out of them, that is goodness for all the
world.
My tiny signal of 100 watts or less bounces around in the
ionosphere and hops across the earth to reach a multitude of other Ham Radio
Operators, listening for my signal, to respond to it in kind. Some of my signal
goes straight out into space in an endless quest to reach who knows who.
My signal is not really of my own effort. I put very little effort
into how my signal spreads. God takes my tiny signal to all the earth and sky
to spread it around. My tiny signal is spread into space as well. God takes
what little I have and gives it exceedingly, to all the universe.
In this meal and in my electro magnetic signal there is an
alliance between man’s little bit and God’s abundance. If we do what we can, in
trust and dedication to God; God will bring about the increase. The steadfast love and compassion of God in
Jesus endures forever.
Come to the free banquet of a few fish and a little bread,
out of the sure death of our very need and hear the call of Jesus. You are a
Child of the Promise, a Child of God.
Take it freely, and give it freely, trusting in God to lead
you, guide you, fill you, send you in his compassionate grace and love, today… tomorrow…
and forever. --- Amen
Thanks be to God for this Great Meal of Today, Yesterday and
Forever!
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