Last week I spoke about the compassion and power of Jesus,
Jesus shows that his gifts are also for the present – Jesus feeding people with physical food. And in another sign of the greater power, Jesus then walks
on water and stills the wind. Several different images of power, each time used to teach others that the kingdom of God is more powerful than the forces created by it; more powerful than ignorance, hunger, fear, natural laws, and man-made laws.
Today I want to look at the resources that are being used, particularly in the story of feeding the crowd. But first I’d like to note that this miracle is the only one that appears in all four gospels, so whatever emphasis each gospel writer puts on the story, whoever his version is aimed at, this is an important story.
Last week we read from Mark’s gospel; today we look at the version in John’s gospel, and with it to a more complex version of the story; with layer upon layer of meaning and allusions, far too much, in fact, to talk about today. And I note that we've just sung about God providing manna - food in times of need.
To stay at the simple level this is a story about the kingdom of God breaking through as Jesus meets our needs, and shows his mastery of natural laws. At the same time Jesus opens our eyes to our own resources, and the power within that.
And in among the many layers of meaning, there is also our individual response to the text, which must, because we are made in the image of God, will also influence our understanding. So may I invite you to come with me on a journey, as I look at the elements of this story as if it were a play, and what that has to say to us.
Firstly there is the time of the events – near to Passover, It’s a time when all God’s people turn to remembrance of Divine intervention in the history of the people; when God saved them from slavery in Egypt through the faithfulness of Moses. Are we intended to make that connection with Jesus as the new Moses, a prophet? Listen to Dick to find out.
Let’s look at the place. In John’s gospel this is on a mountain. Where do prophets go to reveal the power and presence of God; that’s right – mountains. Think of Elija and Elisha on Mount Carmel.
Let’s look at the characters involved and their relationship to Jesus.
The crowd. Was this only a crowd of lost and disenfranchised people looking for something that only God could provide? Or was it also a group of people seeking a political solution to their slavery? John tells us that the people followed Jesus because they saw miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. John doesn’t use words carelessly; when he used the word 'signs' it was because a sign points to something.
The healing that John speaks of is not the end in itself; all healing in the bible is only ever temporary. That doesn't stop it from being special to the person, their friends and relatives, but people still die in the end. However their healing gives them and others a foretaste of the future that we cannot see now, but believe will come, a glimpse into a future where pain and suffering is no more and our wholeness is completely restored.
The healing is a sign that points to a future when chaos and dis-order is completely over-ruled by a greater power. That is what I mean by God’s kingdom breaking through. The healing is a sign that points to Jesus being more than just an itinerant preacher. It is actually, and they are correct in this, a sign that Jesus is their king – just not in the way that they think.
This is also about power, and the use and misuse of power. Just as Jesus was encouraged, in the wilderness, to turn stones into bread for his own comfort, so the crowds here represent another temptation – to be distracted from his real mission by having human greatness thrust upon him; to accept the transient symbols of earthly power; to allow himself to be proclaimed what he was later accused of being – King of the Jews.
So, when Jesus actually performs a miracle involving bread, to feed the hungry, I can imagine a slight twinkle in an eye, and I can almost hear a voice saying, "you see, I can do it – at my will, not yours."
As a result the crowd is taught and fed, their immediate needs are met, their minds are opened; but they are not yet ready to understand everything and they are wrong in their conclusion; so Jesus makes his exit, back - to a mountain. A mountain - mentioned twice in one passage – John doesn’t waste words.
Now let’s turn to the disciples. What do they think is happening? Do they know more than the crowd? In modern management parlance – what is the learning point for them?
They are presented with a serious and apparently insoluble issue. Jesus’ words must have sounded a bit like “Houston, we have a problem” when he asked where to buy bread. Philip’s reply is not about where, but about the wherewithal – the cost. Again John is painting a subtle picture for us here. The actual cost of salvation in this gospel is far more than eight month's wages isn't it? Jesus has asked a question that has presupposed two things – firstly, that the solution is available outside the group, and secondly that it can be bought for money.
Philip’s reply is a quite straightforward answer to a question – thinking inside the box – 'we can’t do it that way.' It sets up the next statement.
Andrew’s follow-on statement is more interesting; he starts from where they are, with what they have – not a lot, but something. We then go on to read about the miracle. For now though, I wonder how often we look for outside solutions, wish for resources that we don’t have and can’t get, rather than look to the meagre resources that we do have and start from there.
If we look again at Moses, who reckoned himself to be a poor public speaker, Moses who wanted his brother Aaron to speak for him, God worked with that, took Moses from the man he was, and turned him into the man he wanted Moses to be. In this story, a few loaves and fishes become enough to meet the needs of a large number of people – the resources to feed the crowd came from the resources of the crowd.
And after people had ‘as much as they wanted’, they didn’t throw away the left-overs. This kingdom of God is not wasteful. You and I are not left-overs. All are safely gathered in – bread and fish – is this a reference to Jews and Gentiles? The analogy here is with the twelve tribes of Israel –the twelve baskets – full, ‘nothing be wasted’ – all God’s people safely together, and that after all have been fed – no-one goes hungry.
The disciples were the foil to this miracle – obedient, trusting, maybe a bit puzzled, certainly not aware of everything that was going in, but like us, learning as we go – works in progress.
There is another character that really matters in this story – one who is often ignored; the “boy with five small loaves and two small fish”. Suppose one boy had hung onto his lunch? Suppose he had decided that it would be better for him to be fed than for everyone to be hungry – after all, what difference could his small offering make to such need? Why should he give up his lunch?
Many of you will know this story, but it’s worth repeating,
A man was walking along a beach when in the distance he could see a small boy down on the shore line. As he got closer he could see thousands of starfish, washed up by an unusually strong tide, and left for dead stranded on the beach. The man paused and watched the little boy repeatedly bending down, picking each starfish up one by one and tossing it back into the water. The man approached the little boy and said “What are you doing? Stop now, you will tire yourself out, there are too many starfish stranded that you can’t make a difference here. The young boy stooped down silently, picked up another starfish and threw it back into the ocean. “It made a difference to that one” he said.”
How often do we find ourselves feeling overwhelmed by the scale of the problems we have to face, certain that we need far more than we have to make any difference at all. I find this story really challenging on that basis. We are so used to reading this story and thinking of abundance and generosity, of needs being met and wants exceeded, of Jesus the miracle-worker, showing us the kingdom breaking through, bringing wholeness and peace and the promise of eternity. And yet, isn’t it really easy to see this in terms of someone else doing something else to make things right for us? Isn’t that what the crowd wanted?
How often do we have the courage to work with God, to provide the loaves and fishes for the banquet? How often do we let our own doubts and fears stop us from looking to our own resources first to solve problems.And, as I look through the glass door to the hall beyond, I ask, - how often, when we do start something in faith, do we find that the abundance and love of God overflows and leaves us with far more than we could have hoped for?
Here is another quote to close with,
What are you waiting for?
I’m waiting for my lottery numbers to come up.
I’m waiting for my children to grow up.
I’m waiting for the weather to change.
I’m waiting for him to say sorry.
I’m waiting for George to lend me a stepladder.
I’m waiting for the government to make a decision.
I’m waiting for the phone to ring.
I’m waiting for the fashion to change.
I’m waiting for the council to ‘do something.’
I’m waiting for a miracle.
I’m waiting for someone else to bring the bread.
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