Eleventh Pentecost, Proper 13, 2005

It was the young couple’s fifth anniversary.  The husband sat his wife down in the den with her favorite magazine, turned on the soft reading lamp, slipped off her shoes, patted and propped her feet on the ottoman and announced that he was preparing dinner for tonight. 

“How romantic and thoughtful,” the young wife said.

Two-and-a-half hours later, she was still waiting for dinner to be served.  She tiptoed to the kitchen and found a colossal mess.  Her harried husband was just removing a smoking roast from the oven.

“Almost ready,” he said.  “Sorry it took so long; I had to refill the pepper shaker.”

“Why, honey, how long could that have taken you?”

“More’n an hour, I reckon.  Wasn’t easy stuffing it through those stupid little holes!”

Just to get even; I know you may have heard about the new wife whose husband said he wanted fruit salad for supper.  The recipe said, “Serve without dressing.”  She did and was certainly surprised when her husband brought a friend home for dinner.

The Gospel for this Sunday is Matthew’s telling of the feeding of the multitudes.  This event is the only one that is contained in all four of the Gospels.  The truth of the story comes from what New Testament scholars call “multiple attestations.”  Something happened.  A group of people had gone to a camp meeting to hear good preaching.  The hour grew late and the disciples noticed that most everyone had forgotten to bring anything to eat.  They hadn’t expected this to turn into a picnic.  So, the observant followers brought this to the attention of the rabbi.  “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”  No fast-food joints around, no vending machines with prepackaged sandwiches, not even a country grocery store where they may have found a Pepsi Cola, some Vienna Sausages, or cheese nabs.  Nothing.

They thought they were being considerate.  Did you notice what the Lord of this life and the life that is to come did with this?  “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”  One or two of the followers reached into the pouch around their waists and found a stale hunk of bread.  A couple of the others looked down at their feet and scuffed the ground.  One of the others remembered running into a little boy who had thought ahead.  “I can find five barley loaves and two sardines,” he said.

“Bring them to me,” he said.  Then he told the crowd to sit down on the grass.  Taking the five loaves and two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.  And all ate and were filled.  The two little fish were also distributed.  After eating, they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 

They ended up with more than the amount with which they started.  I suspect that is the way it always is when we lay a problem or a need before the feet of Jesus the Christ.  Sometimes our problem is that we think we can solve the problem ourselves.  It’s just a matter of production, or corruption, or distribution, or political instability.  We just haven’t applied our most brilliant minds to the situation.  Surely we can find a way to feed the multitudes in our world who are hungry? 

I would simply want to suggest that we have not, as of yet, place this need at the feet of Jesus and listened to and then do what he says.  Did you notice that Jesus did not feed anyone?  We very often fail to read or listen carefully to what happened after Jesus was handed the problem and the material stuff out of which to do something about it.  The disciples are the ones who fed the multitude.  Meeting the need of hungry people was handed right back to the followers.  “You give them something to eat,” he said.  “Let me have whatever resources you have at your disposal.  I’ll make it enough.  Then you give them something to eat.” 

It is the most characteristic thing Jesus the Christ ever did or ever said.  “Bring your problem to me.  Lay it at my feet.  Put it on my shoulders.  Lay your burden on me.  Yoke yourself with me.  My yoke is easy; my burden is light.  What do you have that might be used to meet this problem?  I can’t do much if you’re going to be stingy, secretive, over-protective of place, station, status, occupation, income, nationality, creed, race, or any of those other things you sometimes use to rank yourself with others.”  Bring the problem, bring what you have, and let it go.

That’s what makes miracles.  Ordinary people, like you and me, doing an extraordinary thing.  Sharing.  That’s what it takes to feed a multitude.  That’s what we do again today here in this special corner of God’s creation.  We brought a little bit.  It will be added to the offering of others and it will be enough.  It will be blessed and given out.  It will always be enough.  I pray we can learn that lesson in this world where many do not yet have enough.  We can, if we will, make a difference.  We don’t have to cram pepper into little holes.  We just have to bring what we have and let the Lord have it.  That’s what makes the miracle happen.  Amen.