August 2nd Sermon by The Reverend Loree Reed

Matthew 14: 13–21
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen

It was the kind of news you never want to hear. Jesus’ cousin John, who had been like a brother to him, had been killed – murdered – in the ghastliest way imaginable. Herod had had him beheaded – simply at the vengeful whim of his new wife Herodias and her daughter Salome. After hearing the news, Jesus needed some time alone –– to grieve, to sort out his thoughts, to pray. So he headed by boat for a deserted place he knew about in the hills above Bethsaida, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. He was more than ready to take time alone, by himself.

But it wasn’t to be. Seeing him climb aboard the boat, a big crowd raced on foot to the spot on the shore where they saw the boat heading. By the time Jesus stepped ashore the crowd was already waiting for him, already clamoring for a moment of his time.

Now you would think –– that for once –– Jesus would put them off and take the time alone he needed so badly. But he didn’t. Seeing their need he forgot about his own. Matthew says that when he saw that huge crowd “he had compassion for them.” In English we say, “his heart went out to them.” So he ministered among them for the rest of the day, until it was nearly sundown.

Now the conventional wisdom, the wisdom they pass along in seminaries these days, is that clergy, too, need to take care of themselves. They need to practice ‘self-care’ if they’re ever to take care of others. And in conventional terms that only makes sense. You can’t give to others if you yourself are exhausted and empty. Only – that’s not the way Jesus seemed to do it. Exhausted or not, he seemed to give of himself over and over again. And he wants his disciples to be the same way. So at the end of the day when the disciples want to send the crowds away to get something to eat in surrounding villages he tells them – “You give them something to eat. You feed them.” In other words, “Do as you’ve seen me do – and give of the little that you do have.”

The disciples are dumbfounded. Matthew tells us they reply they have nothing but five loaves and two fish – hardly enough for this enormous crowd. When Mark tells the same story he recalls the disciples’ sarcasm, asking Jesus if they’re to spend their annual salary for a single meal for these people. And Luke notes that by now the crowd had grown to about 5,000 people.

But Jesus isn’t fazed by their incredulity. There’s something he wants them to learn. And it has a whole lot to do with giving their all – generously, for the common good – and trusting Him to supply the rest. In fact, that’s the very first thing he’d told them about the Kingdom of God when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount at the very beginning of his ministry. “Blessed are the poor in Spirit,” he told them in that sermon, “for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”

Now, years ago, I had trouble understanding that beatitude. How could being poor –– in any way shape or form –– get anyone closer to the Kingdom of God? I finally began to understand when I read that same passage in the New English Version, which reads, “How blessed are those who know their need of God . . . the Kingdom of God is theirs.”

That’s when I began to understand that God created us all needy, all needing relationship with him – especially if we are trying to do his work on this earth. Jesus, of course, gave us an example to follow as he rose early in the morning to spend time with God, before anyone else was stirring. That‘s how he was able to do God‘s will, day in and day out. And that’s how we do it too – trusting that as we confess our need, God graciously fulfills our need. “Ask and it shall be given unto you” Jesus said. “Seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened.” Or, as Isaiah puts it this morning, “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!”

But Jesus knew it wasn’t enough for the disciples to grasp this truth in their heads; they had to practice it if they were really to understand it. So that evening on the hillside he says, “You give them something to eat.” In other words, practice what you think you understand. And you know what happened. When Jesus offered the five loaves of bread and two fish up to God the Father, thanking Him for what they did have and asking him to bless the rest, God multiplied that meal until everyone had eaten all they wanted. And still there were scraps left over.

Now often, in the Church, we explain this mystery by reminding people of the abundance they receive at the Communion rail. At the altar the priest blesses a very small quantity of bread and wine – yet somehow, everyone receives exactly what they need. But this week, I thought, maybe I can‘t offer that example. Maybe that‘s not fair when we aren‘t yet able to share Communion here in the church.

But the more I thought about that, the more I realized that the Kingdom principle still holds true. Whether we are in church at the Communion rail or somewhere out in the world, God still supplies our need – all kinds of needs – when we ask. And He will do it in a heartbeat if we are giving out of our own need for others‘ benefit.

And then I realized, I had seen the perfect example of this working in our midst here in Eatonton these last few months. We are a small congregation, and not a particularly wealthy one. But that hasn’t stopped us from giving our all to help our neighbors in need when we have learned of their need. So this year when the Covid crisis arose we added to our regular Protein Pantry donations and Backpack Ministry donations to give nearly $6,000 to Putnam Christian Outreach – to tide people over until Appleton Episcopal Ministries could supply the disposable diapers people could no longer afford . . .  until the schools could arrange distribution points around town where needy children could continue to receive free breakfast and lunch . . . until government spending could offer assistance to people who had lost their jobs. We gave of what we had – and by God’s grace the need was met.

You see, God is still in the miracle–working business, just behind the scenes, just beneath the surface. And this time He used you to deliver the blessing. Well done, good and faithful servants! Yours is the Kingdom of God.
Amen

 
 
 
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