Sunday, July 31, 2011
Feeding and being Fed
The Rev. Rebekah Bokros Hatch
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Alpharetta, Ga.
[What are some
things that we do in the summertime that we don’t, or can’t do in
other seasons of the year?]
For so many of us, summer, no matter how old we are or how long we’ve
been out of school, is a time when things are a little more loose than
usual. Many of us take our vacations in the summertime – to the beach,
the mountains, or even to different countries. Many of us spend more
time with family, perhaps even joining them for vacation. Many of us
stay up a little later, enjoying the extra sunlight and the warm
nights. Some of us get going a little earlier because of the gift of
extra light in the morning. The summer also offers its fair share of
culinary delights – fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables that aren’t
available any other time of the year. Tomatoes, corn, peaches, plums,
watermelon, canteloupe …we all have our favorites. All of these perks
of summer give us plenty of excuses to eat outside – cook out. Invite
people over. Enjoy big, fresh meals together.
Our Gospel story this morning is perfect for a summer August day – a
story about, essentially a big cookout. The story that we know best as
“The Feeding of the 5,000”…But this story about the disciples feeding
more than five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes is
preceded by a story of another feast. We don’t hear that story this
morning.
The story that comes immediately before this one in Matthew’s Gospel
tells us about the death of John the Baptist. The death of John the
Baptist, which happens at the hand of Herod, who happens to be at a
feast, himself, when he decides to grant Herodias’ daughter’s wish.
Her wish: for John the Baptist to be killed. And so, at this feast,
Herod decides to take the life of John the Baptist.
Two very different feasts. One with more than enough food and drink; a
feast where only the powerful are invited. One with what seems like
not anywhere near enough food; a feast where no one in particular is
invited, yet thousands come. A feast for a few; a feast for so many.
At which feast do you find yourself?
Our Gospel story this morning tells us not just a few things about
power. This story also tells us something about abundance.
And we’ve heard the message many times, though we don’t always “get
it” – that our God is a God of abundance. That the world that we call
home has everything that we need, and of course it does, because God
created it. And somehow we’ve missed how that happens.
So, our story about abundance tell us how it happens. This story from
Matthew’s Gospel tells us how it happens…and its very simple.
See Jesus came to the shore that day and there were people gathered
there. He had compassion on those people that day…and he cured the
sick that were there that day. Those were his jobs. And when it came
time for dinner, the disciples thought
it was Jesus’ job
to feed all those that had gathered on the shore. They were wrong.
Jesus’s response: “You give them something to eat.” Jesus cares and
Jesus cures, but the disciples are responsible for feeding the people
gathered on the shore that day.
And only 5 loaves and 2 fishes. What a conundrum.
But, then, something happens. Jesus blesses the fish and the bread,
and somehow the disciples are able to feed everyone gathered there.
Isn’t that something?
The miracle of this story comes in Jesus’s blessing the loaves and the
fishes, but the nourishment of this story comes when the disciples
feed the people.
I wonder what this story would have looked like if it ended after
Jesus blessed the food. Very different, because it takes the disciples
to feed the people – the story is incomplete without them.
And so the story goes for us. We are all at a feast – we gather
together in church, at home, in backyards, in parks to feast together.
We hear this morning about two feasts – one of misused authority and
one of abundance. We are invited to both, and we must choose which
invitation to accept.
If we call ourselves disciples of Jesus, we find ourselves at the
feast where all are fed. If we call ourselves disciples of Jesus, we
find ourselves at a feast where Jesus blesses and the disciples feed
those gathered. Oh wait…the disciples? That’s you and me. The people
gathered on the shore? You and me, also.
Join me at the feast where all are fed. Where Jesus blesses and fills
us all. I’ll see you there in just a few minutes….
©
The Rev. Rebekah Bokros Hatch.
All Rights reserved.
