Proper 12.B.24
John 6:1-21
The Rev. Melanie McCarley

The story of the “Feeding of the Five Thousand” is one of the best known and well loved miracles found in the Bible—and with good reason. It is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. In fact, the symbol of bread and fish is an ancient one, dating back to the earliest days of Christianity—as a symbol both of the Eucharist, and a reminder of this particular miracle—that Jesus took five barley loaves and two fish and fed five thousand hungry people.

Many folks, these days, are less enchanted with miracles and more keen to find rational explanations for what happened in the Bible. Here’s how one popular re-telling of this particular miracle goes. The crowd is hungry, and Jesus makes it known that the people should share their food with one another. A generous young boy comes forward and offers to Jesus the only food he has. This act of kindness on the part of the child causes everyone in the crowd to pull out the food that hitherto they had been hiding beneath their cloaks, and share with one another. Some say the “real miracle” is that people shared, not that Jesus mysteriously multiplied the food.

My take on this theory is that I believe—quite happily and sincerely—that Jesus truly did multiply the meager supply of five barley loaves and two fish. Given the choice, I will place my faith in Jesus’ ability to perform the miraculous every time. I don’t believe that we can or should try to explain the mystery of God—yet, we should try to understand, as best we are able, the messages which God sends to us through the miraculous. In other words, Jesus performed miracles for a reason—they are signs and messages about the nature of God. So, when we read about miracles in the Bible, keep in mind, they are there not simply because they are good stories (though they are). They are also signposts, relaying important information about the nature of Jesus Christ and the Almighty.

In this reading—in the story itself, we discover that those five thousand individuals, seated on the grass for the picnic of their lives—recognized the miracle which had taken place before them. They weren’t about the business of patting themselves on the back for learning how to share—no, they were so taken with what had occurred, they wanted to make Jesus their King, as opposed to their Kindergarten Teacher. So, the problem for Jesus, as we witness in today’s lesson, was not persuading people about the veracity of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes—the problem was in getting these same people to see past the miracle to its deeper meaning—to its message about God.

More often than not, people (including ourselves, mind you), were (and are) determined to remain blithesomely unaware. What folks wanted (and perhaps what they still want today) is to have their needs satisfied in the easiest, most expedient way possible. Take another look at those gathered on the lawn. This isn’t a story of people simply sharing their food—these are people so amazed at what occurred, that they wanted to make Jesus their king.

And yet, sharing is important—and, the truth is, it does figure prominently in this story. That young boy who gave what little had had, was the starting point of the feast which fed five thousand. So, let’s look a bit more deeply into what that young person actually had in his possession. It wasn’t much—in fact, it was downright laughable in comparison with what was truly needed in order to feed that crowd. Yet, here’s the catch—it was something. And that young person, offered it to the Son of God.

From that small amount—Jesus took what was offered and everyone was fed—and not simply fed—but given all they wanted—in fact, given more than enough, with twelve baskets of leftovers.

So, sharing (making an offering to God) is important. And, let me tell you, it’s hard. I recall a pre-school teacher telling of one young boy who arrived at school one morning and quickly gathered five balls into his possession. And there he sat, legs splayed, and hands full, holding them. Other children arrived, and of course—they saw those balls and wanted to play. The little boy, however, was having none of it. In his mind, those balls were his—he had gathered them and they were now in his possession. And he took great care that none of them should roll away. But here’s the thing—whether you are three years old or thirty, it’s not easy to hold onto five balls. Try it sometime. You can’t really play with them because quick as a flash, they roll out of your possession and into the hands of someone else. So, what do you do? In the case of the child, he sat thee, hording them. Subsequently, he was unhappy in his predicament—because, they truth is, what he really wanted to do was to play—and the other children who had no balls and therefore could not play were unhappy as well.

We might smile at the absurdity of the situation…but that’s nothing compared to what adults can manage to achieve. We have deeds and bills of sale to demonstrate what we own. There are folks out there who purchase houses on the basis of how large their closets happen to be—as well as a well-established industry of rentable storage units to hold the excess of what we have acquired.

Imagine that you are invited to a picnic—where you are asked to bring your own meal. In your basket you’ve packed all your favorite items—fried children, cole slaw and coconut cake for dessert. Not only is this a superb picnic—this, in fact, is your favorite meal. You’ve been salivating over it for days. Now, this picnic you’re attending is unique. All those who have arrived are nothing less than a sampling of human diversity from your community. And much to your surprise, you discover that you’ve been seated right next to a young mother with two small children. They have nothing. Ask yourself this question: How much are you going to enjoy your meal without sharing it?

Here’s what Jesus teaches us in today’s lesson. It’s not the amount of what you bring to God that is so important—it’s the fact that you bring something. In fact, if you bring absolutely nothing at all—because you have nothing—your neediness is all that is sufficient. You see, God is powerful enough to do something even with that.

This miracle story points us toward a God who is powerful enough to feed us—and in feeding the five thousand, we see a clear trajectory towards the altar table of our God. For this too is a place of radical hospitality. There is always food enough for everyone. And not only this, but the food given here both sustains life and enhances it. Jesus says it clearly: “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

A good miracle, then, is a signpost. It’s an event pointing to something larger and more mysterious than itself. Jesus indeed is the one who feeds us. He not only gives us what we need, he fills us to overflowing. Let all who come, share in the feast of the Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.