e-vo for week of July 27

Dearest e-votees-

I had every intention of getting this out before I left for our mission trip to Las Vegas but time slipped through my fingers.

I hope and pray you are well and that these words are a blessing to you.

Peace,
Karl

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13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16 Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." 17 They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." 18 And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the 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. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14:13-21, NRSV

The appointed gospel for last Sunday is the familiar feeding of the 5,000 (plus women, plus children maybe more like 20,000). This miracle is unique in that it is the only one of Jesus’ that is recorded in all 4 gospel accounts. When there is a really good story it gets told again and again and again. What is it about this miracle that is so compelling?

Several things:

COMPASSION OF GOD
Jesus is shown in verse 14 to have compassion on the crowds. Literally in the Greek he was “stirred in the bowels”. If you have ever seen someone so sad or so needy or so destitute and your insides hurt you get the sense. Jesus isn’t willing to turn some 20,000 people away to fend for themselves. This is remarkable. It is even more remarkable when we recall that Jesus was trying to get some alone time to grieve the beheading of his cousin John—his forerunner—his baptizer—as some sort of bizarre party favor at King Herod’s birthday party. He had every right and need to be curled into a ball of self-care but Jesus was supremely interruptible and put his needs aside for the sake of the many.

PROVISION OF GOD
The crowds needed food. All that we have on record was five loaves and two fish. John 6:9 lets us know that this food was a little boy’s provisions. Jesus didn’t let the lack win the day. He took what was available and provided what was needed. How often do we look at our own circumstances and bemoan the shortfalls? God can do remarkable things with small amounts. God speaks order into chaos. God calls into being that which is not. God multiplies and renews and restores and forgives. We look in the mirror and see the need. God looks at us with love and compassion and finds a way.

RESONANCE WITH SO MANY OTHER MIRACLES
Elijah feeding the woman at Zarephath and the ravens feeding Elijah (1 Kings 17); Manna in the desert and miraculous waters at Meribah (Exodus 16), temple tax from the mouth of a fish (Matthew 17), clothing of the lilies of the field (Matthew 12), water into wine (John 2), etc., etc. God has throughout scripture made miraculous provision from meager portions. When there is a really good story it gets told again and again and again and again and… God knows our need. God provides. It is part of our corporate story. We can live and trust and lean into that deep truth.

OVER-PROVISION OF GOD
Not only does God provide, God over-provides. Solomon asked for wisdom two Sundays ago and God showered him with blessings. After the 20,000 or so were feed there were still large amount of leftover. Jesus made something like 120-180 gallons of the choicest wine to bless the wedding at Cana. God grants not only our needs but God blesses us so much more richly than we ever deserve. We can’t nor shouldn’t treat God like a giant vending machine in the sky. We can trust however that God loves us and takes care of us more than we ever could imagine or deserve. If we, though we are evil, know how to give good gifts to our children… (see Luke 11:13)


God draw us into your love. Help us rest in your provision and over-provision. Help us lean hard into the stories of your people—our people. Help us know your compassion and grow in our capacity to bless the world with that same care. Amen.