Enough

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Enough

The gospel lesson for this week is the familiar story of the Feeding of the 5000. Weary at the end of an interrupted day, the disciples want to send the crowds away, but Jesus instructs them to feed the crowd instead, with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Afterwards they gathered the leftovers, twelve baskets full when they had started with barely a bowlful. It reminds me of the potlucks I sometimes have. Everyone seems to want to leave their leftovers with me and I have meals for a week. But this is not the story of a potluck!

Our gospel lesson is well-known for the miraculous multiplication of the fish and loaves. We are not told specifically that Jesus turned 7 pieces into 7000. Nor do I think it makes any difference what means God chose to multiply what they had. This story is much more than a miraculous meal. What compassion Jesus had for the crowds. He did not want them to be sent away, to crowd into nearby towns and wait in long lines at the nearest “Long John Silver’s.” He did not ask them to give up their spot in the grass. He didn’t even ask the crowd to share. He wasn’t at all concerned that all they might have was bean appetizers. He simply asked them to stay, blessed the small meal, and provided.

Multiplying food, Compassion, Blessing… the ingredients for a great story. But I’m even more fascinated by the interaction between Jesus and the disciples. Verse 16 is the key verse for me. Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” Did you catch that? YOU give them something to eat! That very moment on a crowded hillside by the shore Jesus was sending his disciples into the world. He was asking them to serve. And he was asking for them to do it with what they had on hand… Five loaves. Two fish. And Jesus!

Jesus sent his followers into the world just as they were and with just what they had. He asked them to trust him and serve them. The disciples gave the bread to the crowds and the disciples raked in the bountiful leftovers. They might have thought that they did not have enough, or that the crowd was too big for just 12 men to pass out food expediently, or that they would not be able to manage the complainers or the hungry rambunctious children. They might have thought Jesus was asking too much. They might have feared failure…and who wouldn’t have, given what they thought they didn’t have?

I have thought those things myself. I’m sure you have too. Lord, how can I do what you ask? I don’t know enough or have enough; I’m not strong enough or smart enough; I am too afraid, too small, not prepared. But God has given each of us all that we need, and he gave us Jesus. He calls

us to go and feed the crowds with compassion and the “Bread of Life.” He calls us to trust him and serve them. And, without fail, when we do that, we will reap far more than we sow.