Fishes & Loaves

Biblical Reference: MATTHEW 15:30-32

JESUS DELIVERED ONE OF HIS MANY TEACHINGS ON THE COAST OF GALILEE JUST AFTER PERFORMING HIS MOST FAMOUS MIRACLE. THE FEEDING OF THE FOUR THOUSAND WITH JUST SEVEN LOAVES OF BREAD AND A FEW FISH. IN MATTHEW

15:30-32, IT WAS MADE CLEAR THAT JESUS SPENT THREE DAYS AT THE SITE PREACHING TO THE SICK. IN CALCUTTA, INDIA AN ANCIENT BIBLICAL PARCHMENT WAS FOUND UNDER LOCK AND KEY IN AN INDIAN TEMPLE. THIS FOUND PARCHMENT

WAS ONE OF THE LOST SERMONS OF JESUS. THUS, THE REASON FOR THIS MORNING’S SERMON. IT WILL GIVE YOU MORE DETAIL INTO SOME OF WHAT HE TAUGHT DRUING THESE THREE DAYS. ONE MUST REALIZE THAT BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE PARCHMENT, NOT ALL OF IT COULD BE TRANSLATED; BUT WHAT COULD WILL BE DISCUSSED HERE. THERE ARE TEN EXERPTS FROM HIS SERMON THAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT; SO LET US TAKE A JOURNEY BACK TO THAT DAY ON THE COAST OF

GALILEE WHERE THE MULTITUDE HAD GATHERED TO HEAR HIM SPEAK.

JESUS ARRIVES AND FINDS A COMFORTABLE SPOT ON TOP OF A SMALL MOUNT. AS HE SITS DOWN, ONE CAN NOT HELP BUT TO NOTICE THAT HIS DEMURE IS QUIET. HE IS SILENT FOR A WHILE, THEN HE BOWS HIS HEAD AS IF IN A SILENT

PRAYER. HIS APPEARANCE IS THAT OF A SIMPLE MAN, TALL IN STATURE WITH GOLDEN BROWN HAIR THAT REFLECTS GOLDEN HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SUN. HIS FACE IS ALMOST OVAL AND OF COURSE HE SPORTS THE TRADITIONAL JEWISH BEARD. HIS

EYES ARE VIOLET-BLUE AND SEEM TO PENETRATE TO YOU VERY SOUL. HIS VERY PRESENCE GIVES YOU A SENSE OF BELONGING AND ONENESS WITH HIM. HIS SMILE EXPRESSES PURE LOVE AND I SUPPOSE THAT IS WHY SO MANY WERE DRAWN TO HIM.

I WAS ONE, AS WELL.

SOMETIME AGO,I WAS MARY MAGDALENE, THE ADULTER AND PROSTITUTE. ONE DAY MY "SINS" CAUGHT UP WITH ME AND THE PEOPLE OF MY VILLAGE WERE GOING TO STONE ME. THEY DRAGGED ME OUT BEFORE JESUS AND TOLD HIM OF MY SIN. THE

PHARISEES,THE TEMPLE PRIESTS AND THE VILLAGE PEOPLE SAID THAT I SHOULD BE STONED. AS I LAY THERE ON THE GROUND, AFRAID AND CRYING, JESUS BENT DOWN AND WROTE WITH HIS FINGER IN THE GROUND AS IF HE HAD NOT HEARD

THEM. THEY CONTINUED ASKING HIM AND HE STOOD UPFOR A MOMENT, THEN HE STOOPED TO THE GROUND. HE PICKED UP A STONE AND SAID TO THEM, "HE THAT IS WITHOUT SIN AMONG YOU, LET HIM CAST THE FIRST STONE." IT SEEMED LIKE

FOREVER AND I EXPECTED TO BE STONED TO DEATH, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED. I HEARD THE STONES DROP ONE BY ONE FROM THEIR HANDS AND THEN SILENCE. THEN JESUS BENT DOWN AND PICKED ME UP AND SAID TO ME, "WOMAN WHERE ARE YOUR ACCUSERS? HATH NO MAN CONDEMNED YOU?" (JOHN 8:5-11) I REPLIED,"NO MAN, LORD."JESUS THEN SAID, "NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU; GO AND SIN NO MORE." I WAS OVERJOYED AND IN THAT ON SINGLE MOMENT, I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO

ALWAYS BE WHERE HE WAS. I WOULD FOLLOW HIM WHERE EVER HE WENT. NEVER HAD I FELT SO MUCH LOVE COME FROM SOMEONE AND NOT IN THE SENSE OF PHYSICAL DESIRE. SO HERE I AM, STILL FOLLOWING JESUS AND WATCHING HIM AS HE SITS UPON THIS SMALL MOUNT; JUST WAITING TO HEAR HIS WORDS.

IT IS HOT HERE ON THE COAST OF GALILEE, BUT THE SOOTHING BREEZES FROM THE SEA OF GALILEE MAKE IT TOLERABLE. IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER TO ME AS LONG AS I CAN BE NEAR JESUS AND HEAR EVERY WORD THAT HE SPEAKS.I DO NOT WANT TO MISS A SINGLE THING! THERE IS SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT THIS MAN - THIS SON OF GOD THAT MAKES ME NEVER WANT TO LEAVE HIM FOR A SINGLE MOMENT. JESUS FINISHES HIS PRAYER AND LOOKS OUT OVER THE VAST MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE GATHERED ON THE HILLSIDE TO HEAR HIM. HE CALLS THE DISCIPLES ON THIS LAST DAY OF THE THREE DAYS HE HAS BEEN HERE AND SAYS, "I HAVE

COMPASSION ON THE MULTITUDE, BECAUSE THEY CONTINUE WITH ME NOW THREE DAYS, AND HAVE NOTHING TO EAT! AND I WILL NOT SEND THEM AWAY FASTING, LEST THEY FAINT IN THE WAY." WHEN THE DISCIPLES ASKED WHERE THEY COULD

GET FOOD OUT HERE IN THE WILDERNESS TO FEED THE MULTITUDE; HE ASKED, "HOW MANY LOAVES HAVE YOU (YE)?" THEY REPLIED, "SEVEN LOAVES AND A FEW FISHES." HE ASKED THEM TO BRING IT TO HIM AND THEN HE TOOK THE BASKET WITH THE FEW FISH AND THE SEVEN LOAVES AND RAISED IT UP TOWARDS HEAVEN TO HEAVEN AND GAVE THANKS TO GOD. THEN THE MOST MIRACULEOUS THING HAPPENED - THE BASKET SUDDENLY BECAME OVERFLOWING WITH FISH AND LOAVES. AFTER THE FISH AND LOAVES BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO ALL AND THEY WERE EATING, JESUS SMILES AND BEGINS TO SPEAK.(1) "DO NOT WEEP, EVEN THOUGH YOU(THOU) WEAREST RAGS, EVEN THOUGH YOU(THOU)ART LAME,EVEN THOUGH YOU(THOU) ART HUNGRY. EVEN YOU(THOU) EAT THIS BREAD AND THIS FISH, REMEMBER; MY LOVE REACHES TO THE LEAST OF YOU(THEE,) AND IF YOU(YE) BELIEVE IN ME, YOU(YE)