It Is Enough

The disciples were not being cruel here. In fact, they were the ones who saw the problem. They saw the problem and they did their best to solve it. They put their heads together and thought it through. First, they measured the problem. There were ten thousand or more people there, they took that fact into their accounting. Next, they recognized it was a desolate, solitary place and there were no shops. Third, they looked at their purse and there was no money. Then, they looked at the time -- it was gone. So they drew the only reasonable conclusion they could. Their solution was that they couldn’t feed them. They would have to say, "Jesus, you need to send these people away. Send them away Hungry. Let them go while there is still some daylight left. This is problem to big solve, we looked at everything, and this is our conclusion: we cannot deal this problem.

The disciples were practical people. they were fishermen and farmers. They lived with the daily demands of life. They knew what was manageable and what was beyond them. They were being realistic. They were a lot like us. There are needs all around us. Real needs, Big needs, and big problems that are beyond what we know we can handle. And we know what must be done. We’d love to help, but it’s too much. Send them away. It’s called a referral. A mother shares with you that her child is getting involved with the wrong kind of kids, they are putting the pressure on, and there are so many temptations to face. It’s more than a parent can handle.. These parents are hungry for answers. They ask you "What are we to do?" It’s a problem, a big problem. Call big brothers/big sisters. Call Head Start. Send them to children and youth. Lord send then away. Or a couple shares with you that their marriage is in so much turmoil that days go by when they don’t speak, or one of them doesn’t bother coming home. And it’s better that way - at least it’s quite. It’s more than they can handle. They ask you “ What are we to do? It’s a problem, a big problem. Refer them to a marriage counselor. Contact the woman’s center. Send them to MHMR. Lord, send them away. A homeless person calls the church. They have , no job, no place to stay, no money for food. It’s more than they can handle. They ask you “” what am I to do?” It’s a problem, a very big problem. Call human services, call the welfare office, send them to the Gatehouse. Lord, send them away.

YOU FEED THEM

But Jesus says, "No, they can stay; YOU feed them." Jesus doesn’t condemn the disciples, in fact he agrees with them, up to a point. He knows people are hungry. He too realizes the hour is late. And no, there are no Giant markets in Bethsaida. He knows the need, he just doesn’t agree with their solution. “You give them something to eat.” If there are hungry people here feed them. They had spent the day healing the sick, casting out demons, preaching good news to the forsaken, what was one more need? Why stop now? You fed them. Why stop now? Feed the hungry, heal the sick, shelter the Homeless. Hmm. Jesus always seems to be asking more of us than we can handle- as spouses and parents and students and workers and on and on. He calls us to love, even when loving is difficult; to forgive, even when we have been wronged; to serve even when the task is so great. And those things are not easy to do. After all, we are not Jesus, our powers are not unlimited, as his were.