This sermon was delivered to Holy Trinity Church in Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland on the 28th July 2024
(a Scottish Episcopal Church in the Dioceses of Glasgow and Dumfries).
“Please join me in my prayer.” Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Amen. (Ps. 19:14).
Introduction.
The reading this morning of the great miracle of the “Feeding the Five Thousand,” is a story we have all heard many times before, and listened to many sermons as well. I remember well a sermon I did away back in August 2011, where on preparing that sermon, I was enlightened to find that Jesus by feeding the Five Thousand, defied a law of physics which says that “matter can neither be created nor destroyed”, and here we find, Jesus creating food from nowhere.
Back of the church
Now I was quite chuffed with this revelation until, standing at the back of the church after the service, one woman said, “good sermon Gordon, but … “, and I went “aw naw, here we go, … “and this is how it actually happened” she said, and went onto tell me with authority and in detail, how the people who followed Jesus that day into the desert, all took food with them as they knew it was going to be a long day, but they didn’t tell the others in case they had to share their food … but when Jesus blessed the bread and fish, everyone simply started to share the food they had brought with them. … Now I didn’t argue because I had actually heard this interpretation myself many years before, and I had wanted to stay well clear of it because amongst other things, I feel, it totally demystifies and demeans the miracles and presence of Jesus … and the whole bible as well if you come to think about it.
Rewrite the bible
Because … if you start to go down the road of explaining the miracles in terms of … magical events, then we have a problem. … And the problem is this, where are you going to stop.
Caveat.
Now I do agree the bible was written over two centuries ago, in another language and too a people of a different culture, with different customs and values, and I agree we must make allowances for that, but to explain the miracles away in everyday terms, greatly devalues their meaning and impact, because it devalues Jesus as God.
We have to decide
So, we have to decide whether we believe the bible as it was written … or we take the parts we like, and throw away the parts that we don’t like. … Now this is not as easy as you would think, because on one hand, if we believe the bible is as written, then we must believe that Jesus defied the Laws of Physics with this miracle by feeding the five thousand, and him walking on water as well … and other seemingly impossible miracles … and God only knows what laws were broken when Jesus was resurrected from the grave. … And not just the New Testament, the Old Testament as well, including the story of Adam and Eve whom Jesus believed in, yet is disproved by every modern-day scientist.
On the other hand, (or the other extreme), where we leave out the parts of the bible, we do not like … or don’t understand, some of us are going to end up with a very thin bible; a bible probably with the Christmas story, harvest thanksgiving, maybe the crucifixion … and the maps at the very back of the bible which no one reads.
We must make a decision.
You see, it’s not an easy choice to make, both are extreme, but we must make a decision and choose one. I had to make this decision many years ago, and it came down to this: either the bible wrong with these stories of the miraculous, or my brain was not capable of believing what the bible was saying; as it is totally illogical as many people claim.
I chose the latter and I am glad I did because years later, as an engineer, I began to understand the bible in a very logical sense as you know, and the older I get, the more logic I see, gelling more and more of the bible together, making it so much clearer, and easier to understand, now that I have my spiritual ears on.
You would miss.
So, with that in mind, I believe Jesus fed this multitude of people, somehow defying the laws of physics, and making it an impressable miracle indeed. … And I am not the only one impressed by this miracle, as all four of the gospel writers recorded this miracle, in fact, this is the only miracle, in the earthly ministry of Jesus, that is told in all four gospels. … So please, tread carefully when telling the story of people smuggling food into his meetings, because if you don’t, you are going to miss some hidden gems if you do. In this story alone:
• you would miss, how Jesus really appreciated and valued everyone who came to his meetings, and how he wants to supply all our needs,
• you would miss the back drop for Jesus’ great discourse on the “Bread of Life” in John chapter 6, which is based on this miracle,
• you would miss Jesus’ testing his most senior disciples Philip and Andrew,
• you would miss Jesus using a child, and encouraging child ministry,
• and amongst many other things, you will miss how Jesus likes things being done properly, and in order.
End of the Introduction, the message.
But I won’t go into any of these things this morning because I have something far better for you. … From our reading this morning we read verses 5 to 6, “When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do”.
The enormity of the task ahead.
Here we see Jesus highlighting to Philip the enormity of the task ahead, for Philip replied in the next verse, verse 7, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”
Six months wages in today’s terms is well over £20,000; so that must either be some crowd or some feast, or both. … Jesus said this to make Philip appreciate what was about to happen, that is, that it would take a great miracle indeed, to feed this crowd. … Clearly, we see Jesus showing compassion for the crowd, and at the same time teaching his disciples, (and us), a lesson.
Jesus did not say this.
Next, verses 8 and 9, ”One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, says to Jesus, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. … Here now the topic of the meagre loaves and fish are introduced.
Next, verse 10, ” … and Jesus said to Andrew, “I have 5000 people to feed, what am I going to do with 5 loaves and 2 fish, go away, and give me some peace”.
No, no and no, Jesus did not say that. … Some of us, would have said that, because that is natural or human thinking, and that is what I was meaning earlier, when I said that we need to accept the bible as written … to put our spiritual ears on, and to tune in on what Jesus is saying.
What Jesus actually said.
The last thing those disciples were expecting was for Jesus to say, “five loaves and two fish, that is exactly what I am looking for, that will do just fine”. … Well, he must have said that, or something similar, (in Aramaic of course), because in the next verse, the verse I should have read, verse 10, “Jesus said, “Make the people sit down … so, they sat down, about five thousand in all”. … Meaning, let the people know that the solution is on hand … calm everyone down and stop them from worrying about it … although I am sure some of the disciples must have been saying, “five loaves and two fish and 5000 people”, what’s he talking about what is he going to do”? … but this is what I am trying to get at this morning, (not the food), but all we mortal humans ever focus on, is what we do not have … and what we want or demand.
Look for the things in life that we have.
Very few of us, look at things from the perspective of being grateful for what we have, (albeit in a limited form like those loaves and fish). … You see, we all learn from a very early age the topic of lack and limitation … and we have adapted our lives accordingly, just like every human being on this earth. … In fact, that is what makes the world go round …, everyone looking for something they do not have, whereas … Jesus in this great miracle, is telling us to look at life in an entirely different way … from a completely different perspective.
Jesus is telling us to look for the things in life that we have, things we are grateful for, and not the things that we do not have. … He is saying that we are to look for the things in life that bring us blessings … so that we can be grateful for them, thereby enabling us to give thanks to God for them … that way, we are injecting his love into these small blessings … and through his love … these blessing can only but grow.
It therefore does not matter how small and insignificant these things we are grateful for are … it’s the ability to inject love and appreciation into them, that brings their growth. These things may be small and insignificant just like those five barley loaves and two fish amongst over 5000 people, but read, (with fresh eyes and your spiritual ears on), what Jesus did with this insignificant amount of food in the next verse, verse 11, ”Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks”, … notice, he gave thanks for these loaves, meaning, he appreciated them … he was grateful for them … injecting his love for them, and into them … thanking God his father for them … for the little he had in his hand … that allowed God, to greatly multiply them.
Now, look at this another way.
Now, look at this another way, had Jesus looked at them in the manner I suggested earlier, he would have said, “is that all you have got for me, how am I to feed five thousand people with that … anyway, it’s their fault, they should have brought food with them … they knew it was going to be a long day … and they chose to follow me into the desert”. … Again, by looking at what Jesus did not say, it helps us appreciate what Jesus did say, because I am sure you will all agree, that Jesus always spoke with compassion, and would never speak that way … and notice, he never blamed anyone either … not even the government.
Listen, I’m an expert on this
When we are in need, how many of us give thanks for the little we have? … How many of us moan and complaint that we do not have enough? … Listen, I’m an expert on this, I have moaned and complain and blamed everyone all my life, but in my defence, I did not know of any other way to tackle such problems.
So, I can easily forgive anyone for focusing on lack and limitation, as it is of course the natural reaction of every human being when we are in need, to blame someone and everyone else, because all we ever see is what we “do not have” … and guest what, we somehow bless, what we, “do not have” by focusing on it so much … and guess what again … we end up with more of what we “do not have” … (if that all makes sense).
Jesus is telling us that we need to change our thinking.
Jesus is telling us that we need to change our thinking, our focus, and be grateful for the little we have, and turn our thoughts away from what we “do not have”. … It’s a totally new way of looking at lives lack and limitations … an I will add, have you ever noticed that the more you try sometimes, the more you fail. … I sincerely wish I had learned and accepted this 60 years ago, (and its right here in this great miracle), but as they say, education is wasted on the young.
Next verse, verse 11 again, “Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated … as much as they wanted”.
Gather up the fragments
“As much as they wanted”, anyway, to move on, (and you know the rest), verse 12, “When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So, they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets”.
Notice the words, they were satisfied. That is the words you would use when you enter a restaurant, and you see a group of people who have just finished a large meal, all relaxed and full up, in other words … satisfied or fulfilled or content. A whole crowd of over five thousand people, were satisfied.
So, before we put a plan in to action, to get our “wants and desires” and “even our immediate needs”, we must therefore take inventory of what we already have, and not just on what we “do not have” … in order to get them.
Look at the miracles in both the Old and New Testament.
Look at the miracles in both the Old and New Testament where God took something small and magnified it, the Widow with the little pot of oil for example, and many more stories besides. … This is where the true miracles start from God’s perspective, it’s not what we don’t have or need that matters to him, but what we have, and what we are grateful for. … That is how God sees our needs, and when he sees what we are grateful for, like a loving father … he will give us all the more of the same.
All God requires from us to take what we have, and tell him how much we appreciate it, (that we are grateful for it), giving him all the thanks and glory for what we have … that way, he can multiply it … because we are allowing him to multiply it for us, and … by him doing so … we are allowing him to bless many people along the way, because he is blessing us directly. … In some ways it’s so simple, but getting into that mindset can be so difficult.
Finally, God wants to meet all our needs.
Finally, the crowd ate and were satisfied, and you can see here that God wants to meet all our needs, and every need of humanity … whether that be physical, spiritual, emotional or whatever, and only God can do this if we acknowledge or be grateful or love … the “little we have”, … regardless of how insignificant or pitiful it may be. … We need to count our blessings, we need to name them one by one as the song goes … as I think the writer of that song knew the true meaning of this miracle … the miracle of being grateful … that way, we will learn how blessed … and privileged we truly are. Amen.
