Sermon Aug 3rd Proper 13

The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand is so well known that we barely need to tell it to know what we are talking about. In fact, if I stood up and said just that the Gospel is the feeding of the five thousand and nothing else we might have had some conversation  around now, was that five loaves or five fish, was it seven baskets or twelve and what was the exact number he fed.

This is because there are two feeding stories. Both of them turn up in Matthew and Mark but the other Gospels only have one. People have read all sorts of things into the different numbers and into explanations of why the stories turn up twice. Whatever the hidden meaning, it is obvious that with limited space the writers of Matthew and Mark both felt that these stories were important enough to bear repetition.

The feeding of the 5,000 reaches back into the history of Israel – the theme of hunger and being fed in a deserted place would have reminded people of the Exodus, of God’s provision in the desert. But they would also propel a Christian reader forward to the remembering and anticipating the Eucharist – this taking, blessing, breaking, sharing action which results in satisfaction beyond expectation.

It is interesting to note that the people themselves are not moaning and complaining about being hungry – the disciples note that it is late and their response is purely practical – we need to get them out of here. Jesus response is different – no, he says, we have everything that they need here. And that seems impossible, there is so little food, but in a spontaneous miracle of generosity Jesus transforms the paucity of the moment into abundance which exceeds.

That difference between the practical care of the world, the making sure that responsibility does not fall on them, of the disciples, and the generosity and self-giving which Jesus adopts as he feeds all of those people is a mark of the kingdom.

God’s generosity is not a little thing. It is not something which can be hidden in corners, or contained in boxes or, even, kept safely inside the walls of the Church. God’s generosity invades our lives – just as the generosity of Jesus invaded the lives of those people that day two thousand years ago, and left them amazed and contented and fed.

There is a tory told of a farmyard. In the farmyard lived a rat. Of course he kept himself to himself most of the time and especially he tired not to be seen by the farmer. But one day he got spotted and he heard the farmer tell his wife that they must get a rat trap. A day or two later the dreaded trap turned up and the rat felt he must warn the other animals of the change.

He went and found the chicken and the pig  and the cow and he said to them,

“We must be careful, the farmer has a rat trap, it will change things for us.”

The chicken and the pig and the cow laughed,

“That trap is for  you little rat, he will put it where you run at night, it will catch you unaware. You are unwelcome here, we belong.”

The rat was upset at this but he knew there was nothing he could do to help such stubborn animals. That night, the rat was woken from a dream by a loud snap. Some poor creature had wandered into the trap. The next morning the farmer’s wife came out to the trap and lo and behold a large snake had his tail caught. She tried to take the snake out of the trap, but he was angry and he bit her. She became very sick.

Now, the farmer love his wife and he knew that chicken broth was good for sick people, so he went out into the farmyard and killed the chicken. As time went on, it seemed like his wife might be getting a little stronger, his neighbors said, she must eat meat. So he went into the farmyard and killed the pig.

Unfortunately the rally was temporary and the farmer’s wife  soon fell into a coma and then died. She was well loved in the community and many people were coming to the funeral. The farmer know he would need to feed them all. As he was going out to slaughter the cow, he noticed the rat trap sitting by the door of the barn, he was angry that it had caused the death of his wife and tossed it into the trash.

The rat looked on.

The first time I read this story I didn’t think much of it but actually it is a good story. Jesus takes something insignificant, probably from someone insignificant, a child, and tranforms it. This is against the wisdom of the world. Generosity starts in odd places and has effects which we cannot predict.

But more to the point, generosity is something which is open to all of us and affects all of us. Jesus offers both literal and spiritual feeding to these people. We do not know who they are, but with 5,000 men, and adding women and children – so perhaps 15-20,000 people – we can assume that there were people from all sorts of walks of life. But in that moment, in that place, they are equal in their impoverishment, it is the end of the day and they are all tired and hungry. They are, if you like, all in this together. By feeding them himself Jesus makes this impoverishment into a wealth, but again, it is an equal wealth. The rich did not get to go to the villages and buy expensive food whilst the poor remained hungry. They are all well fed, abundantly fed, and there is plenty to spare.

Whoever we are in Church today, we come to the table, to the heavenly banquet, to this Eucharist as those who are impoverished, as those who are hungry, as those who need food….and we are fed equally. Ponder that, that this altar equals us, makes us more human, defines who we really are in Christ. This altar represents generosity, and giving and feeding. Generosity which is guaranteed but also generosity which is spontaneous in response to our needs.

We take this bread, bless and break this bread, share this bread and return. But return how? Return to our own places, to our own assumptions or are we changed by this generous abundance of God, are we challenged to consider out inter-connectedness, our reality as those who are all hungry and all fed.

How do we go from here, as those who receive generosity, as those to whom God gives, just because, just because God does not turn us away when we seem to be a problem, when we seem to have needs which are too big for others to bear. How do we go from here as those who watch and wait for God to give us good food. Can we go from here and bear hunger?