Matthew 14:13-21

            {Prayer}

            We’ve all been there. We’ve all had those moments when another person’s needs interrupt the routine of our lives.

            The phone rings at the wrong time. Someone wants to talk after church. A text comes late at night. A young adult needs someone to listen to them. A neighbor needs help.

            Our first thought, our first reaction is often … “I hope someone else takes care of it” or “Someone else can handle this.”

            This is exactly what happens in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 14. Jesus and the disciples find themselves before this crowd of 5,000+ people. They both see them, but they see two completely different things.

            It’s important to notice the progression throughout the reading. Jesus sees the crowd. … Matthew tells us Jesus had compassion on them. So Jesus beings to heal their sick.

            The disciples see the same crowd … but they don’t see hurting people, especially as evening approached. What they see is, it’s getting late, there’s no food, there’s no plan, and this is becoming a huge inconvenience for them.

            You see, it’s been a long day for the disciples. They had found out that John the Baptist had been beheaded. They sailed across the sea. They’re tired. It’s getting late. Food is scarce and now they have to deal with this crowd they just want to go away.

            So, they come up with a practical solution. Since the people are willing to listen to Jesus, the disciples tell Jesus, “Send the crowds away” (Matthew 14:15). Send them away and let them go find their own food.

            It sounds reasonable. The disciples aren’t trying to be cruel. They’re being practical. And while they’re trying to be practical, sometimes practicality can become an excuse for avoiding compassion. …

            How often do we say our own version of this? “I’m too busy.” “I’m too old.” “I’ve done my time. I’ve done my part.” “Someone younger should do it.” “I’m not gifted.” “That’s the pastor’s job.” “I don’t know what to say.”

            It’s not that we stop caring. We’ve simply become experts at outsourcing compassion. We have become experts at sending people somewhere else.

            The disciples tell Jesus what to do. “Send them away.” Telling Jesus what to do is never a good idea. …

            Jesus’ response … “They don’t need to go away.” Then here comes the command.“You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16).

            Looking at the crowd. Seeing 5,000 men, plus women and children, the disciples are like, “But … but Jesus? We only have five loaves of bread and two fish. That’s nowhere near enough food to feed these people.”

            True … but here’s the thing … Jesus isn’t commanding them because they have enough. He’s commanding them because He does. He’s inviting them to trust Him. Notice Jesus doesn’t ask, “Do you have enough?” He doesn’tsay “I don’t care, go figure it out.” Instead, Jesus says, “You feed them.” And while that may sound harsh, Jesus is essentially saying … “I’m going to work through you.”

            Jesus could have fed the crowd without the disciples. Instead, He graciously chooses to feed the crowd through them. That’s how He works today. He works through ordinary people. Jesus asks you and me … “Will you trust Me with what you have?”

            This is a really hard question. Not just for you and me to process, but also for the disciples. They’re like, “But Jesus … we only have …”. We only have five loaves of bread and two fish. The disciples are focused in on what they can see. Jesus though, Jesus is focused on obedience. “Will you trust Me?”

            How do we typically answer that question? Like the disciples, we have our list of “only” items. “But Jesus … I only have a little time.” “I only have a little strength.” “I only have a little money.” “I only know how to listen.” “I only …”.

            Notice, Jesus never asks them to create bread. Jesus simply asks them to bring what they have.

            This is true throughout the history of Israel. Whether it was wandering in the wilderness or living daily life, God asked the people to simply bring what they have. God’s covenant love for His people continually provides where His people cannot. “His steadfast love endures forever” is the refrain of Psalm 136. The God who fed Israel in the wilderness is feeding Israel again through His Son. The miracle of feeding of the 5,000 is not merely bread and fish … it’s the enduring compassion of God.

            Jesus takes the bread and the fish … He blesses; He breaks; He gives it to the disciples. He tells them to distribute it. Notice, the disciples don’t perform the miracle. Nor are they only spectators of it. They are participating in it. Jesus chooses to feed the crowd through them.

            This is how Jesus operates still today. Jesus works through ordinary people. He works through you and me. He does so with ordinary words. Ordinary acts of kindness. Ordinary invitations. Ordinary meals. A simple text message. A phone call. A conversation after church. A visit to someone who’s lonely. It may feel like only five loaves of bread and two fish, but Jesus delights in using small things.

            Last week Pastor Ethan preached on how Christ continues entrusting God’s message to others, especially our youth and young adults. As a congregation, we have much to be thankful for. We do Sunday School and VBS well. We invest in youth ministry. We send our young people to the LCMS Youth Gathering. Thanks be to God for the number of people who help make these ministries possible.

            But our work isn’t finished when a student graduates from high school.

            Too often, after graduation, we quietly assume they’ll find their way back someday, like when they want to get married or start a family. Yet those college and young adult years are often when they need the Church’s encouragement the most.

This is why we ask people to be prayer partners with our college students. Many of these young adults are not asking for someone to pray for them or for someone to solve all their problems. They’re simply wondering if anyone notices them.

In the coming weeks, many of our college students and young adults will be packing cars, moving into dorms or apartments, and beginning another school year. What if one simple text from someone in this congregation reminded them that they haven’t been forgotten? …

            This can be applied to those who haven’t been seen in church in a while. They too may wonder if anyone notices them.

            It’s amazing what a simple text can do. … A text. A birthday card. Coffee after church. Remembering someone’s name. Five loaves of bread. Two fish. … It’s not much … until Jesus uses them.   

            This miracle of the feeding of the 5,000+ ends with abundance. Everyone eats. Everyone is satisfied. There are multiple leftovers. There is always more grace in Christ than there is need in the crowd.

            Looking beyond the meal, Matthew is showing us a glimpse of a greater feast. A feast where Jesus doesn’t merely feed hungry stomachs. This miracle points ahead to an even greater gift. Jesus would soon give His own body on the cross for the life of the world. The compassion that moved Him to heal the crowds ultimately carries Him to the cross. It’s there where Jesus does not send sinners away, but instead welcomes them.

            The resurrection of Jesus … it declares that there is enough grace for every sinner who comes to Him.

            There are really only two imperatives, two commands in this passage that matter.

            The disciples say, “Send them away.” Jesus says, “You give them something to eat.”

            Every day, these two voices compete within our hearts.

            One says, “Not my problem.” The other says, “Love them.”

            One says, “You don’t have enough.” Jesus says, “Bring Me what you have.”

            One says, “Someone else will do it.” Jesus says, “You feed them.” Not because you are enough … but because the One who sends you is.

            As we get into fair week … what an amazing opportunity we’ll have to reach out to others. To reach out to the person you’ve been tempted to “send away.” To reach out to a lonely widow or widower. A teenager. A college student. To the neighbor who keeps asking questions. To a struggling family.

            Don’t start by trying to feed the 5,000+. Start with five loaves and two fish. Send a text. Make a phone call. Invite them to coffee. Offer to pray. … Bring what you have to Jesus. He is still multiplying acts of faithful love through His disciples, through you. For His steadfast love still endures forever. Amen.

            The peace of God, that surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, now and forever. Amen.