Sermon Title- “2 + 5 + ? = 15,000”
Sermon Subject- Come to Table; Jesus is Sufficient
Scripture- Matthew 14:13-21

Date- 04 August, 2002 (Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost)

A PASTOR WAS ASKING A THIRD GRADE SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WHICH BIBLE STORIES THEY LIKED THE BEST. ONE YOUNG BOY EAGERLY THREW UP HIS HAND, AND WHEN CALLED UPON RESPONDED, “I REALLY LIKE THE STORY ABOUT GETTING TO LOAF AND FISH!”.. THE EARLY CHURCH AND THE GOSPEL WRITERS MUST HAVE REALLY LIKED THAT STORY, TOO. IT IS THE ONLY ONE OF JESUS’ MIRACLES THAT APPEARS IN ALL 4 GOSPELS. AND COUNTING THE TWO ACCOUNTS OF THE FEEDING OF THE 4,000 IN MATTHEW 15 AND MARK 8, IT APPEARS 6 TIMES. CLEARLY, IT IS A STORY WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO BECAUSE IT MUST TELL US IMPORTANT THINGS TO RECEIVE SUCH EMPHASIS. WE WILL TRY TO TAKE FROM THIS STORY 4 SPIRITUAL PEARLS OF GREAT PRICE.

AS IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE CASE, TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE STORY WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BACKGROUND AGAINST WHICH IT IS TOLD. WE STOPPED READING IN CHAPTER 13 WITH THE PARABLES. AFTER TEACHING THE CROWDS JESUS DEPARTS AND GOES HOME TO NAZARETH. HERE HE MEETS ALMOST TOTAL REJECTION. THIS REJECTION LEADS JESUS TO MAKE HIS STATEMENT THAT A PROPHET IS WITHOUT HONOR IN HIS OWN COUNTRY AND HOUSE. AND CHAPTER 13 ENDS WITH THE DEPRESSING STATEMENT THAT JESUS WAS UNABLE TO DO MANY MIGHTY WORKS IN NAZARETH BECAUSE OF THE UNBELIEF OF THE PEOPLE.

CHAPTER 14 OPENS WITH 12 VERSES RECOUNTING THE BEHEADING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST AND OF HEROD’S OPINION THAT JESUS IS JOHN COME BACK TO LIFE TO HAUNT HIM. IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT JESUS SEEKS SOLITUDE IN THE DESERT. NO DOUBT HE WISHES TIME TO GRIEVE FOR HIS KINSMAN, JOHN, AND TO DEAL WITH THE POWERFUL OMENS OF REJECTION BY HIS OWN PEOPLE COUPLED WITH HEROD’S OPINION OF HIM. THESE TWO OMENS MUST BE FORCEFUL REMINDERS TO HIM OF HIS FATE ON THE CROSS, A FATE THAT IS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER. SO HE SEEKS SOLITUDE, BUT THE CROWD WILL HAVE NONE OF IT. THEY FOLLOW ON FOOT AND DEMAND HIS ATTENTION.

I AM SURE THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU JUST WANTED TO GET AWAY. THINGS ARE GOING POORLY AT WORK WITH THE THREAT OF LOSING A BONUS OR PROMOTION OR EVEN OF GETTING LAID OFF ARE VERY REAL SO YOU WORK LONGER HOURS. THEN THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME AT HOME TO GET EVERYTHING DONE AND YOUR SPOUSE AND CHILDREN GET MORE DEMANDING. YOUR PASTOR IS SUGGESTING YOU SPEND MORE TIME IN SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES OR EVEN ASKS YOU TO TAKE ON A JOB IN THE CHURCH. THE MAIL BRINGS MORE BILLS AND PLEAS FOR YOUR TIME AND RESOURCES. PEOPLE WON’T LET YOU ALONE. YOU GET FRUSTRATED, INDIGNENT AND ANGRY. PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW WEARY AND STRESSED YOU ARE. JESUS HAD EVERY RIGHT TO FEEL THIS WAY AS THE CROWD FOLLOWED HIM AND DEMANDED HIS ATTENTION. BUT HE SAW THEIR NEED AND HAD COMPASSION ON THEM AND BEGAN TO HEAL THEM.

SINCE IT IS TRUE THAT WHEN WE SEE JESUS, WE SEE GOD, THEN WE HAVE COME TO OUR FIRST SPIRITUAL PEARL. GOD’S COMPASSION, HIS MERCY, HIS LOVE ARE INEXHAUSTIBLE. WE CAN NOT WEAR GOD OUT. GOD IS NEVER TOO TIRED, TOO WEARY, TOO BUSY, TOO FRUSTRATED OR TOO ANGRY TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF HIS PEOPLE. GOD’S LOVE FOR US WINS OUT EVERY TIME AND HE ANSWERS OUR NEEDS. AS THEY SAY TODAY, GOD IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER OUR NEEDS 24-7. THIS IS SPIRITUAL PEARL NUMBER ONE.

NOTICE THE FLOW OF POWER AS JESUS PERFORMS THE MIRACLE. THE NEED IS RECOGNIZED, BUT THE DISCIPLES ARE POWERLESS. JESUS PRAYS TO GOD AND RECEIVES POWER.. JESUS PASSES THIS POWER TO HIS DISCIPLES AS HE HANDS THEM THE 5 LOAVES FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE PEOPLE. THE DISCIPLES PASS ON THE POWER TO THE PEOPLE AS THEY DISTRIBUTE THE BREAD. SPIRITUAL PEARL NUMBER TWO IS THAT THE POWER FOR US TO BE DISCIPLES COMES TO US FROM GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. TO BE DISCIPLES WE MUST BE PLUGGED INTO JESUS AND TRUST TOTALLY ON GOD’S GRACE THROUGH JESUS. OTHERWISE WE ARE POWERLESS.

NOTICE THAT WHEN THE PROBLEM IS PRESENTED TO JESUS, HIS RESPONSE IS FOR HIS DISCIPLES TO FEED THE PEOPLE. IT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR HIS SON’S DISCIPLES TO FEED HIS PEOPLE. SPIRITUAL PEARL NUMBER THREE IS THAT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR OUR LIVES THAT INCLUDES WHAT PART WE WILL PLAY IN FEEDING HIS PEOPLE. WE TEND TO SHY AWAY FROM GETTING INVOLVED IN FEEDING THE PEOPLE. WE TURN TO THE ALTERNATIVE HIGHER POWER OF OUR DAY, THE GOVERNMENT. GET THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ON THE HUNGRY, THE HOMELESS, THE POOR, THE ILL AND THE NEEDY. BUT LOOK RIGHT HERE IN MADISON; BECAUSE OF A FEW DISCIPLES WE HAVE A FREE MEDICAL CLINIC TO CARE FOR THE ILL. THE POOR AND THE NEEDY AND BECAUSE OF TWO DISCIPLES WE HAVE MESA TO PROVIDE FOR THE HUNGRY, THE POOR AND THE NEEDY. IT IS A QUESTION OF WHO WE TRUST, GOD OR THE POLITICIANS. PLUG INTO JESUS AND GET THE PLAN AND THE POWER AND FULFILL YOUR PART IN GOD’S PLAN TO FEED HIS PEOPLE.

THE FOURTH SPIRITUAL PEARL IS GOD’S SUPERNATURAL MATHMATICS; 2 FISH + 5 SMALL LOAVES OF BREAD + JESUS = FOOD FOR 15,000 PEOPLE. BECAUSE JESUS IS GOD’S SUPERNATURAL MULTIPLIER. EACH SUNDAY I PRAY THAT GOD WILL MULTIPLY OUR OFFERING AND IT IS THIS KIND OF MATH I AM PRAYING FOR. FIVE LOAVES OF BREAD BECAME FOOD FOR 15,000 PEOPLE BY THE GRACE OF GOD THROUGH JESUS WITH MORE LEFT OVER AFTER ALL WERE FED THAN WHEN THE FEAST BEGAN. THIS IS GRACE IN ABUNDANCE. NOTICE THAT ONLY THE BREAD WAS DISTRIBUTED. THIS REMINDS US OF MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS AND OF ELISHA FEEDING 100 PEOPLE WITH A FEW LOAVES OF BREAD.

THIS STORY IS ALSO A STORY OF EUCHERIST, OF THE LORD’S SUPPER. AND OF COMING TO THE TABLE. IN OUR STORY TODAY JESUS TOOK THE BREAD AND AFTER ASKING GOD’S BLESSING HE BROKE THE BREAD AND GAVE IT TO HIS DISCIPLES. WHERE ELSE HAVE WE HEARD THIS STORY? WE HEAR IT IN THE UPPER ROOM ON THE NIGHT JESUS WAS BETRAYED. GOD’S GRACE IN THE PERSON OF JESUS IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE AT THE TABLE. JESUS IS GOD’S SUPERNATURAL MULTIPLIER. WE BRING WHAT LITTLE WE HAVE TO HIM AND HE MAKES IT SUFFICIENT TO MEET OUR NEEDS, TO PLAY OUR PART IN GOD’S PLAN TO FEED GOD’S PEOPLE. AGAIN, ANN GRAHAM LOTT IS RIGHT, “JUST GIVE ME JESUS!”. JUST GIVE ME JESUS. AMEN