Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

August 2, 2020

The Real Miracle

St. Matthew 14:13-21

Ho, everyone who thirsts, 

come to the waters; 

and you that have no money, 

come, buy and eat!

Come; buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

                                Isaiah 55:1

In the poetry of Isaiah we hear that it is God’s will that the hungry be fed.  This is clear throughout the stories in the Bible that God wants no one to go hungry. 

God provides manna and quail – food in the wilderness to that first generation of God’s liberated people who wandered there for 40 years.

When the prophets speak of the Messianic age they paint a picture of abundance of food for all.  Isaiah cries out:

“On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.”  Isaiah 25:6

A universal table is set where God is present.  There is a place at the table for everyone and no one goes hungry.

Scripture makes it abundantly clear that the disparity of power and the injustice that comes with lack of food will be remedied in God’s economy.

In today’s gospel reading we have the well-known story of the feeding of the 5,000.   Jesus brings in the reign of God by curing the sick and feeding the multitudes.  This story appears in all four Gospels and twice in Matthew – if you open the New Testament you’d read of the feeding of the 4,000 in chapter 16.

This well-known story is often misread and misinterpreted because folks do not hear it in its context – but rip it out of the Bible as some sort of proof text that shows that Jesus is indeed divine – the very Son of God.

In the first century Jesus was by no means the only one who claims to be the son of God – Caesar made the same claim.  Jesus’s divine origin was not foremost in the minds of the disciples or the writers of the Gospel.  His wondrous acts were not told to convince non-believers that Jesus was divine.

Rather the miracles like the feeding of the 5,000 are signs – a sign that points to the kind of God Jesus is and proclaims.

Food insecurity was rampant in the first century.  The rich and powerful were well fed.  The mass of peasants and common people went hungry often scrounging for daily bread.  Most of the diseases in the first century were caused by malnutrition.  Common people were especially vulnerable to diseases due to an inadequate diet.

Matthew places this first story of the feeding of the 5,000 in the context of the birthday party for Herod.  At the beginning of chapter 14 in the verses just before this story we are told about the abundant feast at Herod’s palace.  Herod’s feast was overflowing with food and drink – so that an inebriated Herod enticed by the dancing of the daughter of Herodias makes an extravagant promise to grant her whatever she might ask.

Now at that time John the Baptist was in prison because he had spoken out against Herod – because Herod was having an affair with Herodias, the wife of his brother – Philip. 

So the daughter of Herodias seeks the advice of her mother as to what to ask Herod.  The eyes of Herodias light up with vengeance as she tells her daughter:  “Ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

The over-fed stupefied Herod grants her request and John is beheaded and his head is presented on a silver platter to Herodias at this birthday extravaganza.

We need to hear and understand the story of the feeding of the 5,000 in the context of Herod’s party and the martyrdom of John the Baptist.

Jesus gets out of town – leaves the sight of the urban orgy and withdraws in a boat to a deserted place by himself – probably to reflect on the murder of John the Baptist.  The disciples and crowds follow him to the wilderness.  The boat drifts to the shore. 

The disciples come to him and tell him that in the late hour they have a famished mob of peasants on their hands and no food.  The disciples foolishly suggest that the crowd be sent away to the villages to buy food.

This is a really dumb idea – for the peasants had no means to purchase food - most of them scrounging around for daily bread.

See the contrast:  On the one hand you have the birthday feast with the elite princes and kings in Herod’s palace.  On the other hand you have a crowd of 5,000 gaunt and hunger ridden peasants. The empire elite takes care of its own while the peasants who farm the land of the elite seek their daily bread.

Matthew moves from the lifestyles of the rich and shameless to portraying a poor, sick, and hungry crowd looking for relief - the Empire on the one hand – the kingdom of God on the other hand.  It is like watching a newscast of the Kardashians then moving immediately into a segment on the immigrant children stranded at our border.

The real message of this miracle is not a proof text for a divine Jesus, but rather the real message of this miracle is that where God rules – no one goes hungry.

Matthew contrasts the indifference of the Empire and its gods to the compassion of the Kingdom of God and Jesus.

The gods of the Greeks and Romans were distant and out of touch with humans.  The ancient gods of Rome sided with the rich and powerful and were either indifferent to plight of the peasant or used them a toys – playthings to order their world at the whims of the gods.

The Empire and its gods were not known for siding with common people, or peasants much less taking up the causes of the hungry and oppressed.

The real miracle of this account is that Jesus embodies the compassion of God and God’s will to feed the hungry.  In the midst of food scarcity, among a crowd of people that any of the rulers of that time could care less about – Jesus comes and demonstrates God’s kind of justice.

The real miracle is that in a world of scarcity – God in Christ – provides abundance and points to a compassionate God who will stand in solidarity with those in need.

And note that Matthew tells us “all ate and were filled.”  Very seldom, if ever, would the ordinary people of that day eat and be filled.  The usually ate and remained hungry – ate just enough to get by.  And, yes, there are leftovers - 12 baskets are left – one for each disciple to box up and take home.

Does a Herod-like empire exist today – where the elite eat while others go hungry?  Do you recognize such a contrast in our own day between the ‘haves’ and the’ have-nots’ – a growing gap between the rich and the poor?

The real miracle is that Jesus ushers in the kingdom of God – not by and by in the sky but here and now.  Not in some heaven light years away but here and now.

Donald Kraybill, author, lecturer and educator on the Anabaptist faiths and living, writes:  “Kingdom action does not take place outside of the societal ballpark.  It is a different game played in the middle of the old ballpark.  Kingdom players follow different rules and listen to a different coach.”

[Source:http://www.followingjesus.org/vision/traditional_interpretations.htm]

In God’s kingdom all earthly values – the values of the empire – the values of moneyed politics – our values - are up for grabs and reversed. 

The first shall be last and the last first.  The greatest are not the most powerful or the most influential lobbyists – but those who serve.  God’s kingdom upends the status quo of money politics and power because God’s kingdom comes amidst the poor, the hungry, and the mourning.

The real miracle is that Jesus reveals the core character of God is compassion.  The real miracle comes when followers of Jesus overcome by that compassion lead a radically different kind of life – a life in service to the least, the lost, the lonely. 

Amen.