August 3, 2008 , Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, All Souls' Episcopal Church

Five Loaves and Two Fish are Enough
Matthew 14: 13-21

The author, Phillip Keller, who is himself a sheep rancher, a shepherd, has written a wonderful book called “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.” He helps us understand each significant and poignant line of the famous Psalm.  Allow me to share one of his descriptions with you in order to help us understand Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel.

Phillip Keller in describing the sheep on the farm next to his who were obviously the sheep of a negligent or absent shepherd.  He writes:  “The tenant shepherd on the farm next to my first ranch was the most indifferent manager I have ever met.  He was not concerned about the condition of his sheep.  His land was neglected.  He gave little or no time to his flock, letting them pretty well forge for themselves as best they could, both summer and winter.  They fell prey to dogs, cougars and rustlers. They only had muddy polluted water to drink.  In their thin, weak and diseased condition these poor sheep were a pathetic sight.  In my mind’s eye I can still see them standing at the fence, huddled sadly in little knots staring wistfully through the wires at the rich pastures on the other side.” (end of quote)

Phillip Keller saw these sheep in their condition and felt compassion and pity because he understood and loved sheep.  Because you and I probably do not know much about sheep or have any particular feeling toward them, you or I might look at the same flock and comment that they look like a scroungy bunch of sheep.”

Could it be that Jesus was feeling what Phillip Keller was feeling when the multitudes in our Gospel Story, hiked all night around the lake Jesus was crossing. Jesus was hopeful of some time alone. He had been plagued with people. He didn’t even have time to eat, but these thousands of poor, spiritually hungry people who figured out where Jesus was headed had walked all the way just to have one more chance to be fed by the words of this loving compassionate Messiah.  And as Jesus stepped out of the boat and looked over all their longing, weather beaten faces, Mark, in his Gospel account of the same incident, said, “And His heart was filled with pity for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus saw their condition and felt great compassion because He loved them so much.  He saw into them with eyes of one who came to seek and to save.

Our text follows that Jesus had them all sit down and He taught them…….caringly taught them.  Taught them what, I wonder?   Maybe things like you and I would find relevant and needful:  Perhaps how to live with faith, how to change their priorities, how to trust God for the physical needs, how to forgive. How desperately we all need to be taught! ……

Why do we need to be taught?

Because, despite all the activity and technological wonders of life, we are, in many ways, a sad society.  We must look so much like the crowds which appeared suddenly before Jesus on that day described in our text.

Jesus had the stamp of a leader, or someone who knew what was happening and where things were going. He was “where its at”. And Jesus, looking inside, seeing the utter forlornness of them, seeing their desperate need for some kind of leadership, was greatly moved and stirred by their plight.  And the hundreds of years between then and now seem to matter little, don’t they? Things don’t seem to have changed much.

Yes, we too, in many ways, are like sheep without a shepherd; our society has made sure of that.  It has, with its juvenile thinking,  disinherited many from their traditional faith in both God and man. 

The situation of our present lives for many could be described in Dante’s words when he wrote: 

“I woke up in the middle of the wood, and it was dark, and there was no clear way before me.”

 Those of society today who take a selfish, shortsighted position of “me first” with little concern for others, with little concern for tradition and history and above all spiritual values,  have propagated what many feel is a nation of individuals. Many around us are in darkness, lost, alone, “with no clear way before them” aimless, running to find a “Messiah” of sorts without any road map. Not only some of our leadership seems ineffective these days, but the landmarks of Christian morals and standards of conduct and character seems mutilated beyond recognition.

And yet…..and yet…. there are still small, tiny glimmers of hope.  Every so often lately we hear once more, a little here, a little there, a voice being  raised and saying things which we, deep in our hearts, know to be the truth about life; quiet voices, assured voices, rising out of the ashes of mental, spiritual and social pillage, and saying things that are dear to our minds and souls in their innermost beings.   There is hope, isn’t there?  Our Gospel is the Good News of Christ’s promise and hope and compassion.  Christ came that we might have a shepherd, a Good Shepherd so that we would not wander through this life starved for love and peace and purpose….and that we allow our Shepherd to open the gates to abundant green pasture, and that in so doing, we touch the lives of those around us in a Christ-like way.

No, you and I don’t have to be educated, wealthy, powerful  or famous to be important influences for God in someone else’s life. Opportunities abound…….they are all around us!

One cold evening, during the Christmas Season, a little boy about six or seven was standing outside a department store window. The little boy had on sandals…no shoes     and his clothes were mere rags. A young woman passing by saw the little boy and could see the pain in his young eyes. She took the child gently by the hand and led him into the store. There she bought him some new shoes and a complete outfit of warm clothing. They came back outside in to the street, and the woman said to the little boy,” Now you can go home and have a very happy holiday.” The little boy looked up to her and asked, ”Are you God, Ma’am?” She smiled down at him and replied, ”No, son, I’m just one of his children.” The little boy then said, “I knew you had to be some relation.” Each of us influences others with our presence, with our talents, with our gifts, with our tenderness, with our compassion..

Each of us has something to contribute, and we don’t have to be one of those people who have so many talents that they seem to be able to do everything well.  All we have to do is offer what we have!  If we learn to do this, we become trusting and obedient sheep in the Good Shepherd’s flock, and our lives are filled not only with green pastures, but with peace—inner peace.

In one of the other Gospel accounts of this same story, it tells us that it was a young boy we know nothing about who had come forward to Jesus to offer all he had ….his 5 loaves and 2 fish.  How ridiculous !!  “5,000 people are here and you’re going to offer these crumbs you have—get serious.”  But the boy’s foolish enough, naïve enough, to think that he has something to offer.  And so he brings 2 fish and his 5 loaves of bread—and Jesus feeds 5000 !!

The little that we have to offer, can make big changes in other people’s lives.  May I ask a question?  How many loaves and fish do we each have? You see, this is an appropriate question because this question runs like an orchestral theme through Christian History.  It came to the apostle Paul.  His handicaps were many—unimpressive presence, no graces of public speech, physical ailments. Not many “loaves”, but, again, he laid all he had at Christ’s doorstep. We could inaugurate a roll call through history all the way from Justin Martyr to Martin Luther; from Francis Xavier to Father Damien; and yes, to All Souls Church because you and I are surrounded by people offering what they have. That, my friends, is one of the principle reasons for the growth of this part of God’s Kingdom—this flock of Christ’s at 63^rd and Penn.

In our ordinary lives, you and I, can make a difference for God’s cause in the world.  Whether we seek vengeance or forgiveness makes a difference.  Whether we hear the silent cries of our neighbors and friends or not, makes a difference.  Whether we stereotype the person who’s a little bit different, or open ourselves to meet someone new—makes a difference. Whether we pray for eyes to see the need of those around us—makes a difference.  The little decisions, the little day-by-day response, the offering or holding back of ourselves, makes all the difference.

God is able to do great things with just a little.  God wishes to be our Shepherd, it is our choice to decide to trust Him or to try to go it by ourselves.  It makes a difference.  I think, all Christ, as our Shepherd, asks us to do is to offer what we have….our five loaves and two fish!

May each of us hold out our hand and say, “Here, Lord, can you use this?” Maybe it’s just a little, but offering it is all that matters, and it does make a difference !!

Amen