July 30th - Matthew 14.13-21

Hunger - July 30th

Matthew 14.13-21

Now when Jesus heard (that John the Baptizer had been killed), he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 

It has been 19 weeks since the people of Immanuel last gathered in person for worship.  Our last in-person worship was held on Sunday, March 15^th.  I’ve gone back in my head to that time recently, trying to recall what it was like as this pandemic captured our awareness and began to spread. At the time I had suspected we would be back in our building for Easter, or soon thereafter. None of us could have imagined that at this juncture we would still be facing a viral spread that continues to grow, affecting so many people not only in this country but around the world. 

As I read this reading I also remembered our first attempts to buy groceries for our family. Reluctant to enter into actual stores, for a while, we ordered groceries online.  We spent far too much time online trying to figure what to purchase, only to receive an email the next day or so discovering that some of what we wanted was substituted with something else. 

I remember wondering how long this situation would last.  I remember wondering, with four adults all who have food sensitivities and allergies, how we might obtain the right food and enough food for us.  Fortunately the supply chains have since recovered, and we feel blessed not to have struggled with hunger during these weeks.

The people of Jesus’ time struggled with hunger, though. It was a constant reality for many of them. This may be why Matthew, Mark, Luke and John remember Jesus as having provided food for hungry people. One of those memories is preserved in this week’s Gospel lesson. Matthew tells us a great crowd — some 5,000 men (10,000 people in total? 15,000?) — is gathered with Jesus in the wilderness. He has traveled there for some alone time, but arriving in that place he is filled with compassion for them and begins to cure their sick.

As evening draws near, Jesus’ disciples point out that it is getting late and the people are getting hungry. They suggest Jesus might send the people away so they can buy food (which in itself would have been a miracle — that 10-15,000 people could find food in those “nearby towns”). He suggests they feed the crowd. They are skeptical, having come up with just a bit of food. With a nod towards the heavens, and a prayerful blessing, 5 loaves and 2 fish feed upwards of 10,000 people, and the table scraps amount to twelve full baskets.

Biblical scholars have long debated how this happened. Did the generosity of a few (the ones with five loaves and two fish) inspire others to share from their supplies? Did the love and blessing of Jesus multiply those seven items until they were enough for all? These questions are unanswerable, of course, but one truth is clear: Jesus is one who cares deeply about the needs of this gathered people, healing their sick, and feeding their hunger. He cares about them as he cares about all of God’s people, including us.

In our time of need, whether it has to do with hunger, sickness, loneliness, loss, grief, unemployment, underemployment, fear of the future… Jesus is with us. He is our source of strength and peace. Just as he was 2,000 years ago, he is for us today. Let us entrust our futures to him, and work with him to heal the hurts and meet the needs of this world.

And so we pray.  Lord God, guide my feet and use my hands for your work in the world.  Amen.