Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
30 ijThe apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and kthey had no leisure even to eat. 32 lAnd they went away in mthe boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Nowmany saw them going and nrecognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he osaw a great crowd, and ohe had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 pSend them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, q“You give them something to eat.” And rthey said to him, s“Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii6 worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, t“Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he ulooked up to heaven and vsaid a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
A Biologist, a Chemist and a Statistician are out hunting.
The biologist shoots at a deer and misses five feet to the left. The chemist shoots at the same deer and misses five feet to the right.
The statistician shouts, "We got him!"
Sometimes is necessary to take a statistican with you.
Have you ever been on a plane that has been circling the airport and about to land. Sometimes it has to wait it’s turn. Other times it is because the ground crews aren’t ready to receive it yet. Sometimes we are put on hold...
God puts us on hold...does God ever ask you to wait? Does God ever ask you to paus in the midst of emotions and feelings? God asked me to pause in the middle of my emotions and feelings this past week.
There is a lot I don’t know about God. And that’s okay. Sometimes we need to pause in the midst of our emotions and feelings. Feelings and emotions will always lead us in a direction that is contrary to what God has called us to do.
I have been on an emotional rollercoaster for the past two weeks as General Conference has met and made decisions about the future of the church. I have been up and down not knowing what to do with all of the information thrown at me. It was as if a fire hose was opened up all at once. There was just too much to process and not enough time to stop and pray. There was not enough time to process the impact that these decisions will have for years to come. There were thousands of pieces of legislation that were apporoved not just the action taken to lift the bans on the ordination of gay clergy and gay marriage.
I need to pause and reflect on what God has called me to do. I have to dig deeper than my emotions and feelings tell me to do. The last thing that I know the Lord told me to do was come to Faith Journey United Methodist Church.
Through the appointment system, God took a broken pastor and a broken church and together we have bloomed where we were planted. We have created a congregation that is welcoming to all and built an incredible ministry at the C&B store.
God has not released me from this church that I love and the ministry that has taken place. I will continue to serve faithfully until released from this church. On Easter Sunday I heard a word from the Lord, “you are worthy, you have done good work, walk where I have planted you.”
I believe that this word was for a time such as this. I know that God is still at work in the United Methodist Church and the well of grace that God draws from is bigger than anything that you and I can imagine or conceive. I have been in fervent prayer for my colleagues and the churches in the Upper New York Annual Conference and for Bishop Hector Burgos Nunez.
In the Gospel text we see the disciples coming and reporting all that has been done. They tell him of the people that they healed and the demons that they drove out. Jesus tells them, “Come away to a desolate place.”
Have you ever come to a desolate place? When we took our trip out west there was a stop in wyoming to get gas. There was no one at the store, you had to simply put in you card at the pump. As I was pumping gas some unsavory charachters came in to the gas station in a fleet of pick up trucks. I have never feared so much for my life and for that of my family. I finished pumping gas and drowe back to the highway as quick as I could. I believe that God protected us at that time, from what could have been disasterous.
On there way to that desolate place the crowds of people follow Jesus and the disciples. Jesus has compassion on them because they are like sheep without a shepherd. The miracle that takes place is with two fish and five barley loaves. As Jesus gives thanks to God and the loaves and the fish multiply. So much that over 5000 men, women, and children are fed.
There are even twelve basketfuls which are left over. Nothing is wasted. Our experiences in this world are never wasted. Concider the death row inmate that comes to Chirst in his or her final moments of life. The alcoholic that enters detox and finds new life in an undertanding of who God is. Or perhaps the person in the pew who after years of hearing faithful gospel messages finally responds to God.
God uses everything for God’s glory and not our own.
Imagine if you will your life without God. What would it be like? For me I know what that looks like because I have been in that place where I have walked away from God. The truth is this that even in my rebellion God was still there. God never left me alone. The same way God did not leave Elijah alone when he went into the wilderness to die. God didn’t leave Daniel alone when he was thrown in with the lions, or the three hebrew boys who were thrown into the firey furnace. What about Jacob the liar and the deciever who restled with God and God changed his name to Israel. And then there is Ruth whom God provided a husband, Rahab who was spared for hiding the spies. Her profession was prostitution, and she winds up in Jesus' lineage!
God never leaves us alone. God is always with us in the good times, the bad times, the times of stretching, and the times when it seems like all hope is lost.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is common to man, but God will give you the strength that you will be able to stand up under it.”
God is in the discomfort, the stretching, and the work that is yet to be done. I believe that Faith Journey United Methodist Church is a bright salvation station where all have access to God. As your pastor for the past six years that has been part of my primary mission. I want people to come to God and know his Son Jesus Christ. I want people to know that we have a reason to give thanks and praise. I want a church that ministers to all persons.
Twenty-two years ago, when I was called to serve in the United Methodist Church, I made a promise to God that I would glorify his name and preach salvation in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is salvation for the Jews first and then the gentiles.”
The more we continue to focus on what unites us as opposed to what divide us, we will see the glory of God. Faith Journey United Methodist Church will continue to grow as long as we focus on the things of God and not the things of man.
The disciples were worried, “How will we buy bread for all these people...send them away that they may go into the surrounding villages and buy food.”
Jesus asks, “What do you have?” So, I ask you this morning what do you have? Do you have joy, hurt, pain, your life experiences? What can you share with your brothers and sisters in Christ? Can you join hands with someone you disagree with? Can you love extravagantly with the grace of God? The command of Jesus is this; “Love one another as I have loved you.”
The miracle of the feeding of the multitudes is that the bread and fish were passed one from another.
The faith must be passed on and that faith is this:
Christ had died! Christ has Risen! Christ will come again!
The faith needs to be passed onto the next generation. Next Sunday Olivia Osburn and Briell Bryant will be confirmed. Brielle will be baptized. Seven individuals will join Christ’s holy Church. We will be witnesses to all of this. We will break bread together and celebrate our faith in Christ.
I am thoroughly convinced that we have been brought together for a season such as this. My emotions and feelings are irrelevant to what God has called me to do which is preach salvation for all people in Jesus Christ. And that is what I will continue to do as your pastor. My call has not changed and God help me if I ever abandon that call. I will pause in this time and walk where God has planted me. This is my commitment to God and to you who I love so dearly. Let us together continue to seek the lost, serve with passion, and share the Grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ with all.
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