MORE THAN ENOUGH

Luke 9:1-5, 10-17

Luke 9:13 (NRSV)

But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”

John 21:16-18

John 21:17 (NRSV)

He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

Why didn't the disciples think that five loaves and two fish were enough to feed a hungry crowd?

I ask this question because the disciples had just returned from a very successful mission trip to the local towns in the region. With the authority of Christ, they were sent out with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the missional imperative to  proclaim the good news that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near and to bring healing and wholeness to the broken, bruised and battered. (see Matthew 10:8-10)

They returned to Jesus, sharing everything they had done.  They had witnessed the power of God working through them and rejoiced in the miracles they had witnessed. They had cured the sick, raised the dead, cleansed lepers, and freed people from evil spirits!

But when it came to feeding 5,000 people, they felt defeated before they even started.

I think there were two reasons for this.  One was scale.  Out on the road, the disciples were probably ministering to individuals, families and small groups.  The day that Jesus told them to feed the crowd, there were 5,000 men plus women and children.  (Our church women are great when it comes to feeding large crowds, but I think they would even pale at such a huge task).

The second is the economy of scarcity.  They took five loaves and two fish and divided them into 5,00 plus people and came up with, "no way is this going work!"  They saw too little resources combined with too much need.  It was impossible.  "Send them off to fend for themselves," they urged Jesus.

Isn't that what is happening in many of our churches today?  As we try to navigate through changing times that have left us with aging and dwindling congregations, we look at the loss of what we once were and what we lack in numbers, commitment, finances and youth and energy and lament at what we don't have.  In other words, we figuratively troop into the church kitchen and open up the freezer only to find five loaves of bread and two fish.  After wondering how long they've been in there, we sigh and close the freezer door, defeated before we even get started.

Does it ever occur to us that the loaves and fish we do have are sufficient, if not more than enough to face the challenges of ministry and mission in our context?

Jesus took the loaves and fish from them, and then, looking to God, the source of power and miracles, he blessed the food and broke it into pieces.  After everyone had enough to eat, the disciples picked up the left-overs and discovered that five loaves and two fish were more than enough to feed a hungry crowd of over five thousand.  The proof was in twelve baskets of left over food.

A church with a small, aging congregation, looked at their present condition and grieved.  Their community had lost their school, most of their businesses and and much of their population.  The church looked at everything they didn't have and decided they had nothing to offer.  

When they finally decided to take inventory of what they did have, they were surprised.  first, they had a church building that was in good shape.  With much of it unused, they decided to offer meeting space to community groups at no charge..  As the building was used more, and improvements in the neighborhood began to appear.  

They had a legacy of once being a vital part of the community, and when they decided to re-connect with the town in meaningful ways, they became re-energized.  They participated in a summer sack lunch ministry for local children and were active in efforts to raise money to rebuild the local library destroyed in a wind storm.  More members of the church began volunteering for community events.  

There was also a strong ministerial group in their area committed to serving children in the local district.  By participating in ecumenical activities with those other churches, they were able to serve the children of their town with needed school supplies and warm winter clothing and through the support of the local food pantry.

The mission never goes away.  Christ calls us to "feed His sheep," to nourish them physically and spiritually and to bring healing and wholeness to broken and battered, lonely, lost lives.

As the body of Christ, we can't be faithful if we practice an economy of scarcity, dwelling on loss and what we don't have.  The need will always be with us and will always be overwhelming.  But, there is good news.

God has already given us exactly what we need to be faithful to the mission God has called us to.  What we have is what God has blessed us with. and with those blessings, we can bless others.  When we offer our five loaves and two fish for the purposes of God, God empowers and "multiplies" them.  People will be fed; miracles will happen, and we will discover that we have more than enough.