Eat And Be Satisfied

Trinity X --- July 31, 2005

Matthew 14:13-21

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today we have Jesus performing the great miracle of feeding five thousand men, besides the women and children. All this from five loaves of bread and two fish. What an incredible miracle. How many sermons have you heard which focus upon this great miracle, “Look what Jesus did. In this event, He showed forth His divinity and miraculously fed this incredible throng of people with only five loaves of bread and two fish.”

This is very true. But you know what, every day, Jesus does incredibly more with even less. Why shouldn’t we expect the one who created all that exists - from nothing, no less - to feed 5,000 plus people? Consider the manna and the quail that He provided to feed the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for forty years?

Look at the mass of humanity that populates the globe today, Christ could put up a sign like the ones you sometimes see at McDonald’s, “billions served.” Even more impressive is that He does it every day. So, should feeding 5,000 impress us?

Some, of course, would scoff and say, “Well, if God’s so good, and He can feed so many, how come so many go hungry and starve every day?”

This, dear friends, isn’t God’s fault, for He provides bountifully to feed all. The problem comes with us, mankind, the sinners who manage His creation. Hunger and starvation are not God’s fault, but caused by man’s poor stewardship of the resources which God graciously provides. Isn’t it strange that starvation and plenty exist side by side with surplus and waster in our world?

Look at governments which pay subsidies to farmers so they will produce less. At the same time, across the globe, the best efforts of the farmers cannot produce enough to supply their needs. It is sinful and selfish people that make it get in the way of what should be easily solved.

However, the purpose of this text, and this sermon, is not to solve the world’s food distribution problems. It is, however, to show us our sin and to proclaim to us God’s grace in Christ Jesus for our forgiveness and eternal life.

Our text begins with Jesus retreating to a solitary place. He wanted some time to be alone for prayer. The crowds, however, followed Him. Some had heard of Him, others had personally heard and seen Him. They came to have more miraculous things done among them. So it is, that although Jesus needs some time for Himself, He has compassion on them; He taught them and healed their sick.

As it gets late, the disciples urge Jesus to send them away so that they can go and buy something to eat. Jesus’ response is to tell them that they are to feed the crowd gathered there.

Can you imagine the disciples? Can you imagine them looking around at the crowd? This wasn’t a crowd of five thousand people, this was five thousand men, PLUS women and children. We don’t know exactly the number gathered there that day, but it could have been near fifteen thousand people or more. Now put yourself in the mind of the disciples and consider Jesus’ instructions, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

Looking around at the crowd, you don’t even need to begin to count them. If there were simply 10,000 people, just a fifty cent hamburger for each would cost a minimum of $5,000. Which of you here could afford that expenditure? And would that be enough to satisfy them all?

The disciples respond, “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.” They were incredulous! “Jesus, are you nuts? There is no way that we can feed this many people with our own resources; it isn’t possible.”

Jesus’ response to their unbelief is simplistic and to the point, “Bring them to me,” bring me the loaves and fish. After instructing the people to sit down, Jesus does the impossible. He feeds them from these meager rations. In fact, they would have been meager even were they to try and feed just the twelve and Jesus. Yet, they all ate and were satisfied - all five thousand men, plus the women and children. And, after all were satisfied, there were even leftovers - twelve basketfuls.

Do you think the disciples remembered this event? Do you think that everything Jesus did later might be compared to, or thought of, in light of this great miracle? Of course.

So, what is it they remember? That Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

They were in disbelief, “How can so little do the impossible?” And Jesus does the impossible, in a spectacular way which the disciples would always remember.

Did they remember when they were gathered in the upper room on that Thursday of Passover week? They were in the midst of that Jewish festival meal. As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take, eat; this is my body." (Matt. 26:26 NIV)

What’s this Jesus? You are calling this bread your body? Did they get it? If you’re not sure, go read the last chapter of Luke. In that chapter, after His resurrection, Jesus meets some disciples on the road to Emmaus, but they didn’t recognize Him. They didn’t know it was Jesus. They are moping along because they believe Jesus to be dead and in the tomb. As they are walking, Jesus talks with them on the road, explaining the Scriptures and connecting them to the Christ - Himself.

Arriving in Emmaus, they invite Him in to eat. It is then that Jesus does something, we’ll let the Evangelist Luke explain. When he was at table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. (Luke 24:30-31)

Did you hear it? They finally recognized Jesus. How did it happen? Later in Luke we read. And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:33_35 ESV)

It was in the breaking of the bread that they recognized Jesus. They didn’t recognize Him before that. It was obvious that they had either doubted His word to them before His crucifixion, or forgotten that He had said He would rise again after three days, although He had told them a number of times. But they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread, as Christ spoke and acted.

They recognized Him, “Yes, this is Jesus. This is God’s Christ who was crucified, died and was buried. He really is arisen. He did purchase forgiveness of sins, freedom from death and the devil, and grants eternal salvation.”

Today’s text of this incredible miracle is more than just the feeding of five thousand. The miracle is in our text, for Jesus does this to prepare them for the later miracle which would have a much greater and longer-lasting impact. Today’s miracle gives the disciples the tools to understand what He will do on the night in which He will be betrayed. When Jesus fed the masses gathered in our text, He took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the disciples to distribute. Through Him, they were fed and satisfied.

On the night in which He was betrayed, He took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to the disciples. They ate and were satisfied.

Today, it appears like simple bread on the altar before us. And isn’t it true, that too often you treat it as such. There isn’t the respect and reverence that is a part of this meal. There is no preparation for the incredible gifts that will be received. Some even think it is nothing more than just a meal to remember Jesus. It is so much more! You know it is Christ’s body and blood, His true physical body and blood, but do you always believe the incredible gifts you receive?

Christ is the Word that brings about this great meal set before us. As Christ performed an incredible miracle on that day in our text, so He does in feeding us through the repast He sets before us today.

In the words of Christ, we participate in this incredible meal. We repeat the words of Scripture and of Christ, bread is taken, thanks are given, it is broken, and given to us. We recall the incredible miracle in our text, and know that something miraculous is taking place because this is also what Christ did there and in the upper room on the night in which He was betrayed. What we receive isn’t simple bread, nor is it simple wine. It is the very body and blood of Jesus Christ given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

This morning you may have had bacon and eggs or maybe Fruit Loops for breakfast. Although that breakfast satisfied your physical hunger, you will eat again. Before you, on the table of the Lord, rests a meal that does more than satisfy your physical hunger. In fact, if you haven’t eaten breakfast, your body will probably desire something more.

However, the meal on the altar before us, is a meal that satisfies a much greater hunger, it satisfies your hunger and thirst for righteousness. In the miracle of the Sacrament of the Altar, Christ gives you to eat of His body that was pierced upon the cross, and to drink of His blood which stained the ground crimson beneath His suspended feet. In this meal, you are forgiven for your sinful doubts of His miraculous power. He feeds your faith that you might believe unto life everlasting. He grants you salvation, that you might sit at His table and dine with Him forevermore.

Come, eat, and be satisfied. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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