OUR SCARCITY MEETS GOD’S ABUNDANCE

Mark 6:30-44

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 6/23/24

THIS IS THE ONLY MIRACLE STORY​​ 

MENTIONED IN ALL FOUR GOSPELS.

FROM THIS WE CAN DRAW THE CONCLUSION​​ 

THAT THE MEMORY OF THIS PARTICULAR EVENT

HAD SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE LIFE OF THE EARLIEST CHURCH.

MANY BBILICAL SCHOLARS ARE CONVINCED

THAT LUKE WAS CLOSE TO MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS,

AND THAT HE RECEIVED A NUMBER​​ 

OF EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS FROM HER.

IN A SIMILAR WAY, MANY BIBLICAL SCHOLARS

ARE CONVINCED THAT MARK WAS CLOSE TO PETER THE APOSTLE,

AND THAT HE RECEIVED SOME​​ EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS FROM HIM.

OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT FOR TODAY,

AND THE STORY OF THE FEEDING OF THE 4,000 GENTILES

A BIT FURTHER ON IN MARK, ARE CONSIDERED BY MANY

TO BE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS THAT PETER SHARED WITH MARK.

SEVERAL TELLING DETAILS POINT TO THIS CONCLUSION:

MARK IS THE ONLY GOSPEL WRITER TO INCLUDE

THE SEEMINGLY SMALL DETAIL THAT THE GRASS WAS​​ GREEN.

THIS SMALL DETAIL ENABLES US TO DATE THIS EEVENT

AS HAVING TAKEN PLACE IN LATE APRIL OR EARLY MAY,

THE ONLY TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN THE GRASS​​ WOULD​​ BE GREEN

IN THE REGION OF THE SEA OF GALILEE.

IT IS ALSO THE TYPE OF SEEMINGLY INSIGNIFICANT DETAIL

THAT ONE GIVING AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT WOULD​​ INCLUDE.

THIS DETAIL IS​​ LACKING​​ IN THE ACCOUNTS OF THIS SAME EVENT

IN MATTHEW, LUKE, AND JOHN, WHO GIVE US​​ 

A MORE​​ GENERAL​​ NARRATIVE.

IT IS ALSO INDICATIVE OF AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT

THAT TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF BASKETS

ARE MENTIONED IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK:

IN THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000 JEWISH PEOPLE,​​ OUR TEXT FOR TODAY,

THE SPECIFICALLY​​ JEWISH​​ TYPE OF BASKET,

THE NARROW-NECKED, GRADUALLY BROADENING,​​ 

KOPHINOS, IS MENTIONED.

IN MARK’S ACCOUNT OF THE FEEDING OF THE 4,000 GENTILES,

THE SPECIFICALLY​​ GENTILE​​ TYPE OF BASKET,

THE HAMPER-LIKE​​ SPHURIS, IS MENTIONED.

AS A SMALL BUSINESSMAN, PETER WOULD HAVE KNOWN GREEK,

AND WOULD HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THE TYPICAL

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS OF HIS GENTILE NEIGHBORS.

A FURTHER SIGNIFICANT DETAIL​​ 

POINTING TO AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT​​ 

IS MARK’S MENTIONING THAT JESUS DIVIDED THE MASS OF PEOPLE

INTO GROUPS OF​​ HUNDREDS​​ AND GROUPS OF FIFTIES.

EARLIER IN MARK’S GOSPEL JESUS HAS HEALED​​ 

A MAN POSSESSED BY A​​ LEGION​​ OF DEMONS,

EMPHATICALLY USING THE SAME WORD FOR THE DEMONS

THAT THE ROMANS USED TO DESCRIBE​​ 

THEIR MAIN FIGHTING UNIT, THE​​ LEGION,

WHICH CONSISTED OF 5,000 MEN.

ONE HUNDRED​​ WAS THE SMALLEST UNIT IN THE ROMAN ARMY

WHICH REQUIRED THE OVERSIGHT OF AN OFFICER, A​​ CENTURION.

I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT IN MENTIONING​​ 

THESE TWO SPECIFIC NUMBERS,​​ ONE HUNDRED​​ 

AND​​ FIVE THOUSAND, MARK WAS INTENTIONALLY CONTRASTING

THE​​ WAY​​ OF THE​​ WORLD​​ AS REPRESENTED BY THE​​ ROMAN ARMY,

AND THE​​ WAY​​ OF THE​​ KINGDOM​​ OF​​ GOD​​ AS REPRESENTED BY​​ JESUS.

LITTLE DETAILS LIKE THIS ARE IMPORTANT

BECAUSE THEY SHOW US HOW SCRIPTURE SCHOLARS,

LIKE THE GOOD DETECTIVES THEY ARE CALLED TO BE,

CAN PIECE TOGETHER WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

SOME TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

THEY POINT TO THE FACT THAT JESUS OF NAZARETH

WAS A REAL PERSON WHO MINISTERED TO OTHER REAL PERSONS

IN VERY SPECIFIC AND VERY REAL WAYS.

THERE IS AN UNBRIDGABLE​​ DIFFERENCE​​ BETWEEN A FAITH

FOUNDED UPON​​ FICTION, NO MATTER HOW IDEALISTIC,

AND A FAITH FOUNDED UPON MEMORIES OF REAL EVENTS

SHARED WITH US BY PEOPLE WHO WERE ACTUALLY THERE.

SO. . .WHAT​​ IS​​ THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STORY

IN TERMS OF OUR UNDERSTANDING​​ 

GOD’S​​ NATURE​​ AND GOD’S​​ WILL?

ITS SIGNIFICANCE LIES IN ITS STARK DELINEATION

OF TWO DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO​​ HUMAN NEED​​ 

AND TWO DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO​​ HUMAN RESOURCES.

THE SITUATION IS THIS:

A LARGE CROWD, THE HUGE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE POOR,

HAS FOLLOWED JESUS TO A RATHER DESOLATE PLACE

ON THE SHORE OF THE SEA OF GALILEE.

THEY HAVE GOTTEN SO CAUGHT UP IN JESUS’ TEACHING

THAT THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT THE TIME.

IT IS NOW NEARLY DARK.

THE DISCIPLES, SUDDENLY AWARE OF THE POVERTY OF THE CROWD,

AND SELF-CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF THEIR OWN POVERTY,

REALIZE THAT IT IS THE HOUR FOR THE EVENING MEAL,

AND​​ ASSUME​​ THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH FOOD TO GO AROUND.

NOT WANTING TO BE BLAMED BY THE CROWD​​ 

FOR THEIR GOING HUNGRY,

THEY TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND APPROACH JESUS,

ASKING HIM TO “SEND THEM AWAY SO THAT THEY MAY GO

INTO THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY AND VILLAGES

AND BUY SOMETHING FOR THEMSELVES TO EAT.” ​​ 

JESUS SURPRISES THEM BY RESPONDING:

“YOU​​ GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT.”

THE WORD “YOU” IS​​ EMPHATIC​​ IN THE GREEK –

JESUS IS NOT MAKING A POLITE​​ REQUEST;

RATHER, HE IS GIVING A CHALLENGING​​ COMMAND.

ASSUMING THAT JESUS CAN BE TRUSTED NOT TO DEMAND

SOMETHING WHICH IS BLATANTLY​​ IMPOSSIBLE,

WE SEE IN THIS BRIEF EXCHANGE TWO VERY DIFFERENT

APPROACHES TO HUMAN​​ NEED.

THE DISCIPLES ARE BASICALLY​​ AFRAID.

THEY ARE AFRAID OF THE ENORMITY OF THE HUMAN NEED

PRESENTED IN THIS SITUATION, AND WANT TO BE

LET OFF THE HOOK​​ IN TERMS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY

TO RESPOND TO IT.

JESUS, ON THE OTHER HAND, SEES THE HUNGER OF THE CROWD

AS AN​​ OPPORTUNITY​​ TO MANIFEST GOD’S​​ COMPASSION

AND GOD’S​​ ABUNDANCE, TWO CRUCIAL COMPONENTS

OF GOD’S​​ KINGDOM.

IT IS EASY TO PUT​​ OURSELVES​​ IN THE PLACE OF THE DISCIPLES HERE:

WHEN FACED WITH A SITUATION THAT EMBODIES

THE ENORMITY OF HUMAN NEED, IS OUR RESPONSE

TO THROW UP OUR HANDS IN​​ DESPAIR,

OR, IS OUR RESPONSE ONE OF​​ TRUSTING​​ 

GOD’S COPMPASSION AND GOD’S ABUNDANCE,

ONE OF ALLOWING​​ GOD​​ TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION,

ONE OF ALLOWING GOD TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION​​ THROUGH US?

I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT MY OWN FIRST RESPONSE

TO SITUATIONS OF GREAT HUMAN NEED IS, LIKE THE DISCIPLES,

ONE OF​​ FEAR.

I’M FEARFUL THAT​​ I​​ DON’T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES;

I’M FEARFUL THAT​​ I​​ DON’T HAVE THE WORDS

OR THE POWER OR THE MONEY;

I’M FEARFUL THAT​​ I​​ MIGHT BE INCONVENIENCED.

I, I, I. . .

MY ATTITUDE IS FOCUSED ON​​ MYSELF​​ AND WHAT​​ I DON’T HAVE.

NO WONDER I’M INTIMIDATED –

BECAUSE IT’S​​ TRUE​​ THAT​​ I DON’T HAVE

WHAT IT TAKES TO MEET THE SITUATION.

MY FIRST RESPONSE IS TO LEAVE GOD​​ OUT OF​​ THE EQUATION.

I TEND TO FORGET THAT GOD HAS​​ PROMISED​​ TO BE​​ PRESENT

IN​​ ALL​​ SITUATIONS OF HUMAN NEED.

I TEND TO FORGET THAT, AS ONE OF OUR CHURCH’S CORE VALUES

PUTS IT, “WE​​ ARE THE​​ HEART​​ AND​​ HANDS​​ 

OF​​ CHRIST SERVING OTHERS.”

AND BECAUSE I​​ FORGET, I AM ALL-TOO-OFTEN

POWERLESS​​ AND​​ RESOURCELESS IN THE FACE OF HUMAN NEED.

LIKE THE DISCIPLES IN TODAY’S TEXT, MY FIRST RESPONSE TO JESUS

WHEN HE ASKS ME TO DO SOMETHING DIFFICULT

IS TO THROW UP MY HANDS IN DESPAIR

AND TO SAY THE EQUIVALENT OF

“AM I TO GO AND BUY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF BREAD

TO GIVE THEM TO EAT?”

EQUALLY FORTUNATE FOR BOTH JESUS’ ORIGINAL DISCIPLES

AND FOR US LATER DISCIPLES,

JESUS SIMPLY DOESN’T BUY INTO​​ OUR​​ FEAR AND​​ OUR​​ DESPAIR.

HE MERELY ASKS US TO GIVE WHAT LITTLE WE DO HAVE TO OFFER,

AND THEN HE TAKES WHAT LITTLE WE HAVE, BLESSES IT,​​ 

AND MAKES IT MORE THAN ADEQUATE

TO MEET THE SITUATION AT HAND.

WHAT CONSTITUTES THE SPECIFICALLY​​ MIRACULOUS​​ PART OF

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF MUCH DEBATE.

SOME HOLD THAT JESUS SIMPLY TOOK​​ 

THE FIVE SMALL LOAVES AND TWO SMALL FISH,

GAVE THANKS TO THE FATHER, BLESSED THEM,

AND SET THEM BEFORE THE PEOPLE,

AND THAT GOD​​ DIRECTLY INTERVENED​​ 

AND MIRACULOUSLY MULTIPLIED THE LOAVES AND FISH

UNTIL THERE WAS ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE.

OTHERS HOLD THAT THE​​ REAL​​ MIRACLE LAY IN JESUS’ ABILITY

TO INSPIRE THOSE WHO HAD ALREADY BROUGHT FOOD WITH THEM

TO​​ SHARE​​ WHAT THEY HAD BROUGHT WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS.

THE WISEST APPROACH, I SUSPECT, WOULD BE​​ NOT​​ TO SET

THESE TWO ALTERNATIVES IN​​ OPPOSITION​​ TO EACH OTHER,

BUT TO SEE THEM AS​​ COMPLEMENTING​​ ONE ANOTHER.

THUS, JESUS ASKS, THE DISCIPLES GIVE WHAT LITTLE THEY HAVE,

GOD MAKES THEIR LITTLE INTO MUCH,​​ 

WHICH IN TURN INSPIRES THOSE IN THE CROWD​​ 

WHO HAVE BROUGHT A LITTLE FOOD WITH THEM

TO SHARE THEIR LITTLE WITH OTHERS,

WHICH GOD ALSO BLESSES AND MAKES INTO MUCH.

GOD KNOWS, AS MANY INVOLVED IN VARIOUS FOOD MINISTRIES

HAVE POINTED OUT, THAT THERE ALREADY EXISTS MORE THAN​​ 

ENOUGH FOOD ON THIS PLANET TO COMFORTABLY FEED EVERYONE.

THE REAL PROBLEM IS NOT THE LACK OF​​ FOOD,​​ 

BUT THE LACK OF​​ COMPASSION​​ AND THE LACK OF NEIGHBORLY​​ LOVE

WHICH THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD’S​​ WEALTHY

HAVE TOWARDS THE WORLD’S​​ POOR.

ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING COMMENTARIES ON THE GOSPELS

THAT WE HAVE IS​​ THE GOSPEL IN SOLENTINAME,​​ 

EDITED BY ERNESTO CARDENAL.

ERNESTO CARDENAL​​ WAS A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST

WHO MET WITH A GROUP OF PEASANTS​​ 

IN A POOR VILLAGE IN NICARAGUA AND RECORDED​​ 

THEIR RESPONSES TO THE ASSIGNED GOSPEL READINGS AT MASS.

IT IS ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING COMMENTARIES

ON THE GOSPELS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE IT RECORDS

THE RESPONSES TO HIS TEACHINGS AND ACTIONS

BY EXACTLY THE​​ SAME​​ GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT JESUS

HUNG OUT WITH THE MOST DURING HIS OWN MINISTRY:

THE POOREST OF THE POOR.

AS ANYONE INVOLVED WITH ANY FACET OF COMMUNITY CHUCH’S

MINISTRY TO THOSE LABELED AS “HOMELESS” BY OUR SOCIETY KNOWS, THE POOREST OF THE POOR CAN OFTEN BE THE VERY BEST

BIBLICAL SCHOLARS AND THEOLOGIANS.

THEY, LIKE GOD, KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON,

WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON, UNDERNEATH​​ 

THE COMFORTANLE FAÇADE OF LABELING NATIONS

AND PEOPLE AS “DEVELOPED” AND “DEVELOPING,”

OR “FIRST WORLD” AND “THIRD WORLD.”

IN THE CONTEXT OF TODAY’S GOSPEL READING,

FELIPE, A DIRT-POOR PEASANT LIVING IN A DIRT-POOR VILLAGE

IN RURAL NICARAGUA, COMMENTS:

“I THINK THAT IN OUR COUNTRY THERE’S PLENTY,

PLENTY OF EVERYTHING.

IN OUR COUNTRY THERE’S FOOD, THERE’S CLOTHING,

THERE’S MEDICINE, THERE’S EVERYTHING YOU CAN WANT,

THERE’S ENOUGH.

WHAT’S WRONG IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ALL THAT STUFF

NOT TO​​ SHARE​​ BUT TO​​ SELL.

AND THE ONES THAT HAVE THE THINGS​​ WANT​​ THEM TO BE​​ SCARCE

TO EARN MORE EVEN THOUGH THE PEOPLE ARE STARVING.

IF YOU PUT AN END TO SELFISHNESS

THERE’LL BE PLENTY OF EVERYTHING.” ​​ (End Quote)

THE PROBLEM HERE IN OUR OWN CONTRY IS THAT WE HAVE

A “FIRST” WORLD​​ AND​​ A “THIRD” WORLD LIVING SIDE-BY-SIDE.

THOSE LABELED AS “HOMELESS” ARE SIMPLY PART​​ 

OF THE MORE THAN ONE-FIFTH OF OUR OWN PEOPLE

WHO ARE LIVING IN ABJECT POVERTY.

IF THE PORTRAITS OF JESUS GIVEN TO US IN THE GOSPELS

ARE TRUE, JESUS EVEN NOW IS READY AND WAITING

TO PERFORM “THE MIRACLE OF THE MULTIPLICATION

OF THE LOAVES,” OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN

UNTIL OUR COUNTRY AND OUR WORLD HAVE BEEN​​ TRANSFORMED.

THE CHALLENGE IS THAT IN TERMS OF THIS SPECIFIC MIRACLE,

WHICH WE COULD CALL “MAKING AN ABUNDANCE OF FOOD

AVAILABLE TO ALL,”

JESUS REQUIRES OUR PARTICIPATION.

JESUS CHALLENGES US TO BRING WHAT LITTLE WE HAVE,

TO PLACE IT AT HIS DISPOSAL,​​ 

AND TO TRUST THAT GOD WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE IT.

JESUS CHALLENGES US TO TRADE IN OUR TIGHT-FISTED

ATTITUDE OF​​ SCARCITY​​ FOR GOD’S OPEN-HANDED​​ 

REALITY OF​​ ABUNDANCE.

IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS CHALLENGES US TO​​ MOVE

FROM BEING HIS FOLLOWERS MOSTLY IN​​ NAME

TO BECOME HIS FOLLOWERS IN​​ ACTS​​ OF​​ LOVING SERVICE.

JESUS CONFRONTED THE “POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES”

OF HIS OWN DAY –

THE RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURES

THAT CREATED A VAST UNDERCLASS FOR A TINY UPPERCLASS

TO EXPLOIT –

AND JESUS EXPECTS US AS HIS DISCIPLES LIVING IN TODAY’S WORLD

TO​​ DO​​ THE​​ SAME.

WE ARE CALLED TO “LET GO” OF OUR ATTITUDE OF​​ SCARCITY

AND “LET GOD” BY JOINING​​ WITH​​ GOD

TO BRING ABOUT A NEW WORLD OF​​ ABUNDANCE.

AMEN.