When Miracles Happen…. Matthew 14:15-21

The Old Testament reading that was suggested for today comes to us from the prophet Isaiah. The subtitle for this passage is “An Invitation to Abundant Life.” The prophet is speaking with the voice of God reflecting to the people that there is an offer of abundant life from God and that it is available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.  The waters being referred to in verse 1 are more than likely the waters of the rivers that surrounded the garden of Eden.  It is a call to the people to come to the waters that brought life to the world and all creation. It may also be a reference to the Jordan river which was the entry point for the people of Israel when they came out of the wilderness and entered the land promised by God. God then tells the people that two things are available to them without any money or price - Wine to gladden the spirit and milk to nourish the body. Then God speaks of bread that is not bread and work that brings no satisfaction. This passage reminds us of the temptations of Jesus where he declares that we do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

The people will find what is good for their bodies, minds, and spirits when they open their hearts and minds and come to listen to God that they might begin to truly live. Attentiveness to the word of God expressed through the prophets is what gives life to the people and that Word of God that brings life, purpose and hope will always accomplish its goals.

In our New Testament reading we have the account of the feeding of the 5,000.  At first blush it is a simple story that relates another in what have come to be a significant number of miracles by Jesus. And while most of Jesus’ miracles are healings, this is different. This miracle is one that is not limited to one person or a small group of people. This miracles is not a private affair or even a limited public affair. This miracle is not one which was asked for nor was it expected. But what this miracle has in common with other miracles is that it is given out of the compassionate heart of Jesus who recognizes what people need most at that particular moment in their life.

Right from the moment when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan, people had sensed that there was something quite different about this person. And when the crowds began to follow him, they were amazed at his teaching and the way in which he responded to the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of people who were strangers to him.  It mattered not to Jesus how rich you were or how important you might have been in the business, religious or social life of the area. Jesus saw people suffering, suffering in ways that affected their ability to move, to think, and to be accepted. His response to such suffering was to restore movement, to restore sight, to restore hearing, to restore speech, to restore sanity and to restore people to a place where they could once again feel welcomed and loved.

In almost every chapter of Matthew’s gospel, we find these words after a time of teaching or healing by Jesus: and the crowds followed him. Jesus’ ministry of healing and teaching was truly reflective of the words of the prophet Isaiah for here he was offering life – abundant life, newness of life, restoration of hope – without asking anything in return except that people turn from their sin and repent for the kingdom of God was at hand. “Incline your ear to me,” said God in Isaiah. Here in that time, the people were inclining their ears to Jesus – the Beloved Son of God – and they were listening to the words of God spoken by Jesus feeding them a bread that cost them nothing to buy – a bread that was made available to any who would listen and believe.

What significance we may want to place on the number of people fed that day is really immaterial. What is significant is that Jesus knew that the people had continued to follow him no matter how hard he had tried to step away. He knew that they had come to a place where food was not readily available and that many among the people might die if sent away hungry. The compassionate heart of Jesus that had faithfully proclaimed the message of God and faithfully alleviated the suffering of so many could not turn away from the people in their need.  The disciples were skeptical as they had only 5 loaves and 2 fish. But Jesus knew that the word of God sent out as seed for the Sower to become bread for the eater would not return to the hand of God empty and so he knew that while what was there appeared to be little, there would be enough for all and more beside

And what was the final part of this miracle? Twelve baskets of leftovers. The symbolism of this would not have been lost on Matthew’s readers. The people of the twelve tribes of Israel would ever find that there was enough bread from the hand of God to feed them all. It was a reminder and an invitation to all in the tribes of Israel that God had not forgotten them and that there would always be bread for them to eat without price and without money.

When miracles happen, we can find ourselves in awe; we can find ourselves filled with wonder; we can find ourselves searching for a way to explain it in rational terms; we can find ourselves being skeptical that it really could have happened. But when miracles happen, the response God hopes for is that we say thank you; thank you for your compassion; thank you for your care; thank you for your love. And if a miracle does not happen how are to respond? We respond by thanking God for being with us in our time of suffering or the time of suffering of a loved one and we remember that we live not for this life alone but for a life that goes beyond this mortal plane knowing in our hearts, our minds and our spirits that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

AMEN