“Leftovers: More Than Enough” (John 6:1-21)

The dilemma was how to feed some five thousand plus people.  Jesus and the disciples had nothing, yet Jesus insisted that the people be fed.  Thus, he poses the question to his disciples.  Of course, any time people are faced with a problem, a discussion breaks out.  Phillip laments that even “eight months’ of wages would not buy enough” food to feed the crowd.  Andrew, maybe joking, flippantly suggests: “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”  It was a good conversation, and the only plausible suggestion, so Jesus told them to have all the people sit down.  Then he blessed the food and had it distributed to the people.  In the end, there was more than enough food to feed the whole crowd . . . in fact, there were leftovers . . . twelve baskets full!

It was proclaimed a miracle.

There are a variety of interpretations of the story.  Some prefer to think of it as a kind of supernatural miracle . . . with a prayer and Jesus’ touch, a boy’s meager lunch was able to feed thousands.  Definitely a miracle.  Others interpret it differently . . . it is still a miracle, but not quite the supernatural kind.  These interpreters would insist that it is just as much a miracle because, following the child’s example, everyone simply put on the table what they had brought.  Everyone was feed.  In a world where we are quick to hold tight to what is “ours” and awfully slow to share, the latter would seem to be as amazing an event as any.

How do you interpret the story?  In the end, perhaps it is enough to simply hear the story as a vivid reminder that there is enough.  In Jesus’ presence there is always more than enough.  Enough food, enough space, enough kindness, enough . . . well, you get the picture.

Since my ordination over 35 years ago, and having served seven congregations, I am still amazed at the power of the church potluck dinner.  It seems that at every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cookout I have attended at church, there never looks as if there is enough food to feed the crowd. And, after every one of them, I have been amazed that there was plenty . . . in fact, more than plenty with lots of leftovers to share.  I have never seen anyone go away from a potluck hungry . . . and, if they did, it was not because of a lack of food.

Pretty miraculous stuff . . . there is always enough.  Because of this, I probably lean towards the second interpretation of the story.  Either way, you look at it, it was a miracle.  Yet, how often do we recognize a miracle when it is taking place right before our eyes?  In a crowd of over five thousand, how many witnessed the miracle as it was taking place . . . or were they just content with the simple enjoyment of a plentiful meal that they hardly noticed where it came from? 

Sometimes it is difficult to recognize the miracle for various reasons . . . being caught up in the fulfillment of the moment, like having food to feed everyone . . . or, maybe not quite believing that it can be done—of not being able to see the potential and possibilities . . . or, just being too busy to even notice.  In this story, we are reminded, that with Jesus there is always enough, whether we recognize it or not.  God’s gifts are all around us and we need to become more adept at consciously recognizing, receiving, and celebrating them.

Probably the main reason we fall short of recognizing the miraculous is because we do not allow ourselves to even imagine and dream because we are stuck in the idea of scarcity.  We know the conversation of scarcity as individuals, families, communities, and congregations.  It is the one that proclaims that there is “never enough” . . . never enough money, never enough people, never enough youth . . . never enough.  How often have we shortchanged God and ourselves of the miraculous because we were stuck in the rut of “never enough”? 

I guess that is human nature.  I think that we all fall into that trap from time to time . . . as individuals and as a congregation.  We beat ourselves before we have even left the starting line.  But, with this story of the feeding of the five thousand, we are reminded that with Jesus there is always enough . . . and, then some.  We have also heard other stories that are like this story. 

At the first church I served there was Brother Louie . . . Mr. Nelson . . . and elder emeritus and my next-door neighbor.  Brother Louie liked to preached tithing for individuals and for congregations.  He believed in tithing and its power based on his own experience.  He talked about in the beginning of his marriage, he and his wife, would try to pay all their bills and then give something to the church . . . them first, church second.  He said there was never enough money and that the church always got the short end of the stick.  Then he and his wife decided to take their tithe out at the beginning and use whatever else was left over to cover their life expenses.  The two of them were shocked . . . there was always more than enough, in fact, there were always leftovers.  He would say, “With Jesus there is always more than enough.” 

Another story . . . a story that should be familiar to all of you . . . is when this congregation decided to start tithing each month and use that money for mission and ministry within the community and beyond.  This was done at a time when the congregation was scraping by, not much of anything in the bank, and it was a struggle.  The proposal was a risk, yet the congregation agreed to start tithing.  The end results?  Well, the congregation is not scraping by—there is a surplus of money in the bank, nearly twenty percent of the congregation’s annual budget goes to mission and outreach, and there seems to be more than enough.  It is impressive.

With Jesus there is more than enough.  We see this truth in our scripture reading this morning, and in the stories of individuals and this congregation.  Knowing this truth, shouldn’t it become a part of our conversation of faith as individuals and as a congregation . . . to embrace the possibilities, the potential, and the dreams of what can be done through Jesus?

There is a whole world out there needing to be loved . . . millions, upon

millions . . . even billions.  How can we feed the hunger of so many?  There is not enough money . . . not enough people . . . not enough.

Remember . . . Jesus took the five loaves and two small fish from the boy . . . he gave thanks . . . and, then he distributed them the over five thousand that seemed impossible to feed.  When the feast was done, the leftovers were collected . . . twelve baskets full.  No one was hungry.  And, to believe it all started with five loaves of bread and two fish . . . with Jesus there is always more than enough.  Believe and see.  Amen.

“Tearing Down the Walls” (Ephesians 2:11-22)

Which is better:

·        Pepsi or Coke?

·        Chocolate or vanilla?

·        John Deere or Farmall?

·        Coffee or tea?

·        University of Montana Grizzlies or Montana State University Bobcats?

·        Men or women?

·        Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) or United Methodists?

·        Republicans or Democrats?

·        Montana or Wyoming?

Differences divide.  They always have and probably always will.  With this little exercise we just did, we could see how differences separate us and put us into categories.  We categorize ourselves, one from the other, by race, gender, class, education level, and citizenship status.  We are deeply aware of our differences when it comes to political party, theology, and even church denomination.  We especially live in a time when there is much that divides us . . . and, scares us to the point that we often find ourselves hesitant to speak of our differences for fear of retaliation.  I think that we can all agree that differences divide and separate . . . create “us” and “them” . . . build walls between us.

This is the issue we find in our scripture reading this morning . . . walls that divide.  In particular how should or would the Gentile Christians be welcomed into the fellowship of the “church”.  In the beginning the “church” was born out of those followers of Jesus who had been Jewish . . . many of whom believed that Jesus’ way was the final form of the Jewish faith; thus, they believed that for Gentiles to become members of the “church” they needed to become “Jewish” first.  No circumcision, no membership.  That was the standard.  This is why we see in the birth stories of the “church” that all the evangelism stories started with the evangelists starting in the synagogues.

This was the model that the Apostle Paul used in his ministry.  Unfortunately the model did not work for him.  Often Paul was ushered out of the synagogues he visited when he attempted to share the Good News of Jesus.  Instead, he had better luck evangelizing the Gentiles . . . in fact, it caught on like wild fire.  This concerned Paul as his success and the growing number of Gentile converts did not sit well with those back in Jerusalem.  A great and nasty debate ensued.  One side stuck to the idea that circumcision was necessary for true conversion and membership; the other side said that was unnecessary . . . Jesus paid the price for all, circumcised and non-circumcised alike.

This difference divided the “church”.

The apostle sets out to address this issue in our reading . . . he is tearing down the wall.  The reconciling act comes through Jesus . . . through Jesus they are one . . . one family under God.  Paul tells his readers that God in Christ has made one humanity of the two.  One group does not fall under the power of the more dominant group . . . Gentiles do not become Jews . . . Jews do not become Gentiles.  They become united as one in Jesus as who they are.  This gets an extra boost when Peter has his vision of the “clean” and “unclean” food.

Paul proclaims: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

Here we discover that Jesus tore down the walls that separate to bring the family of God together.  Probably the most famous poem of poet Edwin Markman, a Universalist and poet laureate of Oregon from 1923 to 1931, was Outwitted.   Maybe you remember this short, little poem:

He drew a circle that shut me out—

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But Love and I had the wit to win:

We drew a circle that took him in!

That is what Jesus does.  He erases the line that separates . . . he tears down the walls that divide . . . and, he brings all into the family of God.  Jesus expects us to go and do likewise.

With so much that divides us these days, how are we to begin to take bricks out of the wall which stands between us?  How are we called to come together to talk about so many matters which threaten to divide?  How do we include all to be a part of the conversation . . .  especially those who are on the outside looking in?  How do we discover and live in this “peace” that the apostle speaks of in his words to us this morning?

Maybe we begin by remembering that Jesus died for all.  Isn’t that what we say we believe?  When Jesus says “all”, Jesus means “all” . . . all of God’s children who are created in God’s own image.

Maybe we begin by affirming our foundational beliefs and values as the followers of Jesus.  Central to that is “love” . . . love of God . . . love of others.  Jesus told us that if we could follow these two tenets of faith that all the words of the prophets and laws would be fulfilled.

Maybe we begin by living our lives as Jesus lived his . . . by following his example.  Jesus’ first response was always one of welcome, never judgment . . . especially for those who were on the outside, those who were outcast, those who were forgotten.  Should we not be welcoming and hospitable to others?  I doubt that the welcome of Jesus is any less for them than it was for me or you . . . not because of who they are, but because of who Jesus is.  Jesus welcomed people home to be received for who they are and treated with integrity and kindness . . . loved and respected.

This is how the walls that separate are torn down . . . one brick, one person at a time.

Tearing down the walls that divide sounds difficult, yet, we forget.  We forget that Jesus has already done the work.  All we have to do is to walk through the opening which Jesus has already created for us.  That is what these words of the apostle are telling us.  The apostle writes: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

We are the children of God.  Each and every one of us . . . created in God’s image.  With our differences and similarities . . . we are one family in God.  Jesus has torn down the wall that separates us from God, and from one another.  Let us continue to tear down the walls of separation in our lives and in our world.  Let us draw a circle that take all in.  Jesus would have it no less.  Amen.