Five Thousand

a few ideas for next Sunday's sermons

There are not many episodes in the life of Jesus that appear in all four gospels. But this is one of them. The four versions give slightly different angles on the story, but it’s clear that this was an event that simply could not be left out. (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:37-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-14)

John adds the detail about the little boy giving his lunch to Jesus, and also notes how much it would cost to feed that many people. Matthew says that Jesus tells them to sit on the grass, and Mark specifies that it’s green grass (which has led to various scholarly disputes about whether this happened in the winter or the spring…).

Matthew and Mark add similar story of feeding four thousand, in a Gentile region — the numbers are all different, and can be read to have symbolic significance. And, as Matthew notes, it was more a case of five thousand households than five thousand people — include the women and children and you have a head count of something like 15,000-20,000.

To preach on this story, you could take all the different versions and compare them. Or you could look at what is unique about Matthew’s version, and how it fits the particular narrative. Taking the second option, here are a few preaching angles I think worth pursuing:

1. COMPASSION: he heals the sick because he knows they need to be well; he feeds the crowd because he knows they are hungry. Before jumping to ask what this story ‘means’, just pause there. He gives them what they need, out of sheer human kindness.

2. MORE THAN ENOUGH: Everyone had enough to eat. But there was more left over. When it says ‘broken pieces’, that’s not the kind of crumbs you sweep off the tablecloth and throw away — that’s whole portions of bread that were surplus to requirements. Jesus over-caters. How much do you want? How much do you need? You can have all of that, and more . . . God is not mean, nor even economical. There is always enough, and more to spare.

3. EUCHARIST/HOLY COMMUNION: The connection is often made between this story and the Last Supper. Broken bread, food without price, enough for everyone . . .
   Matthew 14.19 says he blessed God for the bread: εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteo) —is the word for thanksgiving/blesssing from which ‘Eucharist’ is derived, although in context it does not necessarily imply something sacramental, it could be taken more like saying grace before a meal.

   It’s also worth noting that the thanks/blessing is directed towards God, rather than to the bread, which in itself opens up an interesting commentary on eucharistic practice. The blessing does not denote some mystical effect on the bread, but is a prayer of thanks and blessing to God for the bread — thus any sacramental implication derived from this is not magical but relational.
   With all that in mind, though, it’s important to notice that this was not, primarily, a symbolic meal; He fed them because they were hungry, and he cared about their physical needs.

   

4. MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL HUNGER: Interestingly, following on from this passage, Matthew relates a series of episodes, all of which have to do with bread, food, and eating. He’s on a roll with this! First, Jesus takes a trip across the water (and walks on the water!), and once he’s on the other side engages in a conversation about whether or not you wash your hands; then he gets into the relative insignificance of laws about what to eat, by comparison to what kind of person you are; after that the Canaanite woman challenges him, saying ‘even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table’ (Matt 15.27). Then follows the feeding of the four thousand, and after that he makes some oblique comments about ‘the yeast of the Pharisees’ — using breadmaking talk once again to allude to spiritual growth.

5. MISSION: Jesus wanted to be alone. The disciples wanted to send the crowd away — were they tired? or were they trying to protect him from the crowds? — but Jesus, intervening, did not simply take charge, he drew his disciples into the action. First, “YOU give them something to eat.” and then, when they look helplessly at their meagre resources, '“Bring them to me”
   Jesus doesn’t delegate the work to them and leave them to figure it all out by themselves — he is right there to supply whatever they need. But he doesn’t do it all by himself either. This is a point in the gospel where, rather than the disciples following along and watching what he does, Jesus increasingly draws them into active participation in the gospel.

Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14:13-21