Web of Compassion and Faithful Living

Just before the part we heard read today, Jesus visited Nazareth, his home town, and the locals were unimpressed. He leaves, then hears about the death of John the Baptist.

Jesus takes the disciples somewhere quiet, to pray and grieve and regroup.

In Matthew’s gospel there is a contrast between the Empire of Rome and the Kingdom of God. At this point, it looks like the Empire is winning. Jesus is not accepted in his home town, and John is dead.

Then we have these two ‘miracles’

With both we could look at what happened and how it happened, for example, did everyone have a muesli bar in their pocket and decided to share when they realised everyone else had bought a snack as well? Was there some extra food stashed behind some rocks? Did Jesus pray and the small amount of food just kept feeding people?  We have seen form other feeding miracles, Manna and quail in the wilderness, the widow of Zarephath whose flour and oil didn’t run out [1 Kings 17]. For the people of Israel, this story was not about can God feed people, they already believed God did feed people.

The same with the calming of the storm, the people hearing this for the first time would have had no doubts about God’s ability to control nature.

These are stories that help the disciples see Jesus as God, as the Messiah.

In the second story, some of the disciples are fisherman, they will have been in a boat in a storm before. They are terrified because they think Jesus is a ghost, he says “I am Jesus”, remember the name of God: “I am,” when speaking with Moses?  God is here in the storm.^[i]

Sometimes reading the bible seems more like a spider’s web or a weaving rather than a straight-line connection from Bible verse to understanding. There are so many connections in this passage.

Both stories remind us of the connection between Moses and Jesus – feeding people in the wilderness, being able to walk on, or through, water. Jesus isn’t some new-fangled preacher, he is teaching, and living out the tradition of the God of Moses.

Power – John the Baptist was killed, and his head placed on a platter, at a feast given by Herod. Herod had the power to take life, on a whim, if he wanted to. Herod didn’t like that John had said he should not marry his brother’s wife.

Jesus uses his power, to feed people. These people would be unlikely to have money with them to buy food. This was a time when a few people were very rich, and most people lived day to day.

Jesus also had power to calm the storm.

Is power used, in the church and our community, to bring food the hungry; to bring the resources of life and dignity to all people; or to kill those who speak against evil and corruption.

Scarcity or generosity – the disciples are seeing things through the eyes of Empire, that is we don’t have enough, send the crowd away to fend for themselves.
“Sending the crowds home means sending them back into the oppressive and alienating economic realities of Galilee. Scarcity, hunger, alienation, and fear are symptoms of unjust political, social, and economic arrangements. That’s why the crowds have followed Jesus into the wilderness, but the disciples have dragged that world with them. Our presuppositions of scarcity and the need to secure our own economic well-being locate us with the disciples in this story.”^[ii]

Jesus says, there is enough. The Empire relied on some people not having enough so that others could be rich. Unfortunately, this is still the situation for many people.

How do we use the resources we have, our time, our energy, our money?

Grief and Compassion –Jesus feels grief at the death of John, he is human, he understands grief and other emotions. And in the middle of his grief, possibly wondering what to do next, people seek him out for healing, and food. And Jesus is compassionate, he feels for them, he knows their pain, their hope, and he heals and feeds them.

Do we feel compassion for those we meet, or are we so absorbed with our own concerns?

Responding to crisis

The disciples in the boat go from managing to keep the boat afloat in the storm, to terrified when they see Jesus coming, I think I would be terrified too if someone came walking on water.

Then Peter, impetuous Peter, decided if it really is Jesus, he too could walk on water. Peter trusts that Jesus can indeed control the wind and the waves.

I can remember being part of a Bible study group years ago, and the question for this reading was where about in this story are you, it was multiple choice and the options were something like - in the boat, walking on water, drowning, none of the above. My answer was d, what makes you think I am anywhere near the boat, I am the one on dry land. I know now sometimes stepping into, and out of, the boat is were God calls us, and Jesus is there to encourage us and support and guide us.

Can knowing that Jesus encourages and supports us allow for the risk-taking ventures that demand stepping over the side of the boat in faith today? What about fresh expressions of church, or different ways to build communities of faith? We need a faithful focus on Jesus as we take steps in faith, as we try new forms of church community.^[iii]

Jesus offers abundance where the Empire trades in scarcity.
Jesus acts in compassion where the Empire acts in power.
Jesus brings calm where the Empire thrives in chaos.^[iv]

What mindset do we live in?

One where power means getting our own way, belittling any who disagree with us?

Do we use the power we have to bring life, to heal, to feed; or do we use the power we have to kill in mind, spirit and body?

Are we like the disciples, wanting to believe the best about Jesus, yet the scarcity thinking of Empire is so ingrained they struggle to see any alternative?

Do we expect Jesus to act in us and in the world around us, or do we become terrified when things don’t go as expected?

Maybe, like Peter, we could step out on faith.
Maybe we could call forth abundance in a world fixated on scarcity.
Maybe we could demonstrate compassion in a world addicted to power. Maybe we could bring healing in a world oriented toward pain.
Maybe we could evoke life in a world enshrouded by death.
Maybe we could escape the given-ness of the Empire to imagine the world otherwise.
Maybe we, too, could walk on water.^[v]

God’s power is loose in the world but is utterly unlike the power of human empires. Faith involves changing our minds -- our imagination of reality -- and entails crossing boundaries. This is still the heart of Christian practice in times of violence, scarcity, and alienation.^[vi]

Where do you need encouragement from Jesus to take a risk?

Where is God challenging you this morning?

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[i] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3865

[ii] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3865

[iii] Spill the Beans

[iv] https://robertwilliamsonjr.com/maybe-we-could-walk-on-water/?fbclid=IwAR2WkW2DUWM_zQjbknFAyRyaRgpnNj20hO2HjhuxJHn0FZSx62vOxBAVlps

 [v] https://robertwilliamsonjr.com/maybe-we-could-walk-on-water/?fbclid=IwAR2WkW2DUWM_zQjbknFAyRyaRgpnNj20hO2HjhuxJHn0FZSx62vOxBAVlps

 [vi] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3865

overwhelmed by ?

If we wanted to look at the miracles in these two readings, there are plenty:

Elijah being woken by an angel, and fed, twice

God coming to Elijah in the silence

Jesus walking on water

Peter walking on water

The wind calmed as Jesus and Peter get into the boat

This morning I want us to think about another aspect of these two readings:

·    In the gospel, we have the disciples in a boat when a storm comes. These men are fisherman, so a storm is scary, but not as terrifying as a person walking on water. Peter steps out of the boat, and walks on the water, until … he notices the wind and waves

·    Elijah is running away after threats to his life. But when does God speak to him:

o  Twice through and angel and food

o  Then in a gentle breeze, or some translations have a still small voice or silence.

o  And tells him to go back and continue the work God has given him to do.

In both of these stories, there is fear and when God/Jesus speaks and acts, a sense of calm is restored.

Looking at the world around us, and it seems that there is much to fear, chaos is everywhere:

Kim Jong-un in North Korea

Donald Trump in the USA

with their threats of nuclear war

Race hate marches in the US

unrest in Venezuela

continuing violence in various parts of the world

and natural disasters:

earthquakes

landslides

floods and droughts

At times, it seems like life is out to get us.

Elijah’s life was threatened

Peter starting drowning

I am sure we can all think of things that clamour for our attention:

As well as the news headlines, there are often more personal issues:

Health

Family

Finances

It is easy to be overwhelmed at times,

·    by the list of things that concern us and our family and friends

·    by the needs in our community

o  homelessness

o  domestic violence

o  drug addiction

o  loss of hope

o  underemployment

·    and the issues nationally and internationally

o  refugees

o  war

o  slavery

o  racism

o  poverty

o  hunger

o  child mortality

o  and on and on

as much as we would like to change things,

·    for our friends to be healthy,

·    for everyone to have a safe place to live,

·    for children to be educated

·    for people to have adequate work

·    for violence and war and poverty to cease

we feel unable to influence these issues.

It is easy for us to feel we are on our own, and out of our depth.

But we are not on our own. And I am not only talking about God being present with us.

Elijah thought he was the only one who remained loyal to God, but we read that seven thousand Israelites refused to worship Baal. Elijah is not on his own.

Peter left the disciples in the boat, but ended up back in the boat.

One of the advantage of support groups, is that you find out you are not the only person in the area with:

·    a child with a drug addiction

·    a partner with depression

·    a problem with gambling

When we work together we can help people who are homeless, offer support to those who are ill, listen to people who feel that no-one cares about their situation. We won’t have all the resources to deal with every problem in our area, but we do have the resources to make a difference.

Remember the Gospel reading from last week, the disciples wanted to send the crowd away to get their own food. The disciples could not see a way to fed everyone, they were overwhelmed by the size of the task.

But Jesus said, just wait a minute, you can do this.

…

These two passages all remind me that fear and worry can cloud our judgement and make it harder for us to be aware of God in our lives.  

For Elijah God wasn’t in the earthquake, wind or fire, but in the silence or gentle breeze.

For Peter, he started to sink when he stopped focussing on Jesus and started focusing on the waves around him.

I am not suggesting we ignore the difficulties in life. The problem isn’t being aware of what is going on around us, and Jesus never avoided the complications and difficulties around him.

But when we start focussing on the difficulties of life,
when we see what we cannot do, rather then what we can do,
we will continue to be overwhelmed,
and wonder where God is in all of the chaos.

For me, there are plenty of days when I wonder what is going on, the to-do list multiplies, the desk gets messier, and my brain gets foggier. I know what I need to do:

Make a space for me away from the lists and deadlines and

Take a few minutes to check in with God and to breathe

As this quote says: the question is not, “Does God speak?” the question is, “are you listening?”

Some people will read that quote as God speaking with a human type voice. I do believe that God guides us.

There are times when I need to rewrite something, because when I read it, my gut knots up, or my heart feels sad. At times, I have had to write something that I knew was likely to be contentious, but when I reread it, and intentionally sat with God, there was a sense of calmness. But it usually requires me to focus on God, rather than what I think I should be writing.

Life can feel overwhelming, and we can wonder, where is God in all this.

When we focus on God, the source of all life,

And on Jesus, the one who showed us how to live,

And on the Holy Spirit, who guides our way

we are more likely

• ·    to know the peace and grace of God
• ·    to follow Jesus in caring
• ·    and to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives

Feeding 5,000 with compassion

We could look at the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000; ponder how Jesus managed to feed so many people with such a small amount of food. We could find a way to explain the feeding, such as the miracle of sharing. What if everyone had their own little packed lunch, but no-one was game to bring it out until they saw others doing the same? I sometimes wonder if getting people to share was a bigger miracle than food being multiplied.

But, I wonder what else we might see in this story?

.. Another food story in the Bible.

·         Manna and quail in the wilderness is the iconic feeding story

·         the widow of Zarephath whose flour and oil didn’t run out [1 Kings 17]

·         wedding at Cana

·         Jesus eating with Zacchaeus,

·         And many more

Eating, especially eating with others, occurs frequently in the Bible. Maybe because food and friendship, are vital for life, especially life with dignity.

.. The section just before this is about a birthday party for Herod; the daughter of Herodias danced for him, earning his praise, and led to the death of John the Baptist. Not only was John the Baptist killed, but his head was bought on a platter into the party.

At the time, people like Herod had lots of food, but for most people there was the daily struggle to find enough to eat. Food inequality has been happening for centuries, and food inequality continues to happen today.

The feast of Herod brings about death; yet the fish and bread – subsistence food – is a life giving feast for many.

.. Jesus has compassion on the crowd. Jesus and the disciples were headed for some time together, time for Jesus to grieve the death of his cousin John at the hands of Herod; but the crowd followed. “He felt sorry for them and healed everyone who was sick.”; other translations have that Jesus had compassion on the crowd.

Compassion that led him to act, in healing and feeding.[i] When you feel compassion for someone, does that lead you to action?

.. By feeding people, Jesus is acknowledging the humanity of people in the crowd. And it wasn’t enough to get by until they were back home; they ate until they had all they wanted. This was a time when most people would not have had the luxury of having all they wanted to eat.[ii]  

.. Another idea to think about from this passage is the way Jesus sees things differently to the disciples. The disciples saw why they could not feed everyone, they did not have enough; but Jesus trusts that what has been provided will be enough.

The disciples saw only five loaves and two fish and a large crowd, and said we can't do anything for all these people send them away.

But Jesus saw what the same 5 loaves and two fish, trusted God and saw potential. And there was more than enough.

I wonder when do we see scarcity,
when do we hold on to that which we have, not being willing to share?

Sometimes we are called on to give when we don't know if we have any to spare,
sometimes we are called to act when we feel unequipped,
sometimes we are called to speak out and we don't know the words to say.

 “What if rather than fretting whether we have enough, we simply give thanks for what we have, put it to use for those around us, and see just how far God might stretch and, indeed, multiply it? “ [iii]

It is easy to look at what we have, and see scarcity, see what we don’t have; but what would happen if we looked at what we have with the gratitude and trust that Jesus showed?

.. Jesus was concerned for the physical welfare of the people, not only their spiritual lives. [iv]

Some schools, including Ettalong Primary, now have breakfast available for students, because without breakfast it is very difficult to concentrate in class.  Jesus cared not only for the spiritual life of those he met, but cared about their whole life: physical, social, emotional and spiritual aspects of living.  

…………..

I love this passage from Isaiah, I wondered about the questions that are asked:

Why do you spend your money on food that doesn’t nourish?

Why do you spend your hard-earned wages on things that will never satisfy you?

What is it we are looking for? Some in the crowd were looking for healing, but what are we looking for?

Do we spend our money on that which nourishes our own life,
nourishes and nurtures the lives of the people who produce our food and clothes and other things,
and nourishes the life of the whole of creation?

Are we like Herod, whose feasting and lifestyle meant death and hunger to other people?

What resources do we have that brings us abundant life, and offers abundant life to others?

……

Sometimes we are like the disciples,
we doubt our ability,
we are pre-occupied with our own concerns,
and Jesus comes and shows us that there is more to us and more to life than we ever imagined.

This miracle is for those times.

I wonder what we need from Jesus?

Where are we being called to live out a miracle?

.. shortly we will share around bread and juice around the table.
Bread and juice that reminds us of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus.
Bread and juice that that is enough for all
bread and juice that symbolises nourishment and grace for all people.

.. Jesus had compassion on the crowd, what does it feel like to know Jesus has compassion for you? ^[v]

I wonder what we need from Jesus?

What can we do, that would show the compassion of God, not just to some people, but to all people.

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[i] Jennifer T. Kaalund, https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3357

[ii] Matt Skinner, https://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=4946

[iii] David Lose http://www.davidlose.net/2017/08/pentecost-9-a-gift-not-goal/

[iv] Jennifer T. Kaalund https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3357

[v] David Lose http://www.davidlose.net/2017/08/pentecost-9-a-gift-not-goal/

lived out vision

Yesterday I was at the Social Justice Expo that was organised by the UCA. It was an amazing day.

 

There was a choice of sessions looking at a number of different issues. Issues such as modern-day slavery, climate change, and the recognition of indigenous people in the Australian Constitution. Along with issues we looked at different ways of being active in working for social justice for all people; some people are involved in direct action, such as people who are up in the Leard Forest in northern New South Wales, trying to protect the land, plants, animals and indigenous history from another large coalmine. Other people work through community organising, peacemaking activities, prayer and contemplation.

 

While each person there is committed to living out the gospel call to follow Jesus, which means to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, and to welcome the stranger; we each do this in a different way.

 

As I drove home last night thinking about this gospel passage from Matthew that we would be hearing this morning, it occurred to me that only one person stepped out of the boat. With the other stories we have of Peter it may not be much of a surprise that it is Peter, rather than one of the other disciples. Yet Matthew records all of them in the boat believed.

 

And it isn't like Peter was all that successful at walking on water.

 

In the beautiful story of the three trees that we heard, each tree had a dream, a vision, of what their life would be like. And each of them was disheartened when their dream did not come to fruition as they were being shaped into something different to their expectation.

 

We have a vision of what church will be like, a vision of what our family will be like, our society, our country, how our life will pan out. Sometimes our visions are flawed, they are not the visions that God gives us. But sometimes the vision that God gives us is lived out very differently to our expectation.

 

Yet just as the trees eventually did live out their dream, their God given vocation if you like, in a different way to their expectation; at times we to find that we wonder about our call. It is easy to begin to doubt because just as the waves became too much for Peter, just as Peter became aware of what was happening and focused on himself; at times we to find ourselves overwhelmed, focusing on ourselves and doubting our ability, our giftedness, to follow where God is calling us as individuals and as a community.

 

In the midst of the storm, with what they thought was a ghost walking towards them, and then Peter stepping out of the boat, Jesus was with the disciples.

Peter did not drown.

The wind and the waves were still.

And the disciples believed.

Miracle of Life

the story of the feeding of the 5000 appears in all four Gospels, and it is the only one of the miracles of Jesus that all four gospel writers include, I wonder why?

 

Even people who never have been to church will probably have heard of the story of the feeding of the 5000. In Matthews version there is no little boy, but there are still five loaves and two fish. There are some traditional ways of looking at this reading, one is that there were five loaves and two fish and somehow there was a miracle and those five loaves and two fish fed the multitude. Another way of looking at it is that everybody would have had some food with them, and seeing someone willing to hand over their food to Jesus to share meant others were also willing to share what they had. For Matthew the one who made the world out of nothing was more than capable of multiplying some food, but whether this was a miracle of supply or of sharing, the people who first heard and read the story would have seen something different.

 

Let's think about where this happens, where Matthew has placed this in his gospel. The section just before this is about a birthday party for Herod; the daughter of Herodias danced for him, earning his praise, and led to the death of John the Baptist. Not only was John the Baptist killed, but his head was bought on a platter into the party.

 

At the time, people like Herod had lots of food,  but for most people there was the daily struggle to find enough to eat. Food inequality has been happening for centuries, and food inequality continues to happen today.

The feast of Herod brings about death; yet the fish and bread – subsistence food – is a life giving feast for many.

 

So beyond the bread and fish what might this story have to tell us?

The miracles of Jesus tell us about the nature of God. [i]

remember in chapter 1, Matthew names Jesus, Emmanuel – God is with us.

what do we notice about God in this story?

 

In verse 14 Matthew writes ‘when he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.’ [NRSV] Jesus had gone off to find a quiet place to grieve for his cousin, but the crowds followed. Jesus did not send them away, but spent time with them and healed the sick. And then in the evening he made sure they had something to eat.

 

One thing we hear in this story is of the compassion of God for people. By contrast in the two stories of feasting, the feast of the rich which is life denying, and the food of Jesus which offers compassion, is healing and life-filled.

 

People were used to the idea that the gods looked after the rich, or people who was special in some way; but not ordinary people, not slaves, not the oppressed, and not the hungry. Maybe one reason this miracle is in all four Gospels is to remind people that the God of Jesus, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, is not like the gods of Rome or Greece. The God of Jesus does not want human sacrifice. The God of Jesus is not on the side of the rich and powerful, ignoring the needs of the poor and oppressed.

 

In a culture where the Roman Emperor was considered a god, in a time when it was considered subversive not to bow down to the Roman Emperor, a time when gods were seen as harsh and fickle; along comes Jesus, showing that God is compassionate, compassionate to the sick and the poor, the God who is very essence is compassion.

 

Jesus provided food and healing to these people, we live in our society where we have access to food and medical care, some people struggle, but I doubt anyone in this room does not have enough food in a cupboard for a least the next day or two.

 

I wonder what we need from Jesus?

If one of the things that we here in this story is about the compassion of God, what's story would we need to tell today to get that same message across that God is compassionate, not just to some people, but to all people.

 

…….

 

I love this passage from Isaiah, and in thinking about the Matthew reading today I wondered about the questions that are asked:

Why do you spend your money on food that doesn’t nourish?

Why do you spend your hard-earned wages on things that will never satisfy you?

 

what is it that we spend our money on.? Not just food but in general, do we spend our money on that which nourishes our own life, the lives of the people who produce it, and the whole of creation?

Are we like Herod, whose feasting and lifestyle meant death and hunger to other people?

 

Another thing we hear in the story from Matthew, is how Jesus uses the disciples even when they thought they had nothing to give. The disciples saw only five loaves and two fish and a large crowd, and said we can't do anything for all these people send them away.

I wonder when do we see scarcity,

when do we hold on to that which we have, not being willing to share?

 

Sometimes we are called on to give when we don't know if we have any to spare,

sometimes we are called to act when we feel unequipped,

sometimes we are called to speak out and we don't know the words to say. This miracle is for those times. Sometimes we are like the disciples, we doubt our ability, we are pre-occupied with our own concerns, and just like the disciples Jesus comes and shows us that there is more to us and more to life than we ever imagined.

I wonder what we need from Jesus?

Where are we being called to live out a miracle?

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[i] David Lose In the Meantime