Sermon: 6 August 2023 Anglican Parish of Christ Church, St Lucia
Text: Matthew 14.13-21
Theme: Now is the time – Stewardship #2 - gifts
Prayer: O Gracious God, take my lips and speak through them; take our minds and think through; yet take our hearts and set them on fire, for your kingdom’s sake. Amen.
Don’t you ever feel like you just want the world to stop for a moment so you can catch your breath and catch up and have a sense you know what is happening and pretend for a moment that you might even understand what is happening all around. That is certainly how I feel a lot of the time. I need a break just to clear my head. I want the world to stop so I can get off! Janet and I watch the first five minutes of the nightly news so as to get a sense of what is happening but then switch over to something else before it all gets too overwhelming! I used to drive around listening the 24 hour News radio station – now its Classic FM
A couple of things to say about this feeling: (1) has it really ever been any different? We may be able to point to times when things were great and we were seemingly in control but I put it to you that we all deep down know that control is an illusion and that life is fragile and that it only takes a moment; an event; a piece of bad news; bad luck; bad timing; bad whatever – and we are right in the thick of it. The Psalter recently in my daily Prayer took me through Psalm 69: Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress—make haste to answer me. Draw near to me, redeem me, set me free because of my enemies. How often is this our plea to God?
The second thing to say is this (2) Even Jesus knew it was time for a break. Look at the Gospel for today from Matthew chapter 14.
Jesus has just heard that his cousin, John the Baptiser, has been murdered by Herod and he withdraws to be by himself. This has also been a busy and traumatic time for the disciples as well.
Early Jesus had sent them out two-by-two on their first missionary journey. We know the story well – here it is as recorded in Mark’s Gospel, chapter 6: Jesus ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So, they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. In the meantime, Jesus hears about the murder of John and the Gospel of Mark records this: The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
Now most of us would be aware of what happens next in the story – the famous account of the feeding of the five thousand but I want the rest of this sermon to frame this entire account in three points – every sermon is better if it has three and only three points to remember. Mine today are what I am calling the three ‘R’s’: there is (1) a time to retreat, and (2) there is a time to respond, and (3) there is a time to rely on Jesus.
So: there is a time to take a retreat. In our passage Jesus has just heard about the murder of John and wants to get away and the disciples have been so busy that they haven’t even had time to fed themselves. But what about us? When we are overworked it’s time to retreat. When our emotions are shot it’s time to retreat. When we feel the burden of failure in our lives it’s time to retreat. When we need to mourn, it’s time to retreat. When our Spiritual petrol tank reads ‘empty’ we need to retreat. We can’t give to others what we don’t have ourselves. Retreat is more than physical rest and refreshment.
Retreat should mean time with the Creator. Retreat should mean time with the Maser. Retreat should mean Spiritual renewal.
It's all over the scriptures: Is 40 – those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up with wings like eagles; Ps 27 – wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord; Ps 130 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in the word I hope, my soul waits for the Lord more I say than watchmen for the morning, more I say than watchmen for the morning. Thousands of desolate followers have in times of loss and grief and in times of anxiety and confusion and uncertainty cried out in the words of the Psalmist: My tears have been my only food day and night, while they continually say unto me ‘Where is your God.’
Or as some grieving have said to their Priest, ‘Why, when I needed comfort so much, does God seem so deaf to my prayers?’ We all at times absolutely need a retreat; most of us would greatly improve our well-being if we did retreat. Sometimes our retreats do not need to be very long, but we do need them – each and every one of us. Jesus and the disciples only retreat in this moment was their ride across the lake!
There is a time for retreat and there is a time to respond. According to our passage today, when the crowds heard that Jesus was in the area they followed on foot. Jesus and the disciples ended up in a desert place with a multitude. Image the scene: Jesus getting out of the boat, and he is swamped by hundreds, if not thousands, and all he wants is time out – it begs the question – how could he have responded? How would we have responded? With compassion he healed and taught them! To be followers of Jesus is to be people of compassion and love first and foremost – not as an afterthought; not through guilt or shame or being coerced into thinking it is the right thing to do. Whether we like it or not, ministry happens in the interruptions.
It was getting late in the day, and the disciples approached Jesus to send the crowds away. There was no food, and it was going to be dark soon in a desolate place. This was the easy way out, but not the way of compassion. The disciples were good at the easy way out.
We can always find an easy way out if we want to. The easy way out will keep us from getting personally involved. The easy way out will not require us to use much faith at all.
Jesus responds – you feed them! You must be joking – all we have are five loaves and two fish! Sometimes we are too quick to dismiss the voice of God in our lives - too quick to ignore what God wants us to be.
Too sophisticated to take Jesus at his word. There is a time for retreat, a time to respond and a time to rely on Jesus.
What the disciples considered to be the problem was actually the solution. They only had five loaves and two fish. To them that was the problem. We do the same thing. We only look at our feeble resources instead of considering what Jesus can do with them.
We look at our limited ability to witness to the power of God in our lives instead of what Jesus can do with that ability and our story. We look at our limited ability to serve without considering what Jesus can do with that ability. In our passage today the disciples give all they had to Jesus who in giving thanks, blessed and broke and there was enough. It would be Jesus who multiplied the food, Jesus who fed the multitudes. While there was doubt, and believe me there is always doubt, what Jesus wanted was their faith. And lo and behold – that is what Jesus still wants today – our faith. In this month of reflecting upon our personal individual stewardship we all need to ask – what gifts have I been given for God’s kingdom. In what ways, be they big or small, have I been gifted so as to be a gift to others. In times of certainty and in times of great anxiety and uncertainty we are asked to bring the little ability and faith and who are what we are and surrender it all to God and believe that in the surrendering it is blessed and broken and multiplied.
And all ate and were filled.
I have endeavoured to make it easy to remember today – it is all about the 3 ‘R’s’ – having a time to retreat; a time to respond and finally a time to rely on Jesus – the one who goes before us – the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. The Lord be with you.