Food enough for all
Gate Pa – 3 August 2014 – 18th
Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings:
Psalm: : Psalm: 17:1-7,
15
First Reading: Gen
32:22-31
Second Reading: Rom
9:1-5
Gospel: Matt 14:13-21
What I want to say:
Feeding of the 5000 men plus
women and children is more than a nice story. It is an embodied parable about
the kingdom of heaven – a kingdom or empire where all have more than enough to
eat – good news indeed for the poor and hungry who have come to Jesus for hope
and consolation after the death of John. Use this to reflect on the Lord’s
prayer, and on peace.
What I want to happen:
People to reflect on what the words of the Lord’s prayer mean
in light of this and to wonder what kind of country Aotearoa might be if God’s
kingdom come, God’s will be done, here and earth as it is in heaven.
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
reading bible is on one hand easy thing
but also really difficult thing’
whole lot of factors blind us to what passages
and stories about
one those factors in that they are so familiar
loose shock value – as saw last week
think know what about
this week another really familiar story
feeding 5000 men plus women and children
note
that titles not put there by Matthew – much latter
like said before – so familiar think easy miss
what about
2. Blindness
one problems – tend read stories like this as
stand alone
bible often treated like collection of nice
stand-alone stories and proverbs
pluck
out and use support our ideas
call
them biblical
forget that stories and proverbs or verses
part of much bigger whole
only
understood in context of that whole
this story needs read in light of what
happening in Matthew and not on own
3. Context
who can tell me what happens between last week’s
5 parables and this week?
???
Nazareth and Herod's birthday part
leads
to John’s death
so this week begins with
“Now when Jesus heard this”
this story linked with John’s death – often
miss that
Pray as you go – Jesus needed time with Father
way more
Jesus filled with grief, fear and rage over
death friend, mentor, and teacher
needs time alone
crowd seek him out
they too filled with grief and rage and death
their prophet
one in whom they hoped
killed such depraved way by this hated despot
not small crowd
very large
only grouping people bigger – large urban
areas
important fact often overlook
4. Jesus and the crowd
word Matthew uses to describe Jesus reaction means
“to be
moved as to one's bowels,” – he is moved with compassion, have compassion
another
factor gets in way reading is we read stories from position of relative comfort
word
used often pity
pity
has sense of being removed
like
i have pity people of Gaza
they
are over there
sad
for them
what
Jesus is doing here is way more
moved
to his bowels
reaction
to their grief, fear and anger is gut wrenching
Jesus
is moved by same feelings
meets
them in these feeling
5. Translation
another
thing gets in way is translation
written in
Greek
not always
easy translate from one language to another
Imam and
Arabic
translators
have to make decisions
one
decisions in this story’
word
translated as sick
equally mean
“weak”
suggested
Jesus meets them in grief
heals this
as well physical sickness
6. Feeding
then
disciples tell him to send crowd off for food
one level
caring
at another ridiculous
villages
around simply not have enough food for this size crowd
here we get
to heart of this story
another
factor gets in our way need to know how this happened?
often not
comfortable with miracles
come up with
really good ideas about people sharing food
in doing so
we miss point story
Matthew and
his readers not so concerned with how
but what
story showed
that where preceding
story plays its role
in Herod’s
party presented scene of decadence, debauchery, gluttony
way of empire
people
gathered with Jesus play price for this empire
needs noted
all empires – even British empire
about
pulling wealth, resources and food to centre for benefit of people of centre
especially
true Rome
meant people
on edges, like Palestine
paid price
lived lives
on edge
often not
enough feed themselves
hunger
something knew a lot about - unlike Herod
and his family
last week
offered five stories about kingdom of heaven
this week
offered enfleshed story about kingdom of heaven
unlike Herod’s
kingdom – where many go hungry
in God’s
kingdom – all will have enough
more than enough
12 baskets food gathered all eaten
their fill.
7. Lord’s prayer
as thought
about that reminded Lord’s prayer
“give us
today our daily bread”
not sure
what we think as we pray that
for many
first prayed that it meant what it said
prayer trust
that they would have enough to eat each day
part of
God’s will being done on earth as it is in Heaven
that all
have enough
we live in
society we=here not all have enough
and others
have far too much
society
wastes huge percentage food supplies because not look good, or dented, or used
by or best before date expired
election
chance dream of what kind society God desires for this land
in part –
land where all have enough
invite you consider
how that will affect your voting this year
8. War and peace
today is
peace Sunday – Sunday nearest Hiroshima day
tomorrow –
day 100 years ago NZ joined Britain’s declaration war on Germany
war many
argue not fought
war 10% NZ
pop went to fight – many not come home
those did
were never the same
decisions
made at the end war sowed seeds WWII and current conflicts across middle east.
being played
out Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Libya.
today
invited consider causes of war
suspect our
story today gives us some good clues
about why wars happen
about way God’s peace
let us pray
then that all people will have enough
that peace
with justice will be restored
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