As Jesus and his disciples head to a deserted place, perhaps seeking peace and quiet, many from the surrounding towns follow them and instead of turning them away, Jesus expresses compassion and begins to offer some wisdom to those who have gathered. As the day unfolds, some of his disciples begin to be concerned about how all of these people who have gathered to listen may be fed and start to encourage Jesus to invite the people to return to the nearby villages so they can find food. But Jesus has a different idea and tells them to fine a way to feed them, which likely felt like an impossible task. His disciples feel that this is not going to be possible as they consider what they are facing; they don’t have the resources to respond to such a vast crowd. However, as they go forth to see what can be done, their meager provisions multiply so that thousands are fed. The loaves and fishes is both a beautiful story about sharing what we have and caring for the needs of others and it is a reminder of the abundance of love that God offers in many concrete ways through the love and care we may offer to one other. Let us pray,
In the story, Jesus provides a way to be in community by coming together and sharing what we have, which offers a challenge to the way we often think about scarcity in our communities and our world. As he shares this miracle, the feeding of the people is good news on so many levels. It is a model of sharing and meeting the concrete needs of our neighbors and it is good news which may allow us to believe in miracles that become possible through the power of community. Jesus understands the importance of meeting people’s physical needs (not just spiritual needs), and he encourages his followers to think in new ways about how to meet the needs of the people before them. What seems impossible becomes possible in the kin’dom of Jesus. All will be fed and all are welcome. We live in a society that too often teaches that we have to fend for ourselves, but the reality is that we are always dependent on one another. While addressing the needs of a whole community can seem too overwhelming a task, Jesus reminds us that with the help of God and one another, all things are possible.
Compassion is the starting place for our care for the community. The good news is, what the disciples have to offer—five loaves and two fish—is enough. The good news is, the crowd joins them in this mission. The good news is, the disciples’ beliefs don’t limit what God does. The good news is, everyone is fed.
by Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail (But God does not start with the problem: How do we feed all these people? 18 God starts with what God has—which is everything, held in her hands. And God also starts with what God has given us—five loaves, two fish. With God, all things are possible because God knows that God is always…
God.
God doesn’t start with the problem. God starts with what we all have. Turns out, nothing really is impossible with or for God.
Just before this story, the disciples have been sent out in pairs to cast out demons and heal the sick, all while carrying nothing with them and possibly facing frequent rejection (Mark 6:7-13). Is this why Jesus invites the disciples to “come away to a deserted place”? Are they physically and emotionally exhausted, in need of rest? Do you think Jesus also needs respite and a place to clear his head?
I’d like to share a story from a church in North Carolina written by Layton Williams Burkes. Just a few years ago, in 2022, the Black Mountain Presbyterian (Black Mountain, NC) undertook strategic planning much like our church did around the same time. Like many churches, they were trying to write a new mission statement—one that they felt could be truly integrated within the life of the community and not just a bunch of words that no one paid attention to. Through a long committee process, they struggled to identify a new “vision” statement that felt relevant and authentic. One day, a committee member pointed to the question carved into their Communion Table: “Has everyone been fed?” He asked, “What if that was our mission statement?”
Everyone considered this idea. A question as a mission statement? They began to consider it and listed all the ways the church feeds people in body, mind, and spirit. They decided that the question was also a charge: the work is always ongoing. After a slow process of approval, as churches can be guilty of, they were ready to present it to the church. So it was on September 22, 2024, that their head pastor Rev. Mary Katherine Robinson preached on the new mission statement with a sermon titled, “The Time is Now!”
Just a few days later on September 27th, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on their mountain town and the surrounding areas of North Carolina. Catastrophic flooding wiped out homes and businesses, causing hundreds of deaths and decimating the entire infrastructure. Once the storm relented (and nearly everyone was without water, power, or cell service), some folks made their way to the church by foot (nearly every road was impassable). They hoped to connect with other neighbors to make sure people were okay. Arriving there, they found several church members emptying the church pantry, cooking up anything they found in the freezer using gas-powered cooking stoves. A line of hungry people was quickly forming in the parking lot.
And their pastor was making her way through the crowd, frantically scribbling on a small paper pad. She was writing down any needs people in the community were requesting: water, blankets, gas, formula.
The post-storm situation was dire. The folks there soon heard about harrowing rescues and neighbors who didn’t survive,
and that the destruction was far greater than just their small town. But the church didn’t hesitate; without any plan or pre-thought, they opened the doors wide and began feeding anyone who showed up. Within a few days, the church was feeding nearly a thousand people a day. Neighbors and strangers gathered around tables in the parking lot. Volunteers showed up, both to serve and also receive hot meals. As word spread and supplies were finally able to come in (which took nearly a week due to impassable roads), the church soon filled to the brim with donated supplies and food.
Nearly every square inch of the building was organized into a large food pantry/clothes closet. As the days passed, the church partnered with a local restaurant to continue cooking and offering free meals each day at their much larger venue. Donated supplies were rerouted to a local business who offered their 3,000 square foot warehouse. Over weeks and months, financial donations poured into the church, designated into a hurricane relief fund and over 2 million dollars of donations were distributed to local organizations and non-profits to support rebuilding efforts as well as long-term recovery needs such as affordable housing.
Their church mission statement became known far and wide in the community; people remember the church that acted quickly
to feed people after the storm. Yet, the work continues. To this day, each time they celebrate Communion, after the elements have been served, the pastor asks the congregation: “Has everyone been fed?” And the congregation shouts back: “Not yet!”
The Gospel reading of the feeding of the five thousand in some ways parallels the story of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana. In both, a specific and small number of vessels (water jars and baskets) are mysteriously filled with bounty. In each
story, Jesus is the miracle worker, but he acts in a secretive and understated way. He quietly works miracles for all the enjoy. We know that God is present in the still, small voice and in the smallest offerings, multiplying one by one. I invite you to think about where you see examples of God’s still, small voice moving within our compassionate community, perhaps multiplying “the smallest offerings” into abundance?
Resources:
Other articles: “Black Mountain Presbyterian shines bright in the darkness,” by Fred McCormick. The Valley Echo. October 5, 2024.
“Five months after Hurricane Helene, Black Mountain Presbyterian Church continues providing recovery and relief,” by
Layton Williams Berkes. Presbyterian News Service. February 25, 2025.
The Good News Is…by Hannah Garrity Inspired by Mark 6:32-44 Far More Abundantly by Lauren Wright Pittman Inspired by Ephesians 3:20-21