Give them what they need

Genesis 32:22-31; Mathew 14:13-21                                     

Jesus spent three years touring, mostly in the Galilee, but also in the lands between Galilee and Jerusalem, and even a few times outside Jewish territory into places like Tyre and Sidon and Samaria.

Wherever he went, he gave the people he encountered what they needed. The blind were given their sight as well as the ability to understand what they were seeing. A man who was crippled was forgiven, so when he got up to walk, he knew he was really free to be in his community. A woman who was the town scandal received living water and was welcomed when she shared it with her neighbors.

In the Gospel story today, the people in the crowd have been

listening to Jesus’ stories. They have lined up to be healed, touched by him in many ways. Now, it is supper time. Too late to go home and cook, so the disciples suggest sending them into the nearby villages, where the locals can offer them some food.

But Jesus disagrees. “YOU give them something to eat. Go on, you can feed them.” The disciples look at Jesus like he’s crazy. “How can we feed them with this little bit of food, just some fish and some bread? That will only feed one of us, and you know it.”

Again, Jesus disagrees. “Give me what you have,” he says. He blesses this meager meal and sends the disciples out to feed the crowd. Somehow there is enough for everyone. And, in the end, there even are leftovers!

Who got what they needed? The hungry folks, of course, had more to eat than they usually got. It was a meal to remember!

And the disciples got a lesson in what Jesus can do. They were thinking in finite terms, while God is a God of abundance who thinks in infinite terms.

Throughout the Bible, there are stories of God giving people just what they needed at that moment.

Abraham and Sarah needed a child. Hagar needed a new home. Isaac needed to prove himself worthy. Leah needed to know Isaac loved her.

Jacob needed to know that God had a plan for him despite his unsavory record of lying and deceit. He spent a night wrestling with God, laying open his regrets and his fears. In the end, he was blessed, and given a new name as a sign of his new life. His name, Israel, lives on. Through all these folks we have been blessed to be a blessing.

Peter had the ability to see and speak about what he saw, even though he sometimes put his foot in his mouth. Paul had the gift of making sense of Jesus to non-Jewish people. Phoebe took Paul’s letter to the Romans and interpreted it for them, a woman giving a message to the church, and respected because Paul trusted her to speak for him. They were all given what they needed at the time they needed it.

… In our world today, there have been people willing to provide what was needed at just the right time.

Annie Sullivan was able to reach Helen Keller and help her become an advocate for people with disabilities.

A Christian family gave shelter to Anne Frank and her family, giving them extra months together before the Nazis discovered them.

Rep. John Lewis, who died a couple weeks ago, shares this part of his story. For a time, he was an angry young man who had no patience or respect for white people. Then he looked around and saw there were white people on the bridge with him, white people being beaten for protesting the way people of color were being treated. It was a lesson that changed his life.

From then on, he partnered with anyone who could help him reach the goals of justice and voting rights for all people. God gave him what he needed, a passion for non-violent resistance, so he could work with others to make significant changes possible. And he never stopped encouraging people to get into some “Good Trouble.”

… When I quit fighting – wrestling with – God and agreed to go to seminary, my frequent prayer was, “I’ll go, but you have to show me how.” Over and over again, I received what I needed. The house I bought after my divorce sold for enough to pay it and the car off. While at seminary, I was offered a job that fit my skills and available time. Checks came in the mail when I didn’t have enough money to pay the electric bill. And so forth.

Hungry people come to our church for a small bag of food because we want to give them what they need.

Kathleen recently made over 800 face masks, giving people what they need to stay safe in a COVID-19 world.

I am sure there have been times in your lives when God gave you just what you needed, at just the right time.

The appropriate response is one of gratitude. Jacob recognized he had been in God’s presence, and his life was changed. The people in the crowd were satisfied. I’m sure they said “Thank you” although it isn’t recorded in scripture. 

Let’s intentionally look for places in our lives where Jesus has provided just what we needed. And give thanks. Amen