SEND THEM AWAY

I teach a Sunday School class and I am never exactly sure where the lesson will go.  It is usually my fault when a lesson takes a U-Turn.

“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.  Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.  As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late.  Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

“Bring them here to me,” he said.  And he directed the people to sit down on the grass.  Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.  Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.  They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces that were left over.  The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.”     Matthew 14:13-21 NIV

This lesson was going as planned.  Jesus was going away, because he had heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded.  The people from “towns” — plural — followed him.  Being Jesus, he did what Jesus did.  He healed the sick and felt compassion for them.  This was no short devotional time...not even a Sunday morning hour service.  The teaching, in this place where Jesus sought solitude, went on longer than those mornings when the minister is long winded and our tummies begin to growl.  It became evening and the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away.  Now, I think the disciples were hungry and wanted to head toward the local McDonald's and sending the people away would mean they could get on their way.

Jesus had a better idea.  He wanted to continue feeding their souls and feed their bodies.  Are you thinking:

• Crowds
• Five loaves of bread — This would not have been an Aunt Millie’s loaf with 20 slices of bread.  This was like a small McDonald’s hamburger bun.
• Two fish — Do not picture two large trout.  Picture a McDonald’s tiny fish square.

And the crowd was five thousand men plus the women and children.  JESUS SHRUGGED AND TOLD EVERYONE TO SIT DOWN. 

Jesus thanked God.  All the people were fed and there were leftovers! A LOT OF LEFTOVERS!

We talked about how all those people would leave, go back to their towns - plural - and tell others.  Can you hear them?

• Jesus healed so many.
• You should have seen the compassion Jesus had for the ill and the hurting.
• Jesus taught and healed and listened for a very long time.
• There was a big crowd.  At least 5,000 ...  plus the women and children.
• He blessed two fish and five loaves — and there were leftovers.  Leftovers.
• YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!

Yup, the lesson was going as planned, until — until my mind looked at the words and lines I had drawn ...  what if:

• I marked out the word people and wrote us?
• I marked out fish and bread and wrote mercy, forgiveness, hope, peace.....?
• What if those baskets were now full of all the blessings we have available to us?

That is when the discussion really began —

• How fast would the Word of God spread and how many people would find the salvation of Jesus if we spread the word.
• How amazing that we can take everything we need out of the basket and there is still plenty to give to others.
• I needed forgiveness, but my goodness; there is still forgiveness for you and you and you.  The basket is still full. 
• I have taken out mercy, grace, peace, and salvation, but the basket is still full. 
• I have learned wisdom from the Word of God, but look...right on top is the Word of God waiting for the next person.  The basket is still full.

We realized it is our responsibility to offer God’s grace, mercy, peace, salvation, wisdom, and forgiveness to all.

Sadly, too often, we are like the disciples.  We are tired and hungry.  It has been a long day.  We don’t want to make sure those around us are fed.  We just want them to leave.  We want Jesus to ourselves.  We want him to listen to us and take care of our needs. 

Sadly, too often, we are like the disciples.  We are tired and hungry…and someone goes away without peace or mercy or grace or salvation or wisdom or forgiveness or…..