Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Readings – II Samuel 7: 1-14a; Psalm 89: 20-37; Ephesians 2: 11-22; Mark 6 :30-34,53-56
When traveling in the United Kingdom by underground there are signs everywhere to
“Mind the Gap”; there are signs everywhere to be careful when moving from underground car to underground car. “Mind the Gap”. Today it is important to mind the gap in the Gospel reading. The reading has a gap from verse 34-53. Why that is I do not know, but this is what is in the gap.
When the disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: We are a long way out in the country, and it’s very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper. Jesus said, you do it. Fix supper for them. They replied, Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for this supper? But he was quite serious. How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory. That didn’t take long. Five, they said, plus two fish. Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and the two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to his disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper.
This is what a good shepherd does. A good shepherd surveys the situation; a good shepherd “reads the room”. A good shepherd reads the situation to see what is needed and puts the others needs first, before her own.
For the good shepherd “the glass is always half full”. She takes what is available, in this case five loaves and two fish. The good shepherd gives thanks for what is available; the good shepherd blesses what is available.
The good shepherd the shares what is available; she does not hoard, or grasp with her
hand, but opens her hand and shares.
Now we come to the miracle part of this passage. The good shepherd inspires others to do the same. In ancient time whenever people left home, they carried with them food
for the day. Remember this is pre-McDonalds and Burger King. So, all the gathered people that day had with them a snack to last the through the day until they returned home for the evening meal. The miracle is that on this day they followed the example of Jesus, the good shepherd, and took out their snack, they gave thanks, and they shared what they had with those seated around them. This is the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 that day.
And their sharing, their generosity, resulted in the disciples collecting after all were
satisfied twelve baskets of left overs. Mark included the count of the leftovers to point out to all of us that there was enough provided for the twelve tribes of Israel. There is always abundance when we sit down together, when we give thanks for what we have, and when we share what we have. There is always plenty for all.
Today, as there were in the day of Jesus, many without shepherds. Today, as there were in the day of Jesus, many without good shepherds. Good shepherds are in short supply; good shepherds are needed. Good shepherds serve others, who put others first. Good Shepherds read the situation; good shepherds see the glass as half full; good shepherds give thanks for what is available; good shepherds who share.
Thank God that Jesus came among us to live the life of a good shepherd so that we can
discern the good shepherd from the self-serving shepherd. We know the difference. We know that Jesus as a good shepherd even lay down is own life for the sake of the sheep, the less than perfect, dirty, muddy, ornery, grouchy sheep.
It is that good shepherd who feeds us again today with bread and wine, with his own body and his own blood. He lived for us; he died for us, so that we might follow him, and so that we might become better shepherds ourselves wherever our life’s journey takes us.
Amen
