Proper 13 A + Abundant feast + 8.2.20

M Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Isaiah 55:1–5; Ps. 145:8–9, 15–22 BCP; St Matthew 14:13–21)

Imagine a big old feast in field. People are scattered around on picnic blankets and little by little the seemingly little they had on them is brought before God incarnate, Jesus. Jesus blesses it and that makes it enough. More than enough! And the food is shared again and people are laughing, joking. They feel full.
This feast is not a moment, it’s a movement. Because Jesus is showing them about the kingdom in real time. A kingdom in which we share. A kingdom in which we present our offerings to God. And a kingdom in which those offerings become enough to provide for all. Women and children and men, siblings of all genders and ages, are all fed. Are all welcomed.

This echoes the feast language of the prophets and it is the foretaste of the banquet that will come at the end of the world. Its flavor touches every Holy Communion we ever share, in the past and in the future. And even in the spiritual communion of this moment.

But I want to back up from that marvelous feast for a moment, and ask, how did they get there? How did the disciples and Jesus end up on a hill facilitating a feast for a huge crowd?

Well, Jesus has just lost his cousin. And more than that, his friend and forerunner in the faith. He understandably needs some time out. And he goes to rest a bit. And I hope he gets a little breather somewhere in there, just to process his feelings. But then he sees this crowd. And although he is grieving, he is able to look outside himself. And to have compassion on the crowd. And his compassion is what moves him and the disciples to act. And before we know it, the kingdom of God is in our midst. Not inspite of the difficulties of this world. Not in spite of pain and loss, but alongside it. Right alongside loss and fear and lack, up sneaks joy and abundance and sharing. And they make it through that moment. And not only do they make it through, they see the miracle of God’s presence and abundant provision in their midst, and it is part of what sparks the movement. The Jesus movement.

The same movement in which we participate today.
Today, we are in a painful moment. We are surrounded by loss. We are afraid of gathering for fear of contagion. We are tired by technology, even as we recognize it as a blessing. I spend some days with the cell phone hot in my hand, texting, calling, and taking a break from it in order to Zoom, type and otherwise connect. It feels as if we are in a different sort of desert. Each one on her island.

And we feel like we are missing the feast. We cannot worship in person, and we know that when we can, it will be different. We have glimpses of the feast. A couple of Sundays back, during the fundraiser for Josie Chavarria, Mario showed up at our door with a bag of food we had ordered, and we sat down and it felt like at least a lot of us were having convivio or coffee hour right in our houses. Even though we could not talk together we could at least share that way. And for the couple of folks who have come to receive holy communion briefly at church, it has felt like a small glimpse at the feast we normally share, as does our lively worship online.

But, I don’t know about you, but this time is full of moments that zap my compassion. When I feel afraid, or when I am worried about my safety, I simply cannot be quite as open to my neighbor. And yet I feel Jesus’ example in this passage. Showing us the openness of Isaiah. Still protecting myself and the community as best I can, but being open where I can. What do I have to share? How can I present it to God, receive God’s blessing, and turn back out to the world with compassion? There is no one answer. For each of us the action of compassion will be determined by God’s guidance in our own situation. As poet John Milton said, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” But when you find yourself drained this week, because the news is too much, remember the compassion of Jesus. Take a breather for a moment, and then find a way to show compassion to your neighbor.
I truly believe that if we do this, we won’t just get through this time. But we might even find a way to find God’s abundance at this time. To find God’s provision, even in totally unexpected ways. So sit down on the grass, and search your pack. What do you have to share? Bring it before Jesus today, so that he can bless it and make it enough. And then share what you have with a grateful heart. We will see the Kingdom of God, here in our midst!

Amen.