How do you handle unexpected guests for a meal? How would you handle ten extra people? How about 5000? I would probably panic! Handling the unexpected is a skill that many people haven’t mastered in their lives. Most of us love to feel like we are in control, or at least like we can handle the situations in which we find ourselves. Not too many people like to feel out of control. There are exceptions to this general rule. There are people who love the thrill, the adrenalin rush of being out of control. Skydivers, many Infantry soldiers, Marines, race car drivers, rollercoaster enthusiasts. The disciples are not in this latter category and neither are most of us. We like the sense of having things under control.
Jesus and His disciples have traveled by boat to get away by themselves. The disciples have been out on their first witnessing campaign and Jesus wants to complete His after action review. He started on the other side of the lake, but the business of the people kept them from being able to focus. So they have traveled to get some alone time. Unfortunately, the crowds have arrived before they did.
Jesus has spent the day teaching the crowds. Now the disciples have a logistics problem. There are more mouths to feed than there is food. What are they going to do? How are they going to solve this problem? They bring their problem to Jesus, and what does He do, He first asks for their assessment of the situation. He wants to help them realize that it is an impossible situation, far beyond their own ability to solve. If we think that we can solve the problems in our lives, we will never reach out and ask for God’s intervention.
The disciples give Jesus a very grim assessment of their financial situation. They say it will break the bank if they have to purchase food for everyone. Can you imagine spending half a year’s income on one meal, other than a wedding? Did I just throw that into this blog, the cost of wedding receptions? I guess I did.
The disciples have focused on a financial solution. Sounds like a political solution: throw more money at it! It must be a funding issue. World hunger: throw money at it, but don’t solve the human heart issues that cause people to oppress each other. Lagging educational performance: throw money at it, but don’t address the wasted time on politically motivated and politically correct subject content. People barely making enough to live on: throw money at it by increasing the minimum wage, but don’t expect people to be responsible for their SUV, Smartphone or 60” HDTVs purchases. We certainly can’t expect good stewardship!
Jesus asks for an inventory of their assets. If they want to limit their solution to what they have in front of them, then let’s make sure we have an accurate accounting so that the impossibility of a human solution is highlighted. Five loaves of bread and two fish. Enough for a family, but certainly not enough for 5000 people.
The Arnold Journey 