I believe that the love language of the United Methodist Church is the potluck supper. I know the cross and flame is our symbol, but I think it should be a casserole dish. Hear me out, now! When we have a potluck supper, people who haven’t been to church in ages suddenly appear. The lines are long and filled with chatty people catching up with one another. Plates are heaped high and hearts and bellies are filled. It is always guaranteed to be a love feast. As long as you’re not the last in line.

In our passage today, a multitude that exceeded 5,000 people sat and ate the miraculous meal of fish and bread. Certainly Jesus could have done this miracle by himself, but he used his disciples instead. There is a great lesson in that for us. It required them to demonstrate their faith in Jesus’ ability to take their meager resources and multiply them. Indeed, Jesus provided a meal out of resources they couldn’t even see because of their faith that he would.

John 14 (Common English Bible)

¹³ When Jesus heard about John, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. When the crowds learned this, they followed him on foot from the cities. ¹⁴ When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick. ¹⁵ That evening his disciples came and said to him, “This is an isolated place and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

¹⁶ But Jesus said to them, “There’s no need to send them away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ They replied, “We have nothing here except five loaves of bread and two fish.”

¹⁸ He said, “Bring them here to me.” ¹⁹ He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them and broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples. Then the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ Everyone ate until they were full, and they filled twelve baskets with the leftovers. ²¹ About five thousand men plus women and children had eaten.

This miracle was an act that demonstrated Jesus’ authority over nature, just as walking on water and turning water into wine had done. It also was an act that demonstrated Jesus’ authority over human nature. He challenged his disciples to break open their reluctance, their hesitation, and their own desire to be fed so that the bread could be blessed and broken for others. And don’t forget the twelve baskets that were left over, demonstrating just how far our Lord would go to feed people.

People everywhere are hungry, but the world answers with empty words. Governments and politicians try to convince them that they really aren’t that hungry. The Haves hoard what they have while the Have-Nots starve. The truth is, if everyone shared God’s provision, no one would ever be hungry.

People are hungry for meaning, but popular culture responds with vapid and superficial sugar that distracts momentarily but leaves them starving. People are hungry for the truth, but the church answers with another new, shiny program and fog machine worship. We must be sure we are providing spiritual sustenance to a starving world in everything we do.   

We have resources we can’t even see. God can take them and bless and break them, if we are just willing to hand ourselves over and ask God to feed others with what we have. Part of that challenge is to only take what we really need for ourselves, ensuring that the last fellow in the potluck line has as full a plate as the first.

Is God calling you to trust what you have and give some away? Jesus can do miracles with that.

Kitty Hawk United Methodist Church