2020-08-02 – Year A – Proper 13 – The Rev. Christopher M. Klukas
Nehemiah 9:16-21; Psalm 78:14-26; Matthew 14:13-21
- The end of the sidewalk – unsure of what is next, can’t see where to go.
- There are lots of things that can make us feel like we have reached the end of a sidewalk: Coronavirus, loss of income, political fears, health circumstances.
- When we get anxious about our present circumstances, we develop a feeble memory for God’s blessings in the past.
- This is nothing new, we see it so many times in the Scriptures and throughout history.
Our Lack of Faith
- Imagine that you are one of the Israelites in the wilderness. A group of men has just returned from spying out the promised land. “It’s occupied by giants!,” they say.
- Upon hearing of the size and strength of the people in Canaan that they would have to fight they complained and rebelled. Numbers 14:1-4
- This wasn’t their first rebellion. There were many! Exodus 16:2-3 (no bread)
- Numbers 11:4-6 (they wanted meat)
- Matthew sets up a parallel between the Manna in the wilderness and this miraculous feeding of the 5,000. Notice, the event in Matthew takes place at a desolate place (Matthew 14:13).
- The disciples encourage Jesus to send the crowd home.
- Jesus tells his disciples to feed the crowd, and all they can see is their lack of resources in the face of so many hungry people (Matthew 14:17).
- Have you ever faced a lack of resources? How did you feel?
- I have faced many of these situations in my life and I have often felt anxious.
- I have often scrambled to find practical solutions to my problems.
- God has always been faithful to provide.
- The more I have seen him provide, the more I have been able to trust him.
God’s Abundant Provision
- Manna and water in the wilderness
- All the Israelites needed to do was cry out to God, and he was able to supply them with bread, water, and meat in the wilderness.
- God used Moses and his faith as he cried out on behalf of the people.
- All throughout the time in the wilderness, God sustained his people and gave them a visible sign of his presence with them and leading them. (Nehemiah 9:19-21)
- When I hear of God’s faithfulness and visible presence in the midst of Israel, I wonder how they had such trouble trusting him.
- On the other hand, I know that I, too, forget God’s history of provision for me when I get anxious about my situation.
- This has not been an easy year for our finances as a church.
- We knew that entering the year. We made significant cuts and reduced staff salaries and even still we knew there was likely to be a deficit.
- And then the Coronavirus came on the scene and we had to suspend meeting together as a church.
- Many churches have faced a significant decrease in giving while not meeting.
- I was so encouraged to see checks continuing to come in from so many of you. This was God’s provision for our church.
- Payroll protection loan
The Glory of God Around the Corner
- Let’s return to Jesus, his disciples, and the crowd in that desolate place
- As the disciples bemoan their lack of resources, Jesus responds by simply saying “bring them here to me” (v. 18).
- He takes the loaves and fishes, looks up to heaven and blesses them, and then has his disciples pass out the food to the hungry crowd.
- When they were finished, everyone was satisfied and they took up an abundance of extra. God didn’t just provide enough, he provided more than enough.
- When the disciples found themselves at a dead end, they wanted to send the crowd home. They didn’t realize that God’s glorious provision was just around the corner.
- I would love for things to go back to normal! In some ways, I can understand the Israelites who wanted to return to Egypt, who wanted to return to what they knew.
- And yet, I wonder what God is about to do. What new things might he be calling us into as a church? I don’t want to miss what he is doing right now as I look back over my shoulder to what was.
- So what are you concerned about right now?
- I can’t tell you exactly how God will bring his glory into your situation, but I know he has always been faithful to me in the past, and I know this isn’t the end of the sidewalk for you.
- Remember his faithfulness in your life and trust him.
