Good Morning Friends,
Gamaliel was a giant in the group of lawyers with whom he associated. He was talented and cultured and more highly educated than Peter. And yes, he taught Paul, but his part in the storyline in today’s text from Acts is that of a minor character. In retrospect he was a dying ember in a fire that had run its course, whereas the likes of Peter and Paul became torches ablaze with the spreading flame of Holy History. But let us not minimize this man for he is the elder statesmen in the story…something we are in short supply today. Though there are a few. Gamaliel teaches us some important lessons. He makes it clear that doing nothing is sometimes an easier way to deal with a cloudy situation. He points out that deciding to do something and doing it are not the same thing. Here we are to remember that love is patient, so waiting is not always a bad thing. Of course, acting in faith can be essential to the timing of success as well and so on these two things hinge the actions of the disciples. We have the same problem today and way too many preachers offer snake oil in the name of Jesus and never acknowledge him as both Lord and Savior. Part of the issue is whether we are acting in faith or waiting to see. But the deeper question is our motivation, whether academic, emotional, temporal or eternal. So, Are You Following Jesus For The Right Reasons?
Scripture: But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!” They were convinced by him, and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.
Acts 5:34-42 (NRSV)
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 6:1-15 (NRSV)
Message: Sometimes a little thing makes all the difference in the world.
Let us contemplate an affirmative answer to today’s question against the backdrop of the miracle of multiplication, when a small boy’s lunch is leveraged by God to take what looked like a fast and turn it into a feast. But think this through for there is a deep message here. Here we have the bread of life being broken and the fish symbolizing the nations and the Christian movement to the world being revealed. Here we have the makings of an army for God. For the Greek word for ‘fish’ is ‘ichthus’ and forms an acrostic from its letters: Jesus, Christ, God, Son, Savior. Now I doubt those at the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 would be thinking about that at all, but it in retrospect makes sense. It would seem in this reading that the church, if it is about the church, needs to grow with the same dynamics of the feeding of the 5000. The flock needs to be fed and everyone is important so there needs to be an abundance to transform the world. You see, Jesus is concerned about the fragments of what is left as well…all the broken stuff. The message here is about yielding to the will of God every moment of every day, every little part of it…realizing our work is to love enough to give what we have and God to bring the harvest feast as an act of creation. It is not about some big worship service. We are to allow God to mold us, to refine us into the image of His Son…every bit of us…day by day and moment by moment. Give the gift of you, and the Lord will use it. Act in faith and you will see the waiting is over. Believe in the plan and promises of God.
And So, today we have the story of a creative miracle that is massive and eucharistic, and the fact is that in sheer numbers the feeding of the 5000, reached perhaps 20,000 people when the women and children are counted. The setting is at a time when Jesus was exhausted. The disciples were exhausted, and they sought isolation as perhaps Jesus did as well. John the Baptist had been beheaded and the many of the religious leaders wanted Jesus’ head too. But Jesus was an evangelist and wanted to reach those who might hear the good news, so he turned his attention to them when he saw them coming. They would get what they came for and more. But the problem was that they were not coming for the right reasons. What drew them was not God’s Kingdom. They were not seeking repentance or sound doctrine, or a true understanding of what God was doing. They did not long for forgiveness or mercy in the hereafter. What drew them was that they sought healing and food for they all had health issues and they had heard the stories of what Jesus could do and they all fought the fight of putting food on the table each day. The upcoming Passover would have increased the numbers too. But it would seem that these followers were drawn by the temporal desires of healings and the free food and not for the deeper reasons. So too the religious leaders in Jerusalem were motivated by the wrong reasons. And they would not deny the miracles of Jesus, who could when thousands had participated in the events and the events had been replicated. But they would deny and reject the miracle worker himself. Friends, this miracle is presented as evidence of the deity of Christ in all four Gospels as a precursor to an even greater miracle. This story is about understanding the identity of Jesus… not as an earthy king yet but as fully man and fully God engaging us in the miracle of the cross and us being touched though revelation of his identity as both Savior and Lord. Not one or the other but both. Our job is to act in faith believing on this in the face of uncertainty. Our job is to be a calm in the storm with a focus on Christ and if we see Jesus walking on the water, the waiting is over. But we always need to consider the purity of our own motivations.
Pray we realize that Jesus is enough. Pray we realize that our inadequacy makes room for God’s sufficiency. Pray we turn all the fragments of our lives over to God so Jesus might use them all for the glory of His Kingdom. Pray we pick our battles wisely and not only make the right decisions but the right actions not just for the moment but for the long term. Pray we give what we possess to Jesus. Pray we realize that if the work we do called church is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing we can do to stop it. Pray we not be found fighting against God. Pray we realize that God will be what God will be and if we have been called to do something for God, we better do it to the best of our ability. Pray our little light be part of the new things God is about to do even as Jesus baptizes with Spirit and with Fire.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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