In the Gospel passage we hear today, Jesus is grief-stricken – his cousin, John the Baptist, has been murdered by Herod – and so Jesus now needs some time to himself – to deal with this blow, this terrible loss. 

He’s lost not just a cousin, but someone who understood exactly who he is, someone who had shared his childhood, and had had a similarly miraculous beginning, announced by the Angel Gabriel, to somewhat stunned parents! Who else but John could understand the powerful call on his life in obedience to God, despite the danger that meant for them both.

Now John has been arrested and killed in prison – what will this mean for Jesus too?

Like most of us, faced with such devastating news, he simply wants and needs to be alone.

So he gets into a boat and heads off to a deserted place by himself for some much-needed space, without anyone intruding on his grief, or demanding anything of him.

But such is his fame by now, that the people who have been following him every day, head round the lake on foot, to meet him when he comes ashore.

His need for solitude was great, but their need for hope is greater.

When Jesus sees the crowd, he has compassion for them.

He sees their need, their sorrow, their desperation, and he cannot help but respond.

First of all, their need is for healing – there were many who were sick in body, mind and no doubt spirit too. 

Jesus stretches out his hands to them, and his love encompasses them. 

So often what we need most is someone to hear our stories, see us as we are, listen to us and give us their loving attention. When Jesus meets with the people like this, they experience God’s love upholding them, lifting them up, raising their spirits and their hopes. 

We know too, that for some, their very real physical ailments and troubled minds are somehow eased and healed. There is God’s power at work in Jesus and though we can’t always explain or understand how, we know it is real.

But when evening comes, the need of the people is more basic – they are hungry – and there is no food in this deserted place.

The disciples have a simple answer – send them away – they can buy food in the villages and towns of the lakeshore. In other words, it is now late, the day is done – the party is over – go home everyone.

But Jesus has other ideas – in fact the party is only just beginning!

We know the rest of course – this story is surely one of the best known of all Christian stories – and endlessly wondered over. 

Did Jesus really turn the five loaves and two fish into a huge pile of bread and chunks of succulent fish to share – a miracle of multiplication?  

Or did everyone there simply share what they already had with them – no small miracle in itself! Most of the crowd would have been people living in poverty – they would barely have enough for themselves, let alone to share with others. 

But here they are, sitting down together, no longer just a random crowd, but a group of friends, followers of Jesus, sharing a picnic in the soft evening light, as the cool breezes come from the lake, and the cares and heat of the day begin to slip away, like a load off your mind, like a silk shawl from your shoulders – and there is food aplenty for everyone!

Doesn’t this just sound like heaven? 

We’ve been hearing over recent Sundays the parables of the kingdom of heaven – the Sower, the Mustard Seed, the Leaven, the Pearl of Great Price – and what’s common to them all is remarkable growth springing from unlikely beginnings. A tiny seed produces a huge tree which is so large that all the birds of the air can make their nests in its branches. A tiny amount of leaven, when mixed with a large amount of flour and water, can make dough rise to double its original size. 

But these parables are also about new life.

The nests of the birds are for eggs to be laid and nurtured, the baby birds will be fed and grow and fly off to find new trees, new partners and create new life of their own.

The dough is leavened all over and the bread is baked to be food for hungry people – to sustain life and enable new life to flourish. 

Feeding is life giving and life enhancing – and its no coincidence that Jesus talks of the Kingdom of Heaven being like a wedding feast – a wonderful banquet – where everyone is invited to the party and the best wine is served!

Last Sunday at the Deanery Garden Party – there may not quite have been 5000 plus men, women and children, although it may have felt like it at moments! But it was certainly a wonderful example of what miracles can happen when people come together and share food and friendship. The first year we did this, I fretted that there wouldn’t be enough food – each year since, I’ve stopped worrying – you are all so generous with what you each bring that there is more than enough to go around and plenty left over. And luckily the wine, or the elderflower pressé didn’t give out either!

The parables and the feeding of the 5000 show us what the generosity of God looks like – abundant, extravagant, even excessive – poured out for everyone with no thought of economy or restraint – it is beyond measure, beyond common sense, or at least our human sense. 

But it comes from God’s compassionate heart – a compassion that in Jesus we see not just as sorrow or pity – but a drive to action – to do something that makes a difference that offers transformation, new possibilities and new beginnings – new life to be lived to the full.

This is the way we are to live together as God’s people. 

To look upon one another with this same compassion that leads to our own sharing of what we have with each other – especially those in deep need or distress. 

To have the same generosity of heart and loving care that makes a real difference in a hard-headed world. 

And what a difference it makes to us all – to live in the light of this overwhelming generosity of provision for everyone and all creation.

As the prophet Isaiah says – ‘If you are thirsty – come, here is water. If you are hungry – come, here is all you need to sustain you – come with your emptiness and God will fill you up!’

Jesus is the living water, and the bread of life – the treasure that we long for – but as the parables we have been hearing in recent weeks remind us – this treasure is Jesus himself and all that we need is provided by God’s loving care – we need have no fear – but we do need to trust God and not our own strength! 

Paul’s lament in Chapter 9 of Romans is because he sees how the first people of God, despite living in God’s love and generous provision for generations, still turn to their own ways and forget to fully trust God.

The disciples, in their care for Jesus in his grief, and the people in their hunger, try to help by sending them away to find food for themselves and to leave Jesus some space.

But Jesus knows he can trust God absolutely and always – and so he simply raises the loaves to heaven, gives thanks to God, and shares out with us all for all time, the wondrous feast of life.

Thanks be to God – Amen.

Readings: Isaiah 55:1-5, Psalm 145:8-9, 15-end, Romans 9:1-5, Matthew 14:13-21

Preacher: Rev’d Michelle Dalliston

Location: St John’s Church Peterborough UK