No Counting at this Feast
John 6:1-15
March 31, 2019 anno Domini – Redeemer
Whenever it comes to meals and especially feasts there’s a lot of counting. If you’re planning a big birthday party or a graduation open house you count your guests. You ask the caterer how much each plate costs. Calculate how much beer the relatives are going to drink.
When Jesus asks Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” the disciples started counting. Philip gets out his abacas and starts moving the beads. Two hundred denarii would not be enough for each of them to get a little. That’s two hundred days of wages. Since the disciples were basically students in the seminary of Jesus they didn’t have 200 denarii between the 12 of them. And if they had Judas certainly wouldn’t have let them waste it on the crowd.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was a little more industrious. Money wasn’t going to do any good in the wilderness. Even if there was a Nelson Brothers’ truck stop out there they couldn’t handle 5000 people stopping at once. So Andrew sees what might be available right there in the crowd. Do you have any food? Do you have anything to eat? A little boy had been tasked with carrying the groceries for his family. They had planned ahead and his dad stopped at Coburn’s before they left town. “It’s for my family, but I have five barley loaves and two fish. You can have that.” Andrew was already counting. He told Jesus about the little boy, his five loaves and two fish, “but what are they for so many?”
Counting might be necessary when you and I plan a feast, but it is not needed when Jesus is present. He takes this boy’s meager offering, food for his family for one day, and multiplies it into a Lenten fish feast.
Have you ever counted before you gave? I have. I have given over $10000 to needy people. I know because when I came here a member had given $10000 to the needy fund and now it’s gone. Every needy person I have given to as a pastor has lied to me. Many have promised to return the money and not one has. Many said they were looking for a church home, but never looked again at Redeemer. So whenever a needy person comes for help I count, the dollars, the liars. They need $500 for a car repair. I might give them $50. If they don’t get the other $450 where will that money go? It wasn’t even my money and I counted.
Where do you count? Do you count the time it takes to sit in Bible Class? Do you count the other people you support or disappoint by your participation or absence in the Divine Service, Bible Study, or any other activity of our congregation? Have you ever done a Philip? “Well, even if I gave most of what I had it wouldn’t make a difference” Or an Andrew, “My presence and support won’t make a difference.” The feeding of the 5000 with a little boy’s bag of lunch teaches us to stop counting, to repent of counting.
This morning the Lord Jesus has a feast for you. It is a feast that is greater than you could ever imagine. It started because God gave something you didn’t have – a perfect offering. He paid the price for a debt you couldn’t repay – your sin. He did not give part or 10% or as little as He could. He gave His Son for you and me. Jesus didn’t look like much of an offering swaddled in clothes lying in a manger. He looked even less when he was swaddled in burial clothes lying in a tomb. What is one man’s offering among so many sinners, for so many sins? It’s everything. This man isn’t merely a man. He is God in the flesh. His precious blood and His innocent suffering and death are enough not only to satisfy your debt and God’s demand for justice, but enough to give you joy in your forgiveness and gladden God the Father’s heart toward you for all eternity.
This morning’s feast is miraculously supplied by God, yet like the feeding of the 5000 God uses offerings as He used the little boy’s groceries. God used your attendance and your offerings. Someone bought the wine. Someone ordered the bread. In the olden days the communion elements were taken right from the offerings – Rachel’s bread was chosen and Jacob’s wine was selected. They shared what they had and the Lord took it in His hands, gave thanks, and distributed it to those who came to the table. This morning a deacon measured out the wine, counted out the hosts. Ushers handed out bulletins. The Sunday School teachers prepared their lessons. Somebody’s offering paid the electricity so the lights would light, the organ would play, the boiler would heat, and the pastor would be provided for. Jesus took these gifts and offerings, like He took that grocery bag from the little boy, and He has blessed and multiplied them beyond counting.
For here in His supper the Lord has put His body and blood under simple bread and wine. With His body and blood comes the forgiveness for all your sins. But wait there’s more. For with forgiveness comes life and salvation from death and the Devil. How can this be? How can your offering, your gifts, your bag of groceries accomplish so much? Because that’s what happens when Jesus takes your gift into His hands.
St. John tells us that the feeding of the 5000 was a sign. A sign points to something greater. A railroad crossing sign isn’t important in and of itself — what’s important is the locomotive travelling 65 mph which will soon cross your path. What does the sign of this feast tell us? Jesus of Nazareth is God. He is the God who created all things out of nothing. He is the God who can multiply 5 loaves and two fish into a feast for thousands. He is the God who dwells in the flesh of a man. He is the only God who bears the sins of His people. He is the God who dies for His beloved bride. He is the only God who lives. He is the only God who isn’t in the God-business for Himself but for you. He is the God who can take the offerings that you give and multiply them into an eternity right here – when a child is baptized, when a sinner repents and believes the Gospel, when a starving unrighteous beggar feasts on Christ’s body and blood.
In one of the sermons I read this past week the preacher said, “If there is a stewardship lesson here, it is that the dollar you give in faith, out of love for your neighbor, will do more good given than it will in your pocket, and that what you do for and in the kingdom, God will multiply and bless.” (Pr. David Peterson) I have no idea what that $10000 from the needy fund might have done. I haven’t seen it accomplish a thing. The little boy in the text returned home without his groceries. The $10000 is all gone. Might it have served to bring a person to faith in Jesus? I don’t know, but what a blessing to see that person in heaven. I think he or she will consider that $10000 worth it.
This past week our loan for remodeling the church was approved. With that loan and our plans we have made a commitment to remain right here on 3rd Street and 27th Avenue North. We are also making plans to reach out into our neighborhood. It’s going to cost money. We’re all going to be tempted to count, mostly our money but probably also the number of people coming or going from Redeemer.
Repent. It’s Laetare Sunday – it’s Rejoice Sunday. We’re over the half way point of Lent. It’s the Rose Sunday among the Violet Sundays. We’re only weeks from the Feast of Easter. Stop counting and partake of the abundant feast of forgiveness and life that God gives you this morning in the name of Jesus. Amen.