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Let me know what you think. The church Email is: SLUMC@att.net, Phone: 480.895.8766

August 4, 2002
"Give What You Have"
Matthew 14:13-21
Reverend Larry Gerber

In business, it's all about return on investment, ROI. There's only a finite number of resources available -- five loaves, two fish -- and if it runs out the game is over. Jesus and the disciples miraculously make it work.

When Dave Thomas died of liver cancer at the age of 69 last winter, America lost one of its favorite pitchmen. Dave, like the burgers he served, was square -- but there.

He was an ordinary guy, the type of middle-aged, mild-mannered guy you might expect to see behind the counter at any one of the 6,000 Wendy's stores. He'd ask you whether you wanted the Monterey Ranch chicken sandwich, or more bacon on your bacon cheeseburger. He'd invite you to pump as much ketchup as you wanted. He owned the company, and he wanted you to come back.

Dave seemed like an ordinary joe, but he had uncommon business sense. He understood the value of R.O.I. If you didn't get a return on investment, you'd be out of business before the lard hardened in the fryer.

Return on investment is the percentage you earned for the cash you've invested.

Say you have $100,000 to invest. This $100,000 is called capital. We invest, one year later our $100,000 yields $110,000! That's a good R.O.I.

Your rate of return in this case is 10 percent, which these days, would be consicered a modern day miracle..

Now let's talk about another offer of a square meal: Jesus, the carpenter's son from Nazareth is also interested in R.O.I. but without the denari signs. Here we see him looking to take five loaves and two fishes, about five servings total, and he proposes to take these servings and distribute them to 5,000 people in such a way that not only is everyone fed, but there is food left over. That R.O.I. would look like this: ((5000 fed - (5 loaves + 2 fish) / (5 loaves + 2 fish)) x 100% = a miracle.]

This story is certainly about a miracle, but it is also about what Jesus hoped to teach his inner circle. Jesus said to the disciples, "you give them something to eat" (14:16).

Jesus made it clear that he regarded the feeding task to be their responsibility as it is ours today. He assumed that they could do what he had asked them to do. God doesn't lay a responsibility on us that we're not capable of fulfilling.

I thought about this story while at a family reunion this past Sunday afternoon. I was visiting with some of the older relatives when my 4 1/2 year granddaughter, Cora, came up to me and said "Grandpa, I want you." She clung to my arm and looked at me with those big blue eyes. I said, "Just a minute /cora, Grandpa is visiting right now." About 15 minutes later, while I was still talking with the relatives I had not seen for some time, Cora came back and tugged at my arm, and looked at me with a very sad face, and said: "Grandpa, I don't want you any more.", and walked away. I had ignored her too long, her patience had waned, and she went to find someone else, but came back to let me know that I had missed out on having time with her. It now was too late......

Jesus tapped 12 special men on the shoulder, and said that he wanted them. They did not say that they would be with him in just a minute, they dropped what they were doing and followed Him. What if they had said that they would be there in just a minute, that they were busy just then, or talking to someone..... How long would it take Jesus to say that He did not want them anymore......

When I was finally ready to give my time to Cora, she had other plans, and other people that "wanted her." Of course she allowed me to get back into good standings with her as time went by, and she still wanted me when I gave her the time. I could have been too late, when I had the time for her.

In this particular incident in the miricale story, the discipes told Jesus that they could not help him. He wanted them to feed the multitude, but they could not respond, because they had nothing to offer, but 2 fishes and five loaves of bread........ They came back at him: "We have nothing ..."

Like so many others, when God calls we either do not answer, or we beg off.

· "I have nothing."
· "I'm too old for this sort of thing."
· "I'm sorry, but I have issues."
· "I'm too busy."
· "I'm not ordained."
· "I don't know too much about the Bible."
· "This is not my gift."
· "I've got too much on my own plate right now."

Cora let me off the hook for a little while, because, when I finally turned my attention to her, she knew that I had not forgotten her entirely, but I could have lost her trust in me by my ignorance. I had the resources to satisfy my granddaughter, but if I continued to ignore her, my resources would have been of no avail. The faith and trust of my 4 1/2 year old granddaughter allowed me to gain her confidence.....

The disciples when told "you give them something to eat" were unaware that they had the resources to fulfill Jesus' command. They didn't know it, but they did have something!

Jesus' point is clear: You give what you have and I will take care of the distribution issues.

The miracle, then, was not only one of feeding, but of opening the imagination and faith of those doing the feeding.

Rev. Alan Kimber was at one time the pastor of Westfall United Methodist Church in Durban, South Africa. He says that at the time there were two classrooms in the township with 500 kids going to school in two sessions, 8 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The children were poor. Many had no shoes. And the classes sometimes took place under the shelter of trees. The kids had a hard time learning. They were hungry, and it soon became apparent that in order to facilitate learning they were going to have to feed these children.

When the problem was addressed one Sunday morning, Pastor Kimber said, "You give them something to eat." They had nothing, they said. Except one man said he had $5. Then another person said he had $10. That Sunday morning, they collected $2,000 on the spot and began to feed those children.

Feeding the 5,000 was a miracle. It's not easy to explain. Most miracles aren't. But the greater miracle was opening the eyes of faith of those who would be "feeders." When their faith vision was operative, they were able to see a huge R.O.I.

Cora knew that her Grandpa loved her, and even though she was pushed aside momentarily, she knew that I would be there a little later on. She trusted that I would give her some return on investment. I also trusted that she would not give up on me entirely.....just a moment......I risked losing my return on her investment in me, because I was "busy talking" to others....

Our God is a lavish God. God deals generously, giving much out of little.

Our God is a generous God, a God of great abundance. The measure we get back is far greater than the measure we give. It is a divine law of investment. But we've got to stop thinking, "We have nothing."

One reason it works is because the people of God do the work of God. We are the hands and the feet, the eyes and the hearts. Jesus' disciples served as the means by which the work of God was carried out. Just like we serve.

The disciples didn't make the miracle happen, but without them the Miracle of the Multiplication, the Miracle of the Abundant Sharing, this miracle of community building, would never have happened.

What God provided that day was more than enough. What God provides for us today is more than enough. Our faith, which can grow to abundant proportions, can be strong enough to get us through any hard times.

Jesus knew this and he taught this: God is a God of abundance. The spiritual Return On Investment is bound to be plentiful and eternal.

As we prepare to share the loaf and the cup this morning, take just a moment, and reflect on the times that Jesus fed you, when your hope was gone. When was Jesus there for you? When might you have been too busy, when Jesus tugged at your arm and said: "I want you"

Jesus gave of himself. He wanted us so much that He gave His life while tugging on our arm. The next time you feel the tug of Jesus on your arm, what will your response be? "Not now,......... just a moment,......... I am too busy,........ I am not qualified...........?" Jesus is calling........are you listening? Are you responding? Will you answer?..............Come, supper is served.

Let me know what you think. The church Email is: SLUMC@att.net, Phone: 480.895.8766