Jesus had Compassion for Them (Matthew 14:14b)
Proper 13 - Year A
Hospitality is a Divine trait. We demonstrate Divine hospitality when we host fellowship hours after church, serve dinner after the Sunday services around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and for the Annual Parish Meeting. We also demonstrate Divine hospitality when we visit or call members who are unable to attend church. Because Divine hospitality is an essential component of the Christ Church mission, the church buildings are shared. People needing affordable rents live in the Rectory. The Sag Harbor Historical Museum, The Hampton Festival of Music, and Canio’s Culture Cafe hold events in the Church. Five different recovery programs, Bay Street Theater, and the Hampton Islamic Center gather in the Parish House. Our mission statement reads, “We welcome people as God welcomes, …within and beyond the walls of the church.”
Divine hospitality is on full display in today’s Gospel (Matthew 14:13-2.) Jesus, trying to get some R&R (rest and relaxation), sailed off in a boat. Jesus took regular breaks for prayer and renewal. Time off allowed Jesus to lead with compassion and manage his frustrations. Prayer time allowed Jesus to heal, without chastising the people for the shortcomings that made them sick.
People discovered where Jesus was sailing and told their neighbors, friends, and family. By the time Jesus arrived at the place where he intended to rest, there was a gigantic crown of 5000 men (not counting the women and children with them). Jesus resisted the temptation to push the boat back out to sea and offered Divine hospitality instead. As soon as he got out of the boat, Jesus began curing the sick. Jesus moved through the crowd listening to descriptions of the illnesses, accidents, and birth defects that oppressed and depressed them. From morning until late evening Jesus healed people. He made mud from his spittle and placed it on the eyes of the blind. He grasped the hands of paralytics, pulled them to their feet, and ordered them to walk. Jesus allowed people, too shy to ask for help, to touch his garments. Jesus prayed for and with people, imploring God to hear and heed each person’s petition for health. As night drew near, the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the crowds into neighboring villages for food. Jesus, modeling Divine hospitality and inviting the disciples to demonstrate Divine hospitality, responded
“There is no need to send them away; you give them something to eat.”
The disciples, having assessed the size of the crowd and the food in their packs, replied,
“We cannot feed this crowd. We have just enough food for you and the twelve of us.”
Jesus, encouraging Divine hospitality from the disciples and crowd, said:
“Bring the bread and fish you have to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left of the broken pieces, which was twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides the women and children. (Matthew 14:16-21)
Wow! Everyone ate and there were leftovers? In order for Christ Church to host fellowship hours or dinners for around 20 to 30 people and have leftovers, Diane Schimmer, Thom Chu, Janine Carter, Hatsy Drescher, Sharon Prince Yearwood, Dushy Roth, Kim Bambino and others need advance notice. It requires lots of hours to plan, shop, cook, setup, and cleanup. How were over 10 thousand people fed? If there were 5000 men, and each man had one or more wives, and each woman had two or more children, there had to be more than 10 thousand people to feed. Neither magic nor the type of miracle only Jesus could perform, were necessary. This gigantic crowd ate their fill and had leftovers because the people present practiced Divine hospitality.
Love was in the air. Divine hospitality was everywhere. Jesus expressed compassion for the people by giving up some of his respite to offer healing. The disciples demonstrated empathy by consoling people as they waited, and triaging the crowd to guide the more urgent cases to Jesus first. Neighbors, friends, and family showed concern by notifying, guiding, and transporting sick people to Jesus. This gathering was overflowing with concern, empathy, and compassion. Knowing God and people as I do, I suspect the dinner service became an extension of the goodwill already moving in and through Jesus, the disciples, and the crowd. When Jesus said grace before the dinner, his prayer surely began by thanking God for providing grain from the earth, and fish from the sea. Jesus must have also asked God to bless the hands of the fisherman, cooks, and bakers who prepared the food. Jesus probably closed this grace asking God to make everyone present, fit for loving service as God had made the food fit for their bodies. As the baskets with the 2 fish and 5 loaves was passed around, people put some of the food they brought with them into the baskets. Why wouldn’t they? Love was in the air. Divine hospitality was everywhere. People in the crowd were concerned enough to inform the homeless, blind and lame beggars of Jesus’ presence. They were committed enough to transport sick people and wait as Jesus made his way through the crowds. Putting a few morsels of food from what they had was just another expression of the time, talent, and treasure they had already committed.
Compassion is contagious. The feeding of the multitudes was made possible because of contagious compassion. Jesus, the disciples, and the crowd demonstrated Divine hospitality. How are you using your time, talents, and treasurers? Are you committing a portion of the blessings God bestows on you to bless others? Christ Church has 3 buildings, our Sanctuary has stained glass windows, a marble altar and baptismal font because people before us committed time, talents, and treasurers to show Divine hospitality. Please allow the expressions of compassion around you to be contagious. Share generously and freely of what God gives you, to generate miracles of healing, feeding, justice, education, housing, and democracy so needed in our world today.
