Harvest Festival
The feeding of the five thousand
This was a short talk given at the end of the playgroup service for harvest festival
It is great to see children come up here with provisions which will be given to those in need – the elderly and homeless.
It reminds me of a very special miracle that Jesus did – the only miracle which is actually recorded in all four of the gospels. We call it “the feeding of the five thousand”.
Can you picture the scene that day? There were thousands of people who had come to listen to Jesus. As the evening drew in they started getting hungry, and Jesus could see that. So he told his disciples to feed them.
You can imagine the looks on their faces!
“You must be joking!” they said. “It would take eight months wages to feed all them” they said.
Then there was a little boy made his way up towards them. See him tugging on Andrews robe? He hadn’t got much. Just five little loaves and two small fish.
But he gave them to Jesus.
Jesus prayed, and then started dividing the food up, giving everyone as much as they wanted. Eventually, everyone had been fed! When they came to tidy up they gathered enough uneaten portions to fill twelve baskets!
Jesus could have snapped his fingers and fed everyone… but he wanted his people to participate in his work. It was a child who responded to Jesus.
He brought a gift which seemed small, insignificant compared to the task which was ahead. But Jesus was able to multiply that gift and meet peoples needs in an astonishing way.
Jesus is still concerned by the hungry people he sees. The homeless and hungry in our towns, the homeless and hungry in Africa and other places around the world. He is waiting for people to come forward to him and say “Jesus, I’ve not got very much… but if I give it to you, will you feed them?”
At harvest time, when traditionally we give thanks for all the good things that we enjoy, it is right and appropriate that we share what we have been given with others who need it. That is why we as a church like to support organisations such as Open Doors who work to help people locally, and like Tear Fund who help distribute aid in far flung places.
Sometimes we see the news – famine in Africa, orphans in eastern Europe, and the problems seem so big that we shrink away from them. What good is the little that I can do? Anything I do seems so small and insignificant, compared to the task which lies ahead.
But Jesus is still able and willing to take the gifts we bring, no matter how small, and bring a miracle to other peoples lives.
Alex White
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