“Food for the Soul” – Mark 6:30-44 – July 23, 2006

When challenged by Jesus to feed the mass of people that had assembled, the disciples argued that there wasn’t enough food on hand to feed such a large crowd. They said, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?" But instead of going to the nearest grocery store they were to take inventory and find out what was available.

The disciples gathered up what food they could find but it wasn’t enough to feed everyone. So Jesus took what they had found, blessed it and had the disciples distribute it. Amazingly, everyone was satisfied and there was plenty left over.

Have any of you truly been in a situation where you were literally starving? My guess is that there are times when we are all hungry. But, it isn’t food or stuff or even money that will satisfy us. What will satisfy us is what Jesus refers to as the "Living Bread." Remember when Jesus said, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you... for he who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never go thirsty." (John 6:27 & 35)

What Jesus gave to his listeners was food for the soul. First, Jesus gave his listeners reassurance. Secondly, he acknowledged that its source came from God. And third, he gave them inspiration.

Jesus had compassion on those who were assembled. He sensed their worried faces and hungry souls. The masses needed comfort and hope. There was no need to send them away to the towns and villages to find food. What he gave them was food for the soul which made them less anxious and gave them hope.

One time there was a monk who found a precious stone, a precious jewel. A short time later, the monk met a traveler, who said he was hungry and asked the monk if he would share some of his provisions. When the monk opened his bag, the traveler saw the precious stone and, on an impulse, asked the monk if he could have it. Amazingly, the monk gave the traveler the stone. The traveler departed quickly, overjoyed with his new possession. However, a few days later, he came back, searching for the monk. He returned the stone
to the monk and made a request: "Please give me something more valuable, more precious than this stone. Please give me that which enabled you to give me this precious stone!"

What the traveler received was the gift of compassion. God is aware of all our hurts, pain and feelings of anxiety. We are no different than the crowd who had gathered to be close to Jesus. As Jesus said, “They were like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus gave them food for the soul by having compassion on them which gave them reassurance.

Perhaps the most overlooked event in this story is when Jesus lifted up the five loaves and two fish to heaven and blessed them. What the disciples had collected seemed a hopeless amount to feed 5,000 people. But by blessing what resources the disciples had collected Jesus acknowledged God as the One who would provide.

In the town of Enterprise, Alabama, there is a monument in the town square that expresses the gratitude of the local people for the Mexican boll weevil. In 1985, the boll weevil arrived in large numbers and wiped out the entire cotton crop in Coffee County. It was the major economic base for Enterprise and in desperation the people searched for alternative crops to plant. They began to plant peanuts and by 1919 the county’s peanut crop yielded much more than their cotton. The people of Enterprise were grateful to God and felt blessed. In the midst of adversity they had been blessed.

When we are spiritually hungry, God wants us to be acknowledged as the One who will provide for us. Jesus was giving thanks to God by blessing the small amount of food. In the process it turned out to be more than enough to feed everyone who had come. Some folks long for spiritual enrichment or “soul food,” searching for a church that meets their needs or a pastor that will feed them. What Jesus has modeled in this story is for us to be thankful for the soul food we have already been given.

Jesus also gave inspiration. What the disciples needed wasn’t a food bank, but a little inspiration. He directed the disciples to collect and distribute what was on hand. He said, “You give them something to eat.” In other words, he motivated them to replace their whining with getting involved. How did the disciples know there was no food unless they took the time to go and look? “How many loaves do you have? Go and see,” Jesus said.

Writing a preparing a sermon every week can be a daunting task. People sometimes ask me, “How do you get inspired?” Contrary to popular belief ideas for sermons rarely “just happen.” I get inspired by digging in, reading, researching, and writing. This passage reminded me that just as the disciples had to go and do a little detective work and discover what resources were available, I too have to do the same for a message. Inspiration comes from listening to Jesus who tells me to “Go and see.”

Food for the soul is received from reassurance, gratitude and inspiration. By coming to the table this morning and breaking bread together, we relive the time when Jesus fed those searching for food for the soul. There is no limit to what God can do. God is with us as we share this common meal and our souls will be satisfied as we “do this in remembrance of him.”

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio