Title: The Little Boy

Scriptures: John 6:1-21

7/27/03 7th Sunday after Pentecost

Rev. Joy R. Haertig

Whenever we are given a reading from the Gospel of John we can count on there being more to it than meets the eye.  The writer of John writes in layers of meaning and most often writes in metaphor, so beware of taking his writings in a strictly literal manner.  

The community that John wrote to was a group of Jewish men and women who had claimed Jesus as the Messiah. Scholars believe that because of their struggles with the religious authorities in the temple, they had found themselves building a community outside of the temple.  The Gospel was written to inspire its readers to continue to believe in Jesus during a troubled time, not to bring in new converts.  

It is important when reading John to keep in mind that its original readers knew the Jewish scriptures very well, thus they would hear particularities in John's writings that you or I might not even notice.  Today's reading is a perfect example of that.

The two miracles in today's reading about Jesus connect the listeners to two significant stories found in Jewish scripture that took place during the Exodus. By connecting the past to the present, Jesus is understood as not only connected to their religious history but as further fulfillment of that history.

For example, in the feeding of the 5000, Jesus' actions would associate him with Moses in the mind of the listeners, hearkening back to the Exodus and the story of the manna in the wilderness.  The manna, a food that seemed to come from heaven each morning for a hungry people, saved them from starving while in the wilderness and now Jesus is saving them in a similar way. But Jesus saves them not only from literal hunger - but feeding their spiritual hunger as well.  For the author of John, this is proof of Jesus' Sonship.

The second part of today's reading is equally symbolic.  In walking on the water and then bringing the boatload of disciples across to the other side, Jesus echoes the miracle of the Exodus when God parted the waters of the Red Sea and the people moved safely to the distant shore.  Again, Jesus is like Moses, yet even greater.

You might say this was the “evangelistic” layer of today's reading, affirming the Messiahship of Jesus and his connection to the great stories of their people.  Another layer in the story is more moral in its purpose.

The people who had gathered around Jesus were hungry and he has asked his disciples to find a way to feed them.  The disciples respond to Jesus' request like any good Board of Trustees, with an explanation of how expensive the endeavor would be.  “I don't know Jesus, the budget is looking tight right now, I just don't see how we can afford yet another cause, good and worthy as it might be.”

In the midst of this conversation a little boy steps forward with his bread and fish, no doubt something his mother put in a knapsack to help sustain him through the day.  The boy didn't calculate the cost or what it might mean to give up his lunch for others.  The boy just offered up all he had - perhaps at least believing it was a place to start.

Jesus took the bread and the fish, gave thanks and began to share it with the crowd.  In the end there were fish and bread left over even after feeding 5000 people!  

In God there is abundance, not scarcity!  God will provide what you need, and more - that we might have extra to share with those who have not yet had any.

There is a wealth of meaning in that story.  The seemingly unhampered willingness of the small boy to step forward and give with no fear of appearing foolish and Christ's ability to multiply what he had in such a way that they all had enough plus more.

That small boy stands before us in today's story and challenges us to remember how many times we have been invited to give money or time and say “no” because we think we don't have enough.  So instead of giving a little something that combines with other people's “something's”, we give nothing at all.

That little boy is a wonderful symbol of God's invitation to live our lives out of a sense of abundance, particularly when we combine our efforts, however small, with the efforts and gifts of others and it multiplies into enough for all.  

Just over a week ago I attended a wonderful concert at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Broadway called “Give us Hope”.  It was an AIDS benefit concert that featured the Sinikithemba HIV+ Choir of South Africa.  “Sinikithemba” means, “give us hope”.  Sinikithemba HIV/AIDS Christian Care Center is in the center of Durban, the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, the province most severely affected by the AIDS epidemic.  McCord Hospital established the center in 1996 to provide HIV testing, counseling and ongoing support to the increasing numbers of patients and HIV+ pregnant women coming to McCord.  Church World Service, an ecumenical organization that our denomination is a part of, supports many of the Center's ministries.  

The choir is a program of the Care Center and has evolved from the life-affirming spirit of the women of Sinikithemba.  The “Give Us Hope” U.S. tour ensemble was comprised of 15 men and women of the larger choir.  Church World Service brought the choir to the U.S. as part of its effort to put a human face on the AIDS epidemic and to help dispel the stigma associated with it.  

The spiritual and physical energy, grace and beauty of this 15-member choir were overwhelming.  Here were 15 young women and men, all HIV+ themselves, boldly sharing their gifts on behalf of the broader world while being honest about the illness they bore.  They reminded me of the little boy with the basket of fish and bread, offering all he had - knowing full well that at face value, it would be considered hardly enough to make a difference.  

The concert I attended was just one among six others across the United States.  In one night - in one church - in one hour - they touched our hearts and raised over $6,000.

Whether the issue is money or time, food or shelter, that little boy reminds us that life is all “gift” and is meant to be shared in community with others and on behalf of others.

Joseph P. Donders writes: “I think that Jesus praised that small boy who had given all he had…WhWhen you are asked for something you think you are unable to give, think of the small boy of this story, and think of the twelve baskets full of food given [back] to him because he gave all he had.”

Mr. Donders poses another important piece in today's story, in giving, consider all you have received in return.  

Let us pray: Dear God, who has been made known to us in Jesus, you have been so good to us.

Your goodness and our blessings abundant.

May be show a similar faithfulness in our response;

Help us to recognize what gifts and skills we do have without drowning in self-doubt or fear of scarcity.

Help us to be wise stewards of your abundance.  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.