” And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them, and the two fishes divided he among them all . And they did all eat, and were filled .”
Prayer is a common theme throughout the Bible. That’ s not really surprising. But — perhaps surprisingly – there is something else that is mentioned in the Bible more often than prayer is . Think for a moment: What is it that is mentioned in the Bible more often than prayer?
Any suggestions?
The answer is : Eating and drinking.
Jesus often made a point of welcoming people who were outcasts: he welcomed them, not by praying for them, or by offering to pray for them, or by ‘ telling them to pray – but by eating with them. Then, as now, the meal – the act of eating with another person – was a sign of acceptance. The shared meal was a common feature of the Jewish tradition .
It was a powerful part of the practical expression of Jesus’ ministry. The final meal he shared with his twelve disciples — the Last Supper — became the basis for the Communion Service of the Christian Church. The shared meal was so typical of Jesus that, according to-the story in Luke’s Gospel, when he was raised from the dead, the disciples recognised him in the breaking of the bread.
The feeding of the five thousand was open to all of them. Jesus did not offer to feed only a select few of them. No one was excluded. Certainly, no one was excluded on the grounds of colour, or race, or religion , or social class, or level of wealth. He said simply: “Give ye them to eat . “
And, of course, there was more than enough to go around, as there is more than enough to go around today, when there is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed.
In this sermon the Rev Geoffrey Usher considers the sharing with others in the building of communities. The full text can read here.
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