Give it to me

A short reflection on the readings for the tenth Sunday after Pentecost.

---

I’ve read some estimations that Jesus fed as many as 20,000 people in this story when we include the women and children. And, yes, they all count as God’s beloved, not a side note or afterthought. But Jesus didn’t feed this crowd alone.

The disciples didn’t want to be bothered with figuring out how to feed the crowd. They asked Jesus to send them away, trying to sound concerned about their welfare by noting how late in the day it was. And Jesus told the disciples to give them something to eat. They said, ‘we have nothing but just enough for us” (paraphrase mine). How often do we hold this same scarcity mindset? If I offer what I have what if then I don’t have enough? And Jesus says, “give it to me.”

Jesus could have just conjured up a feast, I suppose. That would really have been a spectacular miracle. Instead, he chose to work through the disciples. He asks for what they have and he blesses it and shares it.

There’s a deep interconnection between what is ours to do and God’s will. It is God’s will that we participate with God in bringing about God’s purposes for Creation. Some use the phrase “God’s will” as an excuse to not do things like feed those who are hungry or offer what we have to those who have less. But I know this – it is never God’s will that people go hungry and suffer at the expense of our comfort or need for power or prestige. It is never God’s will that we ignore those in need.

I watch with heartache and despair as people in and the leaders of this country take money away from those in need yet spend freely to wage war that doesn’t solve anything but creates more and more people in need and they do it in the name of God. We cannot do what we know will bring harm to others and then say it must be God’s will that they suffer. Saying so doesn’t make it God’s will, it is only a feeble attempt to ease our conscience and goes against all that Jesus teaches us.

When we see our life, all that we are and all that we have as entrusted to us by God and we offer it back to God for the building up of God’s Kingdom-on-earth-as-in-heaven we are doing God’s will. It is God’s will that all people participate with God in the building up of God’s Kingdom with compassion, justice, and mercy. This is what is ‘ours to do’ whatever that looks like for us with all that we are and all that we have.

Being neutral in light of human suffering isn’t following Jesus any more than knowingly causing harm to other people. As Image bearers of the Loving God, it is God’s will and ours to do to bear the divine image within us. It isn’t easy and so very often we all get it wrong. But we don’t stop trying and we don’t say it’s impossible or I can’t. Jesus shows us one and over again, that with him it is possible and we are quite capable.

“Give it to me,” says Jesus. “Follow me. Follow me in the Kingdom-on-earth-as-in-heaven where we all work together with God’s help to alleviate the suffering of others caused by a worldview of scarcity and competitiveness, wanting for our neighbors and our enemies what we want for ourselves.

Keep Lovin’ louder than the hate, Y’all!