Readings: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15
As I remarked last week, one of the strongest emotions we experience is fear. What is it that you fear most? Can you visualize what you fear and do you understand why you fear it? With this in mind how will you combat this fear, what is the antidote for fear, and what will become of you if you succumb to this fear? All these questions and emotions Jesus addressed in his life by example and teaching.
One of the last things Jesus said to his disciple was, “do not fear.” (Matthew 28:10) This is not a surprising instruction from Jesus, in the Bible the words, “DO NOT FEAR” appear 365 times! At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is assured by his Father that he is a beloved son. “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) At the end of his time on earth, he walks into Jerusalem knowing full well what will happen and he enters his final days with the assurance that his Father still loves and cares for him.
Jesus’ fear was conquered by his faith in his Father’s love. Faith is the antidote to our fear as well. Can we trust that the Father will care for us to the end, do we have that kind of faith? Do we believe as St. Paul, “that all things work for good for those who love God?” The best thing we can do to combat we fear to address them directly, to confront them by stepping into them as Jesus walked into Jerusalem during the Passover. This requires faith, a trust in God. Do we believe that God loves us enough to have our best interests at heart? Someone once said that at the end of our life God would only ask us one question. Did you believe that I love you?
The alternative to trusting in God is to succumbing to our fears. There are times when we all succumb to our fears, and it is not pleasant. It is more than clammy hands and weak knees; it is the root of much of what is evil in society. It is the devil whispering in our ears, “You better look out for yourself, no one else will.” He whispers the lie of scarcity, that there is not enough to go around, and that I better take what I can before it is all gone. Yes, we all can succumb to the scarcity myth like Elisha’s servant and Philip in the Gospel. This happens when we don’t see or believe that God’s abundant love has earned our trust. We can hold too tight to what little we have and generosity yields to selfishness, and we begin to live only for ourselves. Looking out for No 1 used to be advice for success, but remember, “One is the Loneliest Number.” (“One” Three-Dog Night 1968)
The antidote to selfishness is to take a chance, to be generous and to live for others. Do not fear, God is never outdone in generosity. (2 Corinthians 9) Generosity like many things can be contagious, but this is a good contagion. When one exercises generosity, a few things can happen. For one, others will see the joy and freedom generosity brings you, and, as we all desire joy in our life, others will follow your example. The other truth that is born out is that what we thought was a scarcity was in fact sufficiency and there is plenty to go around. Finally, expect miracles, life is miraculous and each moment is grace-filled. Miracles happen all the time if only we are open and trusting. This all brings us to today’s story of the feeding of the multitude.
Bible scholars have argued over whether there was indeed a miracle involved in multiplying the loaves and fishes to the extent that it fed thousands of hungry disciples. Some have said that Jesus example of trust and generosity opens other’s hearts so that they felt inspired to share what they had brought on their sojourn and thus there was sufficient food for all. In the end, does it matter what miracle was worked? Is it a bigger miracle to multiply five loaves and two fish or to open the hearts of the 5,000 souls to share their sustenance with others? What does our faith make us capable of? Do we have faith enough to believe this story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes? Do we have sufficient faith to open our hearts to share what we have with those who have not? Or will we let fear rule our lives?
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