Nothing but…JESUS!

Let us pray. Lord, you open wide your hand and satisfy the needs of every living creature. Yet, somehow we have a hard time reflecting your generous spirit and hold on tightly to what we have with closed hands. Help us to recognize that you take what little we may think we have and multiply it. Amen.

With so many hot days this summer, I wanted to cool you down with a wintery story. As I started thinking of snowflakes and cold winter winds, I began to picture Ebenezer Scrooge sourly counting money in the office he had once shared with his deceased partner, Jacob Marley from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Scrooge has more money than he knows what to do with, but in his mind, it is never enough.

Two businessmen arrive at his door seeking a donation on behalf of the poor to make their Christmas holiday more merry: “A few of us are endeavoring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time when want is keenly felt and abundance rejoices.”

Scrooge scoffs at them: “Are there no prisons, are there no workhouses? I help to support the establishments I have mentioned–they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there.”

The two businessmen are shocked at Scrooge’s indifference: “But many can’t go there and many would rather die!”

“if they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it and decrease the surplus population.”

Scrooge had plenty to spare and share, but he doesn’t see it that way. That is, until he is visited by the spirit of his partner, Jacob Marley, and 3 other spirits who show him the error of his ways and help him to see how abundantly blessed he is for the sake of others. By showing Scrooge his past, his present and even his potential future, the spirts help Scrooge to understand that the neighbors he believed were none of his business really were his business.

As the ghost of Jacob Marley cried to Scrooge: “mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the ocean of my business!”

So when at the end of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge comes across the same two businessmen who asked him for money for the poor he charges right up to them, asks their pardon and promises to make up his past neglect with a large donation. He had lived as though his resources were scarce, when really they were quite abundant.

In today’s gospel, Jesus’ disciples clearly don’t believe that the welfare and feeding of the crowed that has gathered around Jesus is really any of their business. When the Lord tells them they should get the people something to eat, they seem to want to hold on to what little they have with Scrooge-like thriftiness. “We have nothing to eat but five loaves and two fish.”

Such a small amount of food amounts to nothing in a crowd of 5000. That is, unless Jesus is around. Jesus has a way of being extravagant. When he takes what appears that meager resources in hand there is not only enough, but there is an overabundance. Not only did everyone eat and was filled, but the disciples gathered up twelve baskets full of broken pieces — enough for each of them to have one of their own basket! Amazing!

Jesus had a way of being extravagant with everything. He did his first miracle at a wedding party at Cana. When the wine runs out, Jesus not only turns some water into wine. He turns 180 gallons of water into some of the best tasting wine the wedding guests ever had.

It seems that God is extravagantly generous with forgiveness as well. When Jesus tells the story of the wayward son who takes his inheritance and leaves home, he says that the Father doesn’t just quietly welcome home this boy who has embarrassed him with all sorts of wild and raucous behavior. No, Daddy runs to him, embraces him and throws the biggest party anyone has ever seen in that place. The lost is found! the dead is alive again!

By nature God is extravagant. God could have made one shade of flower and that would have been miracle enough for us. Yet look at all the various colors and shapes of all of the flowers God has created. Isn’t that a bit excessive?

And look at all of the people – the diversity of races, colors, shapes and sizes, personalities. God just didn’t know when to stop! God doesn’t hold back when it comes to creativity or generosity.

Which brings me to us! As I wrote this sermon, I found it much easier to think and write about Scrooge’s stinginess and lack of generosity than my own. It is much easer to condemn Scrooge for turning away the two businessmen who were asking for a donation for meat and drink for the poor, than to think about the times that strangers have come to the church office asking for food or money or a place to stay.

My first instinct is to want to send them away like the disciples did — go to the Salvation Army or the food pantry or the Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization. I don’t want to get taken advantage of, who knows if these people are legit, they may just be wanting to take advantage of the system.

Yet, in that situation, what would Jesus say? “They need not go away. YOU give them something…“

“Me? Me? What do I have? I have nothing but a couple of gift cards from the Pig and from the gas station..”

So often as individuals and as a church, we look at what we have and falsely conclude that we have nothing to offer, especially in contrast to the bigger churches around us.

We have nothing but five loaves and two fish…

We have nothing but what we need to put food on our own table without giving to others…

We have nothing but what we need to pave the parking lot, pay the pastor and the bills without thinking of needs outside the congregation…

We have nothing but…

We have nothing but…

We have nothing but…Jesus. And this story of the feeding of the 5000 reveals to us that when have Jesus, we have much more than enough. “And all ate and were filled, and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.”

In our receiving, are we able to trust in God to see the richness, the abundance and give thanks? In our giving, are we able to trust in God to way beyond what we need, that we have nothing but Jesus we have everything. AMEN.