Another from my liberal friend: posted here for mature thought rather than my endorsement of all Harry’s ideas. Rowland.

****

The Religion Works

Sermons by Harry T. Cook August 3, 2008

To read this week’s sermon “Taking the Bible Literally Or Seriously,” just scroll down. Matthew’s version of the “feeding of the five thousand” is an invitation to take the Bible, or at least this part of it, as a serious commentary upon the human condition. If, however, you seek a miracle on the cheap, don’t bother reading this sermon.

Harry T. Cook __________________________________________________

Taking the Bible Literally or Seriously

Harry T. Cook

Matthew 14: 13-21

By Harry T. Cook

One way to deal with Matthew’s story of the feeding of the 5,000 is to say, “Well, what a miracle!” Where one goes after that, though, I have no idea. Another way to deal with the story is to pay close attention to the entire passage line by line and mine it for clues. Here’s one. Matthew imagined Jesus trying to get away from the crowds. Why would Jesus whose mission seemed to be to speak to as many people as possible try to get away from a crowd of them? The passage immediately preceding the feeding story tells of the beheading of John the Baptist, with Herod fearing that this other guy named Jesus was John come back to life. Matthew said those facts came to Jesus’ attention. Understanding, perhaps, that attracting a crowd was probably a dangerous thing for him, Jesus withdrew to a deserted place to which the crowd pursued him. But, again, why? Just 16 verses earlier, according to Matthew, a crowd (these being his hometown acquaintances) was offended by his wisdom and his so-called deeds of power, whatever those might have been. Did they pursue him to that deserted place to sit at his feet or to taunt him? Unclear. The deserted place was quickly filled up by the crowd which Jesus joined when he arrived. Matthew depicts Jesus as surprised and overwhelmed by the attention, and as having compassion on the crowd. Our word “compassion” pales in its effect compared to the Greek word, which is: Splagx-NITZ-omi, which literally means “bowels and intestines.” In other words, Matthew was saying Jesus had a “gut-wrenching” experience when he saw the size of the crowd. Was Jesus fearful of the crowd? Was the crowd like one fawning over Barack Obama or John McCain, or was it a lynch mob? Again: unclear. Matthew said Jesus’ reaction was to cure their sick. And not another word about it. Like how? What did Jesus do or say to effect cures of which illnesses? Curious omissions on Matthew’s part, unless that was not the main thrust of his story. What happened next clearly was. The crowd had pursued Jesus on foot Matthew said, and Jesus had departed for his deserted place by boat, meaning that Jesus had the easier passage. The crowd was presumed to have come unprepared. Daylight was waning and it was thought they might be hungry. As Matthew tells it, Jesus’ staff persons came to him to suggest that Jesus tell the crowd to go away and find something to eat. Almost the only direct quotation Matthew put on Jesus’ lips in this story are these words directed at his staff: You give them something to eat. This is the heart of the passage, and is almost always overlooked. What was being implied here? Was it not that feeding the hungry was the obligation of any who would presume to follow Jesus? YOU give them something to eat. The staff owned up to having brought some refreshments for themselves (We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish), a typical case of the theology of scarcity. Jesus wasn’t buying it. Bring them to me, he said. The text goes on to say that Jesus blessed the food. Perhaps he said some local Aramaic version of the classic Hebrew blessing: Baruch atah Elohaynu melekh ha-olam ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz. Amayn. “Blessed are you, Yahweh, our God, King of the Universe who brings forth bread from the earth. Amen.” Then it was time to eat. We are told that every person in the crowd had enough, with a considerable amount left over. – What are we to think about that? Are we to think that the traditional Jewish blessing over the bread pronounced by Jesus somehow miraculously increased its quantity? But the true miracle, if that word must be used, is to be found not in the fact that too little became more than enough, but that there was evidently more than enough to begin with. Of course, there was. This passage is not about cheap miracles. It is about the theology of plenty. In a world of starving peoples, they go hungry among plenty. It’s not the quantity of the food but the distribution of it. Instead of growing bumper crops of corn to make ethanol to satisfy our automotive habits, American farmers ought to be growing their bumper crops of corn for food. If the Jesus we meet in today’s gospel were making his commentary upon our time and place, he would undoubtedly say just that. And, if he did, he would be denounced by the editors of The Wall Street Journal for worshipping a god other than that of the almighty market with its laissez-faire theology. Jesus would be branded a dangerous liberal socialist. He would have no deserted place to which to retreat. He would be hounded and ridiculed. Society says out of its theology of scarcity We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish. Out of its opposite, the theology of plenty, Jesus says, Bring them to me, and the rest we know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© Copyright 2008, Harry T. Cook. All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced without proper credit.