God does not dwell within the sensible

As night falls along the Sea of Galilee, the disciples ask Jesus to stop and send everyone home to get a bite to eat. “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food” (Matthew 14:15). The disciples were sensible, and sending the people home was the sensible thing to do.

But Jesus answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages!” (Mark 6:37) “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish” (Matthew 14:16).

The disciples saw all of the problems and none of the possibilities. They could estimate how many months’ wages it would cost; they could tally the measly resources on hand. Their math didn’t fail them, but their faith did.

Can we blame them? They were being sensible; they were being reasonable; they were being practical. We do the same thing. We say, “How am I going to survive? How am I going to pay all these bills? How can I possibly take care of my children, or my parents — or both? How am I going to find time to do everything I need to do?” In other words, we focus on our supposed shortages.

This time of the year, children are filled with excitement and uncertainty at starting school. You are hesitant to completely trust that God has a plan when you are behind on your mortgage payments and credit card bills. You are cautious in believing that anything good could come out of your child needing expensive braces or you being diagnosed with cancer or your parent suffering from dementia.

We are very short-sighted people. We only see what is in front of us. We have difficulty trusting the unseen, being confident of the unknown, and having hope for the future.

That’s why the Bible teaches us that faith encompasses all that trust, confidence and hope: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

We and the disciples are sensible people. We are realists, bottom-line type people. We like everything nice and orderly. No pain. No fuss. No detours. We want a plan for everything and everything fitting into our plan.

But Jesus does not live within the boundaries of the sensible.
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It was not sensible to tell fishermen who had been fishing all night and caught nothing to go back out in the day when the fish went deep and try again – but Jesus did, and provided a great catch (John 21:6). It was not sensible to assert that a girl who had died was simply asleep – but Jesus did, and then showed it by raising her from the dead (Mark 5:38). And in the same way it was not sensible for Jesus to tell his disciples to feed a crowd of well over 5,000 hungry people: “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). But Jesus did.

Artist Lambert Lombard (Liege, Belgium 1505-1566) depicts all of this in his painting of “The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes.” Although Lombard wasn’t a prolific painter and not many of his art pieces have survived, this particular painting is generally regarded as one of his most important.

The central figures of this biblical account are centered in the painting. Jesus directs his eyes toward his heavenly Father. Notice where his eyes are not directed – not at the supposed shortage; not at the small amount of food; nor at the large amount of people. No, he looked up to heaven and gave thanks.

Instead of complaining about a shortage, Jesus thanked God for the blessing, and then in his miraculous power as the Son of God, he handed it over to Peter and Andrew. The rest of the disciples are busy throughout the rest of the painting handing the meal out to the people.

Jesus continues to feed his people today. He hands the meal to his servants (pastors) and these servants hand the meal to the hungry people who are gathered (you). In worship, Jesus continues to feed multitudes – not with bread and fish, or even mere bread and wine, but with his own body and blood. He does not send us away to find our own spiritual nourishment, but he comes to us regularly in Word and Sacrament to nourish us. And not just with a morsel – enough to get by. But he gives an abundance of his forgiveness, life, and salvation. That we be filled with him and his life.

For you see, the hands of Jesus that held those five loaves of bread and two fish and fed so many people, were the same hands that took the nails and wood of Calvary. The hands of your Savior, who came to provide what you need the most – the restoration of your life with God in the forgiveness of your sin. And to provide this forgiveness and restoration for not just 5 thousand or 5 million or 5 billion people – but each and every person. Every person, including you and me.

That is what God always had in mind from eternity. That He would save you through his Son, Jesus. Not because it was sensible … or practical … or rational. Whether it was feeding the 5,000 with bread and fish or feeding Christians with Christ’s body and blood or dying on a cross to save sinners – none of this makes sense.

But that’s the kind of God we have!

God did all of it because he does not dwell within the boundaries of the sensible or practical or rational.