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This morning's story of the feeding of more than five thousand people is the only miracle story that is recorded in all four gospels.
Some say the event took place exactly as we read it within the gospels.
Some say it wasn’t as miraculous as it is presented, but rather the crowd's offering up their own food when they saw the young boy offer his.
Whatever your belief, it seems that something must have taken place. Something big. And something important.
Something big enough to capture the attention of all of the gospel writers.
And something important enough to be passed down to us through their collective memory.
As I thought about the story's importance, I struggled over the direction I would go with this morning's sermon.
Should I talk about the story as an example of generosity?
Should I use it as an illustration of how our small offerings are transformed into large ministries?
Should I point out that when the disciples asked Jesus to take care of the situation by sending the crowds away, his response was "You give them something to eat"?
But after considering these themes, as well as several others, I found my attention repeatedly drawn to the opening verses of the story.
The verses which provide the background and setting for the amazing event that would take place.
Matthew's Gospel, as well as the Gospel of Luke, allows us to see how Jesus' week had been going when this important event took place.
As it turns out, things hadn't been going well at all.
Jesus had just received word that John, the man who had baptized him at the outset of his own ministry,
his own cousin and spiritual mentor, had been murdered by King Herod.
And with this news Jesus was dealing with the grief that comes from the loss of someone very important in one's life.
He was dealing with the fear of one's own safety that comes from living in a place ruled by an oppressive government
which uses terrorist tactics to control the population.
And he was dealing with how his own role would change as he took up the torch of proclaiming the advent of God's reign and rule among the people.
Jesus had a lot to think about and so Matthew tells us he withdrew to a deserted place by himself.
Heaven knows he deserved it, but he never quite made it to that place because the crowds tracked him down.
And so, instead of taking some time for himself, the text tells us that "he went ashore,
he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick."
And if that wasn’t enough, he went on to see that these more than five thousand people had full bellies before returning to their homes.
And one way to read this text would be, "No rest for the weary."
Poor Jesus! Poor, long-suffering, self-sacrificing, always-thinking-of-others Jesus!
Poor Jesus running on fumes, weary-bones Jesus, just trying to squeeze in a smoke break.
But before he can even shake the cigarette out of the pack,
he hears the factory's shrill whistle announcing that it's time to get back to work.
Some of us read this story and decide that it means our own needs must always come last if we are going to be followers of Jesus.
There is healing to be done and hungry people to fed, so set aside your own needs because God needs us on the frontlines.
That's certainly one way to read the text. And that's the message that you will hear from some people.
I'm afraid I’ve even been guilty of sharing that message or a variation of it in the past. And for that, I ask your pardon.
Because I don't think that’s what was taking place, and I don't think God needs nearly as many of us to take on the roles of martyr as we may imagine.
I believe Jesus didn't abuse the body and spirit God gave him.
I believe he valued himself just as God valued him, just as God values you and me and our own wonderful bodies and amazing spirits.
I believe the only way Jesus could manage to do all of the amazing, miraculous things that he did,
the only way he could have plumbed the depths of his soul for the wisdom that he shared in his teachings,
the only way he could have loved both friend and enemy to the extent that he did,
is because he practiced the fine art of finding balance in life.
Jesus could not have welcomed the interruption and looked out over the crowds with compassion and he could not have addressed the neediness of the people
if he had been running on fumes. He just couldn't have.
And I can't believe that Jesus would have allowed himself to get to that point of spiritual exhaustion.
He was too connected to the Source of All to let that happen.
It wasn't someone running on fumes that healed the sick and fed the crowds that day.
No, it was, instead, someone who was energized, who had been taking good care of himself,
and who made a point of practicing good spiritual balance in an unpredictable, sometimes unfriendly world.
I believe that we multi-tasking, deadline-driven people with all of our misplaced priorities have projected ourselves onto Jesus.
Had we been in his place, because we do not practice balance in life as we should,
because we do not take care of our souls as we ought,
because we have bought into a dog-eat-dog world, and we are full-fledged participants in a rat-race existence--
because of these things, we would have been running on fumes when we saw the approach of the crowds
and we assume Jesus would have also.
But from what I can piece together about Jesus, he lived life better than that.
He knew about balance, something I myself know very little about.
Sometimes I overfill my plate, hoping that I can do enough to make God happy,
oblivious to the fact that God is happy with me no matter what I do or don't do.
Sometimes I run away from the world and retreat into my own protective cocoon,
calling it self-care, when, in fact, it's nothing more than fear or selfishness.
Sometimes I immerse myself in books about spirituality without ever putting into practice what I have read, hoping that if I read enough books I will become spiritual by osmosis.
None of these things are bad things, but because I tend to be a person of extremes,
most of my life seems to be a seesaw experience between them, flying high in the air with one or two of these practices while scraping the dirt with others.
But I am at my best when I can stop the seesaw and find some bit of balance between them, instead.
If I can, then I will be able to manage the unpredictability of life.
I will be less likely to snap at people.
There will be less need to explain my behavior or words, and less cause for apologies.
If I can find balance in life, I am more apt to welcome interruptions as opportunities to experience life and its surprises.
In short, if I am nurturing my spirit, I am less likely to miss the miracle.
Lately, I've decided to pay more attention to what I need to nurture my spirit.
I drew up a list of things that I need to do with some degree of consistency to take care of myself.
I'm calling it my Rule of Life.
It works for me, but I'm pretty sure it won't work for you.
Because everyone is so unique, we each need different things to nurture our spirits.
I encourage you to go home today and draw up your own Rule of Life.
These are the different elements of my own:
I need silence at least a couple times a day.
For example, instead of hitting Facebook first thing in the morning, I need to pour my coffee, go outside while it's still cool enough,
and sit in silence.
Not making plans for the day. Not even praying. Just sitting in silence.
I need prayer several times a day.
And not just the "Help me, God" prayers I dash off as I make a mess of things through the day.
I need to experience prayer in different ways for different reasons at different times of the day.
I need to reflect on sacred texts or sacred experiences at least once a day.
Texts may come from the Bible or from contemporary books by favorite authors.
And experiences may be as simple as a phone conversation I had during the day.
I need to do something to serve others every day.
It may be making a delivery for the Red Door, emptying trashcans in the church,
facilitating a group discussion, or preparing a meal for someone.
But I need to get out of my head and do something...without overdoing it.
I need to stay connected with others in my community. I need to avoid isolation.
I will often find healing and strength through my connections with you and so I need to keep the lines of communication open with you.
I need activity.
Activity is not only good for the body, but it's good for the mind. It combats depression.
And each day I need some form of recreation.
I need to do things that make me laugh and smile.
I need to believe that I deserve pleasure simply for pleasure's sake.
This is what works for me. Not you.
You need to decide what you need to do in your own life to nurture your spirit and provide some balance in your own life.
And when you do, you will be much more likely to welcome the surprises in life.
Had Jesus not been taking care of himself, he would have missed the miracle.
He would have told the disciples to turn the boat around and find another place to dock.
Or he would have sent the crowds home like the disciples suggested.
He would have missed the opportunity to participate in a miracle so important, that it made it into all four gospels.
Don't miss the miracle God has waiting for you.
Work on the balance you need in your own life to participate in the miracle that God wants to hand you! Amen.