Blessing Our Meal - Matthew 14 - Proper 13A

Blessing Our Meal

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 14: 13-21; Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 145

Opening prayer

I have preached many times about the wrestling match of Jacob and the Lord in Genesis. As a wrestling family, this is difficult to pass up!

This weekend, the gospel is interesting, especially since it falls on the weekend that many churches celebrate the Holy Eucharist (those who don’t celebrate weekly).

We are at mid-summer, gardens are producing, people are traveling, RAGBRAI is over, state fair is coming and there are still unnecessary wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran.

We come to this scene in Matthew, John the Baptist has just been murdered at Herod’s birthday party. Jesus and the disciples decided to withdraw for a minute. I am sure for a plethora of reasons.

Still a crowd follows Jesus, they are bringing the sick, and Jesus has compassion. Yet the hour is getting late and the disciples are getting tired. 

All they have are few loaves of bread and a couple fish (Not much). In John’s gospel, a young man has these from which Jesus takes, blesses, breaks the bread and gave them to be distributed.

Everyone eats and are filled. At the end of the community meal, they gather up what was left, so as not to be wasteful, and filled baskets.

From little, there is abundance. From compassion, a blessing, there is sustenance.

Jesus didn’t ask if there was enough, he asked for them to bring what they have. He asks for us to bring what we have.

A community meal is how some churches provide ministry into the community and how they grow their congregations.  A community meal is what UBFM practices every Thursday and Saturday. 

These meals bring people together, provide and practice hospitality, and people are filled - not just stomachs but maybe a little hope that this world isn’t all bad, violent and war-mongering. Hope that there are good people and that people want to do good. Hope that God is working among us and with us.

Just like Jesus does here, people pray before the meal. At UBFM, we have small prayer before going onto the routes. At communion, we pray in thanks and collective hope of all the possibilities that God gives us. Growing up we would say grace. Most families have some form of this before large meals - e.g. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter or the like. 

Remember Christmas Vacation; Aunt Bethany recites the Pledge of Allegiance?

Why? (for all our faults, we have a great country and ought to be thankful. Further, we know that we have abundance today, we ought to be thankful to the One who provides for us (not the market or the company that writes the paycheck). Be thankful to our Creator who makes everything and everyone with all the benefits of living on this beautiful and abundant Earth.

We can use the words of the psalm here:

“The eyes of all look to you and you give them their food… The Lord fulfills the desire…, …hears their cry, saves them, and …watches over all.”

Then we break bread.

For generations, this is how we celebrate the Holy Eucharist. We follow Jesus’s example, we welcome, we gather, we have faith, we pray, we break bread and we give thanks for our gifts. 

In my family, food was prepared then set upon the table. We prepared our place settings and before we could reach for any food to eat, we pray 

“Bless us O Lord and these our gifts 

which we are about to receive 

from Thy bounty 

through Christ, our Lord.” 

Or at my Dad’s side of the family 

“Come Lord Jesus, 

be our guest 

and let these gifts to us be blessed.” 

Then we dig in!

Who do you break bread with and why? With whom do you pray and say grace?

Is it just a family thing? Why not your friends?

I mentioned UBFM and worth pointing out, We may not realize it, but we are celebrating a form of the Eucharist with each other and those we serve in the community. All the elements are there: compassion and hospitality - no judgment, gathering, faith we are doing the correct things, preparing the meal, saying grace, distributing food then collecting so we can do this again next time.

How beautiful it is! 

No matter how people got on the street or what their circumstances are, “How are you; have you had supper?” 

We are breathing compassion, hope and faith into the lives that we meet and to each other. For it is not just a one way street because those we serve often pray with us and sometimes for us.

Yet, there are those who hold onto judgment, fear scarcity - hoarding - not sharing. Selfish. 

How lonely that must be? 

How isolating that is - not just for the people that are excluded but the very self that does the excluding. I wonder how they stay balanced on their pedestals. 

As Jesus would say, they have their reward.

For some families there is an empty chair that shouldn’t be because instead of welcome and compassion, there is much judgment, prejudice and discrimination that clouds even the best intentions. That stains us and hurts us and it hurts those that are targeted. It provokes injustice, violence, hate and unnecessary wars. 

As Jesus would say, they have their reward.

For some families there are empty chairs because of loss, death, and the grief is real. Then, our prayer is not just for the abundance but for healing and remembrance. Even then, we break bread with prayer, compassion and faith in God’s steadfast love.  

Next time you sit around the table with family, or chosen family, remember compassion, remember to welcome, give thanks, have faith and then break bread together.  Remember to say a prayer, (even the Pledge)!

Join us at UBFM, show compassion, be hospitality, prepare meals and share blessings and nourishment with people along with that compassion, faith and hospitality and receive the Holy Spirit today then let God reveal to you.

Thanks be to God, Amen