What can you bring?
Mark 6:34-41 (NIV) When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish." Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
Imagine this story playing out in the context of a 21st century church. A need arises and it is immediate; people need feeding and organizing, and Jesus (God) has compassion on them. So Jesus turns to his disciples (church) and says: this situation needs some help so can you do something about it? But James replies, “well I’m not rostered on for dinner provision this week so talk to Thomas”. Thomas when approached says: “I was rostered on but I was busy today so I swapped with Thaddeus so talk to him”. Thaddeus is feeling overwhelmed and is already on welcoming and crowd control (covid marshal) and gets flustered and upset when word gets to him that Jesus wants him to feed 5000 people at short notice. A massive argument erupts and people blame others and threaten to leave the community because no-one else is doing their job and this wasn’t what they signed up for and someone else should have ensured this chaos didn’t happen. Who has dropped the ball, because they need to pay or at least be publicly outed! Meanwhile Jesus calmly points out the need and again asks who can help in any way.
This story has been preached on and dissected countless times and it can be hard to approach it fresh again. However, for us at PBC where we are all busy and many of us are “rostered” on or expect others to be ensuring things happen, it is a timely reminder. As part of a community and church, Jesus calls us to be participants in his kingdom, which yes is massive and impossible and overwhelming. But if we step back from our initial recoil to his request for help, doesn’t mean building a bakery in half an hour and making dinner for thousands of people at the drop of a hat. What he is actually asking is “what can you bring that I can use to minister to this need that will be a blessing?” Jesus never called people to become “consumers” of the kingdom, and the church in this context is the disciples not the crowd. The crowd were the consumers, but the disciples were invited to be participants.
Jesus simple question to us individually and as a church is: what do you have that you are willing to give to bless others today? I have loved in recent weeks at Parkside witnessing people jumping in to help fill a need without a roster or an invitation. Whether it has been helping set up tables for morning tea or serving in the kitchen or packing up/setting up, or giving time to another after the service. Just turning up is a blessing to the community. But turning up with a desire and willingness to bless others in any way you can is what being part of the body of Christ is all about. If we approach our faith and church as consumers, it will never satisfy us and we have not fully understood Jesus call to “follow me”. In this liminal season of uncertainty, let’s look at what we can bring and offer it to God each and every day for him to use to bless others; either at church or in our work place or wherever we find ourselves. Rather than look at a need and giving up or getting frustrated, just look at what you can offer and use it to bless another. May we function more and more as the body of Crist and less like Amazon or Google.
Grace and Peace - Garry