Sermon: Wittenberg Academy – Tuesday of Lent 2

7 Mar 2023

Text: Mark 6:35-56

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

The disciples point out to Jesus, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.”  They are referring, of course, to the multitudes of people who have gathered to hear Him preach and work miracles of healing.  The desolation of the place and the lateness of the time presents a problem for the people to be able to eat.  And Jesus, the masterful Teacher, leads the disciples to consider the ramifications of this desolation and lateness: “You give them something to eat,” He says.

The disciples take the bait, knowing that Jesus has asked the impossible of them.  And of course, from their perspective, based on their power, based on the scarcity of the fallen world, based upon both desolation of space and lateness of time, they can do nothing but watch how Jesus takes charge, shows compassion to the people, demonstrates His own divine power, and teaches them about the kingdom – all combined.

Taking five loaves and two fish, our Lord gives a little preview of His last Supper (that His disciples will see) and the establishment of the Lord’s Supper (that the disciples will celebrate).  He takes the elements.  He looks to heaven.  He prays a blessing.  He breaks the bread.  He distributes the miraculous food first to His disciples, who then in turn distribute this livegiving holy bread to the people, who have gathered to hear the Word of Jesus.

“And they all ate and were satisfied.”  The normal laws of physics and economics were overthrown by the Creator, who multiplied matter and turned scarcity into superabundance.  And what’s more, there were “twelve baskets” of leftovers: the same number as there are of the Lord’s inner circle of disciples, the very men who will be sent out as apostles.  And these apostles will baptize and teach, they will proclaim, they will absolve, and they will administer the Holy Communion – all according to the Lord’s command and delegated authority, bearing His power to carry out His ministry of overcoming the limitations set in place by the fall into sin: even undoing mortality itself.

For feeding the body with bread staves off the curse of death.  Feeding the soul with the Word and with the Sacraments staves off the curse of hell.  And the Holy Eucharist combines both: earthly elements to eat and to drink, embued with the Lord’s Word and promise, which we receive by eating and drinking in faith.  And this Holy Supper is multiplied by the Word and promise of Jesus, and there is always more left over.  God’s grace is superabundant.

For along with the five thousand men, and their wives and children, we modern disciples of Jesus, with the ministry of the successors of the apostles, partake in the miracle of the multiplication, the overthrow of the laws of physics and economics and even biology, eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6:54), receiving the gift of life – even life that promises our being “raised up on the last day” as the Apostle John records as one of these words and promises of Jesus (John 6:54).  For He is our “bread of life come down from heaven” so that we might “live forever”  (John 6:48-51).

For indeed, “this is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.”  And so our Lord tells His pastors: “You give them something to eat.”  Dear friends, let us eat!  Let us drink!  Let us hear the Word of Christ!  Let us be satisfied!  And let us live forever!

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.