Sermon -- Thanksgiving (November 24, 2021)

MATTHEW 15:29-39

OUR TRUSTWORTHY SAVIOR PROVIDES OUR NEEDS.

In the name + of Jesus.

     When Jesus sat on the mountain by the Sea of Galilee, large crowds came to him.  They brought to Jesus people with various ailments.  It was no small feat to bring them from their towns to the wilderness area where Jesus was, especially the lame and the disabled.  But the crowds had recognized that Jesus healed the sick and diseased.  So the effort to come to him was worth it, and they were not disappointed.  Even though they expected Jesus to bring healing and relief to the mute, the blind, the disabled, and the deformed, they still marveled when they saw Jesus doing this for so many.

     I think we can also give the crowds credit for this: When they came to Jesus, they stayed with him.  They did not come for their quick fix and leave, though perhaps some did.  But most stayed.  4,000 men, besides women and children, stayed.  They wanted to be with Jesus.  And while Matthew does not mention it specifically, Jesus made their stay worth their while.  He spent the time preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God.  Obviously, there was much to say. 

     The trustworthy Savior provided the words that they needed.  He declared God’s directions and demands for a godly life.  The people would have recognized two things about God’s commandments.  One: They were true and right and should be followed.  Two: They had not followed them.  No one has.  The world and everyone in it have been corrupted by sin.  This has not produced only guilty consciences, but it has corrupted all creation.  That is why some people are born blind and deaf, become mute and lame, and have birth defects.  The sick people who were brought to Jesus had not done something which forced God to punish them with disabilities.  The world is broken, and broken bodies are evidence of it.

     The trustworthy Savior provided what they needed.  He reversed the disabilities and deformities of the people who were laid at his feet.  But more, he proclaimed how he would bring relief to guilty consciences, pardon for every offense against God, and even deliverance from death and the grave.  It was Jesus’ healing touch that restored bodies with health.  It would be Jesus’ innocent death which would restore people to God.  Jesus’ innocence would be granted to the people, and their sins and guilt would be taken from them by Jesus.  The death Jesus died for sinners would be cursed so that the death you die will be the entrance into peace and rest.  Jesus even sanctified the grave.  It is not the end for us.  Although the grave will hold our bodies which carry disease, break down in frailty, and finally die, Jesus will raise us up with glorified bodies like his resurrected body.  Our bodies will never again know illness, weakness, frailty, or mortality.  Jesus will restore all things.  Our Savior will produce the bodies we need for everlasting life and give us the innocence we need to stand before the Father.  Our trustworthy Savior provides what we need.

     While we tend to get fidgety when the sermon approaches the 20 minute mark, the crowds stayed with Jesus for three days.  They were so eager to be with Jesus that they had not planned very well.  Whatever food they may have brought was gone.  It sounds like they had gone a little while without food because Jesus was concerned about some fainting.  Jesus did not just care about healing disease and deformity, he cared about the basic needs of these people.  He spoke to his disciples, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.  And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way” (Matthew 15:32).  Yes, Jesus cares about your basic needs.  He knows you need to eat and to have proper clothing.  His concern is not limited to your soul, as if your body has no real worth.  Jesus took on a human body because our physical well-being matters too.  He did not just save your soul.  Jesus’ body rose from the grave to live forever.  Yours will too.  So, Jesus also cares about nourishment for the body by which he grants you health and strength so that you can live and serve.  Our trustworthy Savior provides our needs.

     The disciples saw the problem.  “‘Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?’  And Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’  They said, ‘Seven, and a few small fish’” (Matthew 15:33-35).  What they had would barely sustain Jesus and the Twelve.  But they were looking out upon thousands.  The problem was obvious enough, wasn’t it?

     Of course, when you know how the story ends, it is easy to laugh at the Twelve and their panic.  When you don’t know what is going to happen next, panic is easier than laughter.  You know what that panic is like.  You wonder how you are going to get through the difficulties you face.  When the doctor orders a battery of tests, you fear the worst.  When you see people becoming more agitated and violent in the world, you wonder how it will affect your children’s future.  When the story line continues to be about backed up supply chains and possibly having the Christmas gifts unavailable to you, you panic about how you are going to make things right.  In some cases, we panic over things that are inconveniences, not problems.  In other cases, the problems seem insurmountable when you are in the middle of them.  What hope do you have?  What is the way out?

     Dear Christians, do you not remember God’s promises?  That he will never leave you nor forsake you?  That he knows you need your daily bread and will provide it?  That he works all things for the good of those who love him?  And has he failed you ever?  True, God may present you with problems so that you can see how weak you are, how misguided your desires are, or how misplaced your trust has been.  He does not guarantee that our earthly blessings will endure.  What he promises is that his mercy will endure.  So, you may very well lose your health, lose your money, lose your friends, and lose your house.  You will certainly lose your life.  But in the end, you will not need any of your earthly blessings.  You will only need his mercy.  Our trustworthy Savior provides what we truly need.

     When Jesus expressed his concern for the 4,000 men in addition to women and children, it was for more than their salvation.  Yes, that was tantamount, but his concerns are for all our needs.  “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.  And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way” (Matthew 15:32).  Jesus presented the problem to the disciples.  Ironically, it was not an unfamiliar problem.  It was not long before that Jesus had 5,000 men, not including women and children, gathered around him.  At that time, he directed these same disciples to bring to him the scant amount of food they found.  He blessed it and gave it to the disciples to distribute to the crowd.  Everyone ate their fill, and there were twelve baskets full of leftovers.  Could they really have forgotten that?  Could they really have failed to look at Jesus to provide the exact same solution?  Isn’t he trustworthy, compassionate, and omnipotent?  They didn’t get it, and they stood hopelessly staring at seven loaves and a few small fish.

     Our trustworthy Savior provides our needs, and he did so miraculously again.  “Directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.  And they all ate and were satisfied.  And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over” (Matthew 15:35-37).  Jesus knew that these people needed food to give them strength for the journey home.  They would not be punished for spending so much time with Jesus, even if they had not planned ahead.  Just as Jesus blessed their faith with words of divine wisdom, so also Jesus blessed their bodies with food multiplied by divine power.  Our trustworthy Savior provides our needs.

     He provides your needs, too.  The problem we have is that we have a distorted view of our needs.  We have become accustomed to having a standard of living which exceeds any age this world has ever known.  Even the most posh and pampered kings of the past did not have central heating and cooling, washers and dryers, cell phones, internet, and the ability to travel for hundreds of miles in a day.  God has been pleased to give these to us—not out of necessity, but generosity.  The day may come when God decides, “You know what.  Not only do you not need these things, you need to not have them.  It will be good for you to learn that God will provide your true needs, and to trust that he will supply them.”  That day may not come where you lose everything at once like Job did.  It may be that over time God strips away your blessings bit by bit.  But if we can thank God for abundant blessings, we can also thank God when he teaches us to trust in him with limited blessings.  Because whatever God chooses to give us, he is always trustworthy to provide our needs.

     In addition, we are like the disciples who, when Jesus asked them where they should turn for aid, were stumped.  You could almost imagine Jesus saying to the troubled apostles, “Come on, guys!  You’ve seen this before!  Think.  When we had thousands of people around and just a little bit of food, what happened?  How did it get resolved?  Trust in me that I can do it again.”  And when we face our hardships, shouldn’t we get the same encouragement?  “Come on, guys!  You’ve seen this before.  If I supplied your need in the past, and always have, shouldn’t you call upon me in the day of trouble again?  Trust that I will provide and sustain you again.”

     Even if you are facing a difficulty that is new and unfamiliar to you, nothing is new or surprising for the Lord.  Nothing happens apart from God’s will.  And you, dear Christians, are most certainly in God’s will.  He has acted to save you from sin, death, and the devil.  Will he not also act to care for your body and life?  Our Lord keeps his promises and cares for his people.  Our trustworthy Savior provides for our needs, and this is why he receives our unending thanks.

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