Open Table

John 6: 1-15

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.  A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’ When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Have you ever read this Gospel and wondered why Jesus felt he had to feed this enormous crowd coming at him?

You have most likely assumed, as I always have, that Jesus just randomly chose to miraculously feed an enormous crowd in order to teach his disciples about God’s abundant provision. If you’re going to teach a lesson, do something big that will really make an impression. Providing enough bread and fish for five thousand people and ending up with leftovers obviously did make a big impression, not only on the disciples but also on the crowd itself.

But let’s go back to the beginning of this ‘lesson’. I don’t think this was so random at all. Notice that the disciples didn’t gasp and cry, “What?? You’re planning to feed these people? That’s not your responsibility! These people can feed themselves. They’re the ones who decided to come to hear you teach and see if you will heal them. If they didn’t bring food, that’s their problem.”

The immediate answer to Jesus’ generous gesture to total strangers might be that he was simply being compassionate – and that’s true. Compassion was part of his caring for the needs of the people. However, Jesus was also following a Mitzvah, one of the great commandments that came from the heart of his compassionate Abba and one that devout Jewish people had written on their own hearts: the great commandment of hospitality.

•“Judaism defines hospitality as a sacred obligation; it is the mitzvah (commandment) called hachnasat orchim, literally, "the bringing in of guests.” (Jewish Gateway)

•“Hospitality is, according to Rabbi Johanan, even more important than prayer or, according to Rabbi Judah, than receiving the divine presence.” (Jewish Virtual Library.)

•Biblical law specifically sanctified hospitality toward the ger ("stranger") who was to be made particularly welcome "for you were strangers in a strange land" (Lev. 19:34 and see Ex. 12:49)

•As soon as Abraham saw the three men of Mamre "from afar," he hurried to invite them into his house, ministered to their physical comfort, and served them lavishly. (Gen. 18)

At this point it would be easy to jump into a little object lesson about how we are called to be a hospitable people but as important as that is, it isn’t the heart of this week’s Gospel. It’s actually very difficult to practice hospitality in all its fullness unless one has personally experienced what this Gospel story is all about: that our God is a hospitable God. God welcomes his people with a heart of generous hospitality. Jesus looked at the crowds coming towards him and immediately placed himself in the position of a host welcoming strangers into his home.  And what did devout Israelites do when strangers entered his or her home? Fed them. The disciples didn’t question his intention to feed the people because they understood the seriousness of God’s commandment even though they may not yet have understood that God gave that commandment because he is a hospitable God.

We don’t know how far the people in that crowd had traveled in order to see Jesus. We do know that it was near the Passover festival so many in that crowd had probably already traveled quite a distance from their own villages toward Jerusalem. The Sea of Galilee is about 68 miles from Jerusalem so some of the crowd were probably on their way to Jerusalem and had made a detour when they heard Jesus was in the region of Galilee. The point is that a good portion of the crowd probably weren’t just popping over from the nearest village. They were strangers in a strange land on a long hard journey to the Holy City and Jesus shared his Father’s heart when it came to hospitality. He didn’t just resign himself to dealing with yet another crowd and then decide he would do a cool miracle and feed the people to teach his disciples something.  He saw the crowd and thought,

“These are my guests, my beloved people. They are weary and hungry and it is my joy to seat them at my Father’s table and feed them.”

We know that as Christians we are called to be hospitable but how often do we stop to understand that God is entirely hospitable towards us? How often have you turned to the Lord in your weariness and your poverty with the knowledge that his first action toward you is one of abundant hospitality? How often have you stopped to consider that your God wants nothing more than to welcome you and feed you just as you are? You are a stranger in a very strange land on a difficult and long journey. It is his desire to welcome you in, wash your dusty feet and feed you . Would he not be the first to enfold you into his own law of hospitality? Would he command his people to do something that was not a living characteristic of his own heart?

'Let your house be open wide for relief, and let the poor be members of your household.' " (Pirkei Avos 1:5)

God’s heart is open wide for relief and he has welcomed you as a member of his household. As Jesus demonstrated in this week’s Gospel, his provision is abundant – and it’s all for you. God says, “Take…eat. There’s more where that came from.”

The table is ready, weary traveler.