Proposal	Chapter 1: Hungry
Chapter 2: Feeding	Chapter 3: Attention
Chapter 4: Compassion	Chapter 5:Resources
Chapter 6: Nutrition

My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous!-
insatiable for your nourishing commands.
Psalm 119:20 (The Message)

Feeding

"I ate Ramen noodles in mass amounts for a good many years of my life. I can actually remember cooking like 10-15 packs at various times for the 14 of us who lived together for a long time. I kept a small stash of Ramen noodles for the weeks I ran short on money (there were a couple weeks where all I ate was Ramen noodles)." Sarah

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To fetch her poor dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

Many remember this nursery rhyme from their childhood. Sad, isn't it. Some old woman, trying to make ends meet, living off of Social Security, wants desperately to feed her loyal companion. Things are so desperate, she doesn't even have a bone-the one part of an animal the Old Mother couldn't possibly eat. So dog starves again, goes to bed hungry…dreaming of something to eat…maybe even Old Mother Hubbard.

I remember the most desperate time of starvation I ever faced.

My pockets were empty that day, but I wanted to enjoy the company of some friends who were going out to an Italian dinner. Though I didn't have any money, I did take something else with me…my pride.

My friends offered to pay for my meal. I told them, "no thanks." They insisted. I insisted. I'm not a freeloader, beggar or borrower. No money. No food. That's that. I'm strong. I'm proud. I'm starving.

Their pizza and pasta arrived and they ate happily in front of me. I watched trying to pretend I wasn't hungry. I'm sure, at times, I looked like one of the African kids on the Starvation Channel.

Next to us, a couple and their two children got up from their meal. Filled and satisfied, they merrily went on their way while a poor six foot six waif starved to death next to them.

That's when I spotted it. There, on the circular pizza pie serving dish, sat a piece of cold, lonely pizza. The family departed, leaving behind a perfectly good piece of pizza. What a waste, I thought. There are people starving around the world…Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Guatemala, even at the table right next to them… They should be ashamed. I looked around to see if anyone was watching.

I remember snatching the pizza like a thief in a diamond heist (I don't think there are any laws against eating rejected food from the table of long departed diners). In one fell swoop, my hand snatched the pizza and instantly deposited it…in my mouth…to prevent anyone from seeing.

My friends saw it and looked at me in horror. I motioned into the air, my mouth full to capacity, trying to explain the logic behind my acts. My grunts hindered my case, making me sound more desperate and mentally deranged.

Years later I saw a similar situation portrayed "Seinfeld." During a dinner party, George spots a delicious éclair in the trash. He removes it and is caught in the act. George explains his motivations to Jerry.

JERRY: So lemme get this straight: you find yourself in the kitchen. You see an éclair, in the receptacle. And you think to yourself, "What the hell, I'll just eat some trash."
GEORGE: No, no. No, no, no. It was not trash!
JERRY: Was it in the trash?
GEORGE: Yes.
JERRY: Then it was trash.
GEORGE: It wasn't down in, it was sort of on top.
JERRY: But it was in the cylinder!
GEORGE: Above the rim.
JERRY: Adjacent to refuse, is refuse.
GEORGE: It was on a magazine! And it still had the doily on.
JERRY: Was it eaten?
GEORGE: One little bite.
JERRY: Well, that's garbage.
GEORGE: But I know who took the bite. It was her aunt!
JERRY: Well, you, my friend, have crossed the line that divides Man and Bum. You are now a Bum.

God never intended us to live like bums in this world. From the beginning in the garden, God created a world that would meet our needs on all levels. "Eat from any tree in the garden" He told Adam. God lived in perfect relationship with His creation, walking in the garden, hanging out with Adam and Eve, stopping by for dessert, sitting on the front porch and watching the sunset.

"Another beautiful one, God."

"Thanks."

Then sin happened.

Food sources became more difficult thanks to weeds and thorns. Man and God stopped seeing each other on an intimate basis. Now life was hard.

But despite the physical, relational and spiritual change that occurred between Man and God, one thing did not alter: God never stopped desiring to provide for us.

How do I know? The bread and fish Jesus provided at the feeding of the 5,000.

The antidote for hunger hardly seems to be found in bread and fish, but on an empty stomach, a nice piece of broiled snapper and a side of sour dough bread sounds pretty good. Especially when served by God himself.
You see, during one of the most astounding feats in the New Testament, Jesus produced an endless supply of bread and fish during a desert convention to feed thousands. The event became known as the feeding of the 5,000.

What's so incredible about this feat? A few reasons…

• When they counted crowds in those days, they only counted the men. That means the feeding of the 5,000, if every man brought one woman and one child, would be closer to 15,000.
• It's the only miracle, besides the resurrection, that all four Gospel writers mention. Walking on water, raising a dead girl to life and changing water to wine weren't that big of deal, I guess.
• The miracle was so cool Jesus repeated it by feeding the 4,000 (times 3 of course).

Producing tons of fish and bread from out of thin air is a jaw-dropping miracle, but as with any thing Jesus does, it's not about the miracle…it's what the miracle is about that's important. Jesus never did things just to do them. He wanted us to learn something about Himself and the heart of God from what He did.

The wine-making miracle in Cana was not only about providing drinks at a boring wedding party. It spoke of Jesus giving us the best, saving his best for last and how God responds when asked.

Healing the blind man was not about eye surgery, but about seeing and believing and who the real blind people are in this world (the Pharisees).

Walking on water was not about taking short-cuts across the lake, but how God comes to us in need, our faith and responding to the storms in life.

So the mass feedings have plenty to say about God. Jesus never promises that we'll have all the bread and fish we want to eat. But He does promise to fill our cupboards when they are empty-not only our stomachs and our pockets, but our spirits too. That's what these miracles are about, because face it, when we're at the end of our ropes, hanging by a thread, barely scrapping by, trying to make ends meet…we need more than a tuna fish sandwich.

We need hope and peace and comfort and assurance and purpose and energy and direction.

Jesus gave us his purpose statement for being on earth. Matthew 20:28, Jesus said he came to serve, not to be served and to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus desires to serve. At the feeding of the 5,000/4,000, Jesus served a packed house. On the menu, fish and bread.

The miracle declared a deeper truth about Jesus' heart. Jesus is not a chef serving up fish and bread, but love, and he wants to feed us more than physical sustenance.

After careful examination of the events surrounding the feeding of the 5,000/4,000, we will see what God serves our starving spirits. Here are the ten items on God's menu for us:

1. Attention
2. Compassion
3. Resources
4. Nutrition
5. Power
6. People
7. Fulfillment
8. Blessing
9. Purpose
10. Bread

This is what God promises to put in our empty cupboards - his shopping list for our starving souls. Unlike the dog from the Nursery rhyme, we can count on our Master to feed us more than we can imagine. We won't be gnawing on dried up ol' bones.

So this isn't a cook book for the budget conscious individual, but a recipe book when we put our lives into God's hands. He's a pretty good cook and His recipes feed thousands at a time. He promises.

What does he promise? Blessing, fulfillment and multiplication.

The feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000 (again partial head counts) were miracles. Miracles, simply put, are moments when God steps into the ordinary world and does the extraordinary.

Many of Jesus' other miracles helped one, two, maybe ten at a time, but these miracles helped thousands. This was a first. No wonder all four Gospel writers who followed Jesus covered this event. It was the most far-reaching, mass-appealing, community-impacting display of Godness ever. Thousands ate at a buffet that began with only a few scraps. After the resurrection, it is considered the second greatest miracle Jesus performed-because He served more than just food in this incredible, symbolic gesture.

The promises He served were (and are) for everyone. Jesus wanted to communicate to His followers something they would never forget-the promise of what He can do for you!

This miracle brought something out of nothing. More from less. Satisfaction from dissatisfaction. Basketfuls from a pocketful. Jesus showed everyone his identity and his heart. It's from those lessons that we find the recipes to God's diet plan to feed our soul.

Lessons the poor, persecuted, hurt, confused and downtrodden of Jesus' time needed to chew on. Come to think of it, I needed them when I ventured out on my own and I need them now.

Can you identify with this? Do you feel like you have nothing, far less than others, an unsatisfactory amount, a mere pocketful? Are you struggling to get by on Ramen Noodles, Mac and Cheese and Tuna Fish Sandwiches?

If so, I hope you're ready to feast on some delicious entrees to life's nagging hunger pains. The table is set for a fresh taste of God.

TABLE TALK

1. How would you counsel Old Mother Hubbard going through hard times?
2. How do you think a homeless person got to their situation?
3. Do you think the feeding of the 5,000 is the second greatest miracle Jesus performed?
4. What signs do you show when your spirit is starving?
5. Do you think promises are filling?

 

© Troy Schmidt, 2009