The Miracle That Doesn't Add Up

Thomas Costello preached this message while Pastor Pat was on sabbatical. He opens by asking about everyone’s favorite school subject and admits he is a math guy, so this is a math message about multiplication. He adds a disclaimer up front: this passage has been used to sell a prosperity gospel, and that is not what this message is.

He points out that the feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle besides the resurrection recorded in all four Gospels. Jesus had just heard that John the Baptist was beheaded and went away to be alone, but the crowds followed and he had compassion on them. Thomas asks us to picture ourselves as the disciples. The service started in the morning and is still going in the evening. Nobody has eaten. So they send one disciple to ask Jesus to wrap it up. Jesus says, “You feed them.” The crowd, counting women and children, may have been 20,000 people, about two Stan Sheriff Centers. All they can find is a boy’s lunch, five barley cakes and two fish, “effectively a Happy Meal or a Lunchable.” Jesus says to bring it to him.

Then comes the part that doesn’t add up. Jesus blesses the bread, breaks it and hands it right back to the disciples. Somewhere in the passing out, the food multiplies, and twelve baskets of leftovers come back, one for each disciple.

Thomas draws three principles. Multiplication requires our bringing: “You can’t give something that doesn’t belong to you. All you can do is bring it.” Multiplication requires God’s blessing, so we pray over our homes, cars, jobs and finances. And multiplication requires our giving, the courage to hand out what God gave back to us.

He shares his own story. While pastoring a small church in Madison, Wisconsin, he lost the sales manager job that provided about 80% of his family’s income. He was tempted to pull back on their giving. He and his wife kept giving the same amount and started a business, which was profitable in its first month and within months was earning more than the job he lost. He is clear that this is not how to get rich as a Christian. It is how to have more resources for kingdom impact, because “we serve a God who loves to bless his children.”

He closes at the communion table. Jesus took, blessed, broke and gave the bread here, and does the same with the same verbs at the Last Supper. Through his death and resurrection, forgiveness went from zero to infinity for anyone who wants it.