17th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2018
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time/ “Free Food, Free Service”
“Hello, I am Mark and I am your server.” How often has something like that been said to us in our lives? Usually, we hear that line when we go out to a restaurant.
We have certain expectations when we go out to eat don’t we? We are paying good money. We expect to be waited on. If our server is paying more attention to the people who came into the restaurant after we did, we won’t be happy. We don’t like to wait. We also want our water glass filled timely manner.
We get annoyed for other reasons. For example, we come to a restaurant to have the food that they are known for. But sometimes we find that the eatery is out of their specialty. We might be mad enough to get up and leave. We can tell stories about cold food, dirty utensils, to much noise, etc.
If we are unhappy with our waiter or waitress, we can imagine what stories servers tell about unreasonable customers who want everything in the world, but who leave a paltry tip if they tip at all. People who are rude. Customers who act like they can do no wrong. Yes, eating out is often an interesting experience for all involved.
Christian churches have been known from the very beginning of their history for their shared public meals. Christianity, in the ancient world, was known as the religion that emphasized table fellowship. Pagans who met Christians who had never gone to the common meal would probably say that they were not really Christians because it would be like meeting a Catholic today who never attended Sunday Mass. What was also noticed by outsiders, was, that the needy could come to those common meals, there would always be enough for them. Even the emperor of Rome once said, as he observed Christians trying to figure out whether they could be trusted, “The Christians feed not only their own poor, but ours as well.” He recognized that Christians felt a moral obligation to feed the hungry.
We might ask, this Sunday, what organization feeds more people throughout the world than any other? We might guess some corporate fast food giant. But if we think about it, we would have to say churches do. Every time we gather for anything from a Bible Study to the ladies sewing circle, usually, food is a part of the fellowship. Millions of meals are served throughout the world by church organizations every day. The vast majority of the meals are given away without cost. If something is charged the money is probably going to a charity. Churches are often identified by their annual dinners. Chicken dinners, spaghetti dinners, barbeques, chili suppers. The list goes on and on and often Non-believers come to join the table fellowship.
We can trace the need Christians have to feed people back to the person of Christ and the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Several things are interesting to note about this miracle. One is, that this is the only sign Jesus performed in all four gospels. In fact, in two of the gospels there are two stories of Jesus feeding vast throngs of people. In total, this miracle story is told six times in the Bible. When an episode about Jesus is shared in all four gospels it usually means that this event surely happened in the earthly life of Christ. Also, that the behavior (in this case feeding the hungry) is important for Christians to emulate if we are going to really be faithful disciples.
Another thing to notice is that there seems to be more than one miracle here. Yes, the food is multiplied, but it is also interesting to note that Jesus did all the serving. How did he make it around to all those people? But he did. Each person thought that he served them personally. In Exodus, when the Israelites are fed in the desert, they must go to collect the food God provides. Here, the people are totally passive. The people recline. Jesus takes care of them all. The message of the Gospel writer seems to be that we do not have to do something to receive sustenance from Jesus. Receiving nourishment from Jesus isn’t something we earn. Jesus didn’t say, “To receive you must meet these qualifications.” He just fed the people.
The challenge we all have is. How do we respond to this act of service? Jesus is feeding us right now in the Eucharistic action. Does Jesus expect a gratuity? No. Do we owe him one? Of course, we do. We can just take from the church. But if we give back, there will be all kinds of new growth in our lives. Graces will come our way. But most importantly, ever member of the church will receive what they need. Without generosity that will not happen.
When we come to Mass on Sunday. Jesus says to us, through his church. “Hello, I am your server.” May we be grateful guests, asking, “Lord, how can I serve you in return?”