Video of the Divine Service is here. The sermon begins around the 24:15 mark.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tomorrow, besides being our 23^rd wedding anniversary, is also the 17^th anniversary of my ordination into the Office of the Holy Ministry. And one of the things—one of the words of Jesus, one of the passages of Holy Scripture—that has sustained me through those years is this passage from Mark’s Gospel. Part of it is the passage I use whenever I go to an installation or an ordination, and I have the opportunity to bless the pastor with a word of the Lord. Jesus says to His disciples: “You give them something to eat. You give them something to eat.

It’s a strange command from Jesus. Let’s go back and see how we got here. Jesus had sent the disciples out, and they were healing the sick and casting out demons. Now they’re back, and they’re telling Jesus about everything that happened. He says to them, “Let’s go away from here to a wilderness place, just us by ourselves. And rest.” Today we call it “self-care.” A little wilderness retreat with Jesus. So they get into the boat, they go to the other side of the lake, to a wilderness place. But the people see them going, and they all run around the lake on land, and they’re already there when Jesus and the disciples get to the other side. Such a large crowd that there is no rest; they had no leisure even to eat. But Jesus looks at the crowds and has compassion on them, because they are like sheep without a shepherd. They are scattered. They don’t have a shepherd to feed and care for them. But this is why Jesus has come, to gather the scattered sheep. He is the fulfillment of the promise in Jeremiah 23, that God would gather His own sheep, care for them, and they will not fear or be dismayed, and none of them will be missing. Jesus is the righteous Branch from David. In His days, Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely (Jeremiah 23:5-6).

So Jesus, the Good Shepherd, feeds them, and He feeds them with the Word of God; the living word of the living God. He teaches them many things. And it gets late. And the disciples say, “It’s late. Jesus, send them away to the villages and towns so they can buy something to eat.” Which may be another way of saying that they have not been able to rest, as Jesus said they would. And they have had no leisure even to eat. Perhaps it is, send them away to find something to eat, so we can find something to eat.

Jesus says, “You give them something to eat.” Even the suggestion is ridiculous, and the disciples are probably being a little sarcastic here: You want us to go and buy 200 days’ wages of bread for them to eat? I don’t know if they have 200 denarii, but even if they do, it’s probably not going to be enough for 5000 men, plus women and children. They start looking at what they have, adding it up in their head, calculating, trying to figure out how it might work. Do they have enough? They absolutely do not have enough. They don’t have 200 denarii worth of bread; they have five loaves and two fish. Do they have enough? Not even close. But that’s sort of the point.

Jesus takes the bread and fish; He blesses it; He breaks it; He gives it to the disciples. I do not think it can be a coincidence that these are the exact same things that Jesus does on the night He was betrayed: He took bread, blessed it-gave thanks for it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples. And then He hands it to them, and they hand it to the crowds. Do they have enough? Yes. And more than enough. When Jesus gives it to them, they give it to the crowds, and they never run out. And not only do they never run out, they get to the end, and everyone has had enough, and there are 12 baskets of bread and fish left over. It’s not a coincidence that there are 12 disciples! As long as they are looking at what they have, calculating, figuring out how it’s going to work, they do not have enough. As long as they’re looking at what Jesus gives them, they never run out. And so, finally, they get to rest. They have leisure to eat.

Do you ever get tired? Are you ever weary of the things that you have to do, the things that Jesus has given you to do, in all your relationships that make up your vocation? Of course, because those demands, those relationships, those duties, those responsibilities, that love—it never ends. As long as you live in this world, you will never be done with everything God gives you to do for the sake of your neighbor. Even if it’s only prayer, for your family, for your congregation, for your pastor, for your state, for your nation. It never ends.

And do you ever start looking at what you have, at your abilities, at your time, and money, and energy, and start adding it up, start calculating, to see if you can do what Jesus says to do? Do you have enough? Of course not. What about congregations? Do we ever start calculating, seeing if we can do it all, seeing how far things will stretch, how long things will last? Do we ever worry about survival? Are there enough people? Are there enough abilities? Is there enough money? I will tell you, as soon as a congregation starts worrying about survival, we’ve lost the plot. As soon as we start adding it up, seeing if we can make it work, we’ve lost the plot. Do congregations have enough? Do pastors have enough? Of course we don’t have enough! That’s sort of the point.

Then Jesus lifts our eyes from our hands, from our abilities, from our time, from our money, from our energy—He lifts up His eyes, He gives, and then we give. You will never find more than just a little physical rest—which we need—in not having to do some stuff for a while. You will only find true rest and true food in Jesus. Come to Me; I will give you rest! I am the bread that comes down from heaven, that endures to eternal life. Do you have enough? Yes. Because you cannot use up Jesus. Are we going to run out of the body and blood of Jesus? Are we going to use up all the forgiveness of Jesus? Will God ever not have enough mercy for sinners? We have enough to last into eternity.

But more than that. What about our material, physical needs? Will we run out? Will we have enough? Is Jesus Lord of money, and people, and government, and everything else, or is He not? Now, eventually, we will run out, because our bodies will run out. But as long as you’re living in this world, you will have enough. The bread is daily. Enough for this body and life. But even more: the bread of life from heaven, which is enough for eternal life, enough for resurrection.

Jesus says, you pastors, give them something to eat. What is it? Nothing but what Jesus gives, in His word, His forgiveness, His body and blood. Same as it ever was, and we wonder if it will be enough. If we look at our abilities, our wisdom, our knowledge, our power, it will never be enough. But if we look at what Jesus hands over to be given to people, it will always be enough. Jesus says, you parents, give them something to eat. Will your prayers, time, money, and energy be enough? Was it ever not? As soon as we start calculating, adding it up in our minds, our eyes are no longer on the sufficiency of Jesus. But He is enough. He gives rest. He feeds you and your children. In all your vocations, no matter what they are, what you have will not be enough, but that’s sort of the point. In Jesus, you have unceasing and abundant love for others. In Jesus, you have rest and peace and holy food. And it will not only be enough for those you serve, it will be more than enough for you as well. You congregations, Jesus says—My Church—you give them something to eat. Will you have enough? Not as long as you’re adding it up, trying to make it work. But it’s Jesus’ Church; and Jesus’ Church runs for as long as He gives everything necessary. He will not leave His Church of baptized believers. He promises. His forgiveness, His word, His death and resurrection, His body and blood, His resurrection—it will always be enough. 23 years; 17 years; 50 years; 100 years; until we see Jesus face-to-face. Enough, and more than enough.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, ESV). Amen.

– Pr. Timothy Winterstein, 7/19/24