Hunger and Politics

Matt. 14:13-21

Yogi Berra, the great baseball player of an earlier age, was known for his unusual and creative use of the English language. In giving directions to his home, for example, he often told people, "When you come to the fork in the road, take it." His formula for success, as some heard it, was this: "Ninety percent perspiration, and the rest mostly just plain hard work." Then there was the time he went to a restaurant by himself and ordered a large pizza. The waitress asked if he would like it cut into four or eight pieces. "Better make it four," he replied. "I'm not hungry enough to eat eight."

Yogi Berra may have had a few things to learn about food service, but those who followed Jesus into the Galilean hillsides were very pleased that Jesus was able to cut five loaves and two fish into enough pieces to satisfy a huge crowd. They were certainly hungry enough to eat more than just the original seven or even Yogi Berra's famous eight.

Of course, as Matthew tells the story, he has some particular thoughts in mind that go far beyond merely the miraculous event itself. After all, he does not give as many details as John would in his later Gospel—talking about the boy who brought the food or the extended dialogue Jesus has with those who introduced the lad to their Master. Here Matthew spits out the story quickly and moves right on to another miracle. But that's

the way he does it, over and over again. Matthew had lived with Jesus long enough to find what others might call unusual made ordinary, and things that most considered spectacular to be almost commonplace.

But that doesn't mean Matthew is telling us about an event with no consequence. Much to the contrary, Matthew has some very important ideas he wants his readers to pick up.

Who Serves in the Wilderness?

First of all, we have to remember that Matthew is writing to a community that is primarily composed of Jewish Christians. He makes this clear in the way he opens the Gospel. Most other biographies don't start out with a wander through a cemetery, but that is how we encounter Jesus here. The first 17 verses of Matthew 1 move in stages through the memorial gardens of Israelite history, stopping briefly to read the grave markers on nearly 40 sites. These are representatives of the major eras of Hebrew history, Matthew tells us.

This, of course, makes us immediately aware that Jesus enters a particular history. He does not appear without a context, like a stone skipping across a pond that happens to flit and hit in some random manner and then dive into the pool at a chance spot. Jesus, according to Matthew, is the "son of David" and the "son of Abraham." This is quite a loaded statement, for those two great figures were called by God to establish the character of the nation of Israel. Abraham received the first great covenant promise of God when God picked him out of the crowds of Mesopotamia and sent him on a journey to what would become the Promised Land (Gen. 12:1-2). Out of this transforming event was born the people of Israel. Their beginnings and the name of Abraham were forever linked.