Imagine the meal

Imagine the meal

 

         Can you imagine that meal, there in that deserted, and then filled, place.

         That wilderness where Jesus goes to grieve. 
To be alone and mourn the death of John.

         That place, where his mourning is met with 5,000 men
—and probably four times that many people, when you count women and children
—20,000, each in their own deserted places, 
their own sufferings 
and their own sicknesses…

         That place where Jesus takes his sorrow, 
and transforms it into compassion.

         Imagine that meal… 
Jesus had been telling parables of the Kingdom
—telling stories about the Kingdom of Heaven, 
the Rule of God 
telling them with his lips, 
and now, he shows the 20,000 the Kingdom of Heaven.

         The Kingdom of Heaven is (to be clear, not a parable, not is like… but simply is!) 
The Kingdom of Heaven is 
one man’s heavy heart/ becoming healing for the many.
         Christ’s mourning/ turning into recovery for the crowd.

         The Rule of God is
 Disciples claiming they got nothin’
—and Jesus showing them they got something.
The Disciples insisting “there is no free lunch,” 
Jesus saying “yes there is.”

         The Kingdom is 
a meager five loaves and two fishes, blessed, broken, shared…
Shared among 5,000
—shared among many more, 20,000
—whole multitudes fed with manna in the desert
—fishes and bread enough for everyone. 
Enough, even, so that there is an abundance of leftovers!

 

         Imagine too, the meal immediately before the feeding of the 5,000+.

This meal was the opposite of Christ’s meal, 

This meal was the opposite of the Rule of God.

         Such a tense meal, everyone on eggshells at Herod’s table. That was always the way there, 
because there was always a chance he would make you suffer or die for him, 
at Herod’s table.

         At this meal, in particular, Herod was especially brittle; criticized by John, he’d had John jailed. 
At this party, 
to prove he was still in control, 
prove that all the power was in his hands, 
he offered his step-daughter anything
—he does this to remind everyone he is king, he can get anything!

         And with that, he gets got. His family forced his hand, 
so he had to save face, 
by removing John’s head 
… so, at Herod’s table, John’s life ends in a grotesque execution. 

But, not satisfied with doing the deed, Herod shows off, he brings the Baptist’s head to the buffet; the Prophet’s head is placed among the Hors d’oeuvres. Imagine that meal.

 

         Imagine, again, that meal… Jesus’ second course
—repeating today’s gospel.
         Having crossed over the Sea of Galilee—Jesus is met by another crowd. 
Moved, again, by compassion, to gather together the disciples’ light offering of bread and fish, to feed in this case 4,000 men
—4,000 plus, right! 
Imagine sharing bread with Jesus, and there is always enough. Imagine that meal of abundance with Jesus.

 

         Imagine the meal, at the end. Imagine the meal up in Jerusalem
—The meal after the betrayal but before the arrest
—that meal that transcends time. 
The last supper.

 

         Bread, again, 
blessed again, 
broken again. 
Cup shared.

 

         A meal of his very life
—he will suffer and die, for you
—his blood, his body, given! 

He releases any power he has in his hands to his beloved Father.

         Remember, at Herod’s table, John’s head, John’s life, was taken, Herod’s power gripped with manic and obsessive hands
—Jesus’ life however, is offered to his disciples as a new Passover meal. 
This meal the capstone of his ministry and the prelude to his passion.

 Imagine that meal!