July 30, 2000

Narrator: Imagine, if you will, the end of the day of this Gospel story we have read today. What does your mother call you when she is mad? Does she use your middle name? Well, you can just imagine how this went.

Mother/Sarah Isaiah! You come here!

Narrator: We don't know that the boy's name was Isaiah, but it was a common name in Israel and we do know that Jesus had a particular affinity for the prophet Isaiah. So, let us imagine that the little boy who comes out with that crowd is named Isaiah. I suspect his mother's name was Sarah because Sarah was pretty skeptical, remember? Just because she was ninety years old, she didn't believe she would get pregnant that season.

Sarah: Isaiah, you're late!

Isaiah: Yes Mommy, but I didn't mean to be.

Sarah: You were supposed to be in right after dinner time. I sent your lunch out — it's dark now, you have just come home and you have not even eaten your lunch!

Isaiah: But Mommy, I did!

Sarah: Isaiah!

Isaiah: Mommy, I did!

Sarah: Isaiah, this is the same food you went out with!

Isaiah: Well Mommy, not exactly.

Sarah: What are you talking about? Not exactly. Of course it is. Here they are, fish and bread. The same that you went out with, the same basket. What is your explanation?

Isaiah: Well Mommy, you know I went out, and you know that disciple called Joshua that has been around....

Narrator: Joshua was the Hebrew name, the Greek translation is Jesus. Mary called him Joshua. In fact, I imagine when she got really mad with him it was something like JOSHUA BEN JOSEPH! Only once did she get that upset with him. You remember, it was when he was twelve, he went off by himself in Jerusalem and did not leave with the rest of the family. I'll bet you she used his whole name that time!

Isaiah: Mommy, I was following the Rabbi around and listening to him and I was just amazed at the things he said. Everything he said — it seemed like he was saying it to me.

I wasn't even aware of all the people. I wasn't aware of the time. It just went and went and went and I didn't realize it. Finally, just after about two o'clock, he led us over to this field that was on a hill and at the bottom there were some trees. He sat down under the trees and we all sat down on the hill so we could hear better. Actually, I got closer. I went down to where his disciples were sitting under the trees and I sat down with them and I listened. I completely lost track of time Mommy.

Sarah: Isaiah! What are you talking about?

Isaiah: Mommy, you have heard of this man, he has been around everywhere. He heals sick people. He teaches, and I was just really, really in awe of him..... of what he had to say.

Sarah: Okay, Isaiah, keep going. Why were you so late?

Isaiah: It was late in the afternoon and one guy, Philip, he was sitting next to me, he suddenly realized what time it was. He went up and whispered something in Rabbi Joshua's ear and said, "It's getting late out here and there's no food. Send them home."

Joshua looked at Philip and said, "Feed them yourself." Then Philip said, "How can we feed these people? It would take a year's salary to buy enough food for all these people!" .....and, you know, Mommy, that was the first time I looked up and saw there must have been a mazillion people over there.

Sarah: A mazillion? There aren't that many in the whole country!

Narrator: Any story worth telling is worth embellishing. How big was the last fish you caught? Certainly, in the eyes of a child this crowd would have been humongous. So whatever, 4,000, 5000, 150....that is irrelevant. The point is, it was a mazillion!

Isaiah: But Mommy, it was a lot. They filled the whole side of the hill and Joshua said, "Feed them," and Philip said, "With what?" Joshua replied, " Well, what do you have?" Philip answered, " To tell the truth, I don't really have anything — we forgot, too. We didn't know you were going to talk so long and we were going to go back to the market, but we didn't have a chance. Sitting next to me was this little boy, I think his name is Isaiah, and he has a little basket with some food in it. It didn't look to me like anybody else had anything to eat."

So the rabbi sent him back. He came over and asked if he could look in the basket and to come back with me. Joshua looked at me and said, "Isaiah, " (I don't know how he knew my name) "could you help me please?"

I said, " Oh, yes, how could I help?" Joshua asked if he could have my lunch and I said, "Sure, take what you need." Then the most amazing thing happened. The rabbi put his hands on the food and said a blessing. He gave it to me and said, "Here, Isaiah, take what you need." I tell you, I did not even think I was hungry, but I took one fish and one piece of bread. Joshua said, "Is that all you want?" and I said, "Sure."

So, he gave it to Philip and said for him to "pass it around — pass it down the rows and you and the other disciples go and stand at the end of the rows so you can keep it going." Well, you won't believe what happened next. They started passing it and everybody took plenty of food. The more they took, the more was left. It was amazing! It was really fantastic! By the time it was all done, the rabbi said for the disciples to pick up everything that was left over, and you know what?

Sarah: Isaiah, this story is really getting a little too much!

Isaiah: No, Mommy, I am serious. When they came back with my little basket, it was empty, but they had these bushel baskets and there were twelve of them full of fish and bread and they brought them all to Joshua. I don't know where all that food came from. All I know is he said this blessing and passed it and everybody got all they wanted.

Sarah: Isaiah, that is a little bit much, don't you think?

Isaiah: Mommy, it's real and what happened next was he said, "Here, Isaiah, there is plenty left over, why don't you take some with you in case you get hungry on the way home." And so I took one fish and four pieces of bread and put them in my basket. Joshua said, "There seems to be a little more room so, here, have two more fishes and two more biscuits." And so, it's not the same food I went with, Mommy, see, it is more!

Sarah: Oh Isaiah, I can't believe this. One fish....one, two, three fish? And, one, two, three, four, five, six pieces of bread?

Isaiah: See, Mommy, I told you! Here Mommy, take what you need.

* Adapted from a sermon by Tom Troeger.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Certain
rgcertain@stmargarets.org
July 30, 2000