A reading from the Gospel according to Mark, Chapter 6, verses 30 to 44.

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 

31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 

33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 

34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late.

36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 

40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 

41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 

42 They all ate and were satisfied, 

43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 

44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Hi everyone, my name is David Deming, and I am the Dean of Harvard College. I’m honored to give morning prayers here in Appleton Chapel, this beautiful sanctuary where so many members of our community come together to feel God’s love.

I’ve been thinking about this story from the Gospel of Mark as we begin the new year together at Harvard. In Mark Chapter 6, verses 30 to 44, Jesus and his disciples become victims of their own success. They are spreading the word of the Lord, and this draws an ever-growing crowd that demands ever more of their time, attention, and resources. They needed a break, so Jesus brings them away in a boat to find a quiet place for a meal together. But the crowd finds out where they are headed and greets them on the shore. Jesus continues teaching the crowd, but the disciples are tired and hungry – maybe even hangry – and they plead with Jesus to send the crowds away so that everyone can get something to eat. 

Jesus says no – “YOU give them something to eat.” And they reply with dismay, saying, “we only have 5 loaves and 2 fish for this whole crowd!” But Jesus wants them to share anyway. And, miraculously, these meager provisions end up feeding all five thousand people.

The simplest and most memorable reading of this famous story from the Gospel of Mark is that the Lord rewards generosity and kindness. But I think the lesson is a little deeper. The disciples acted like they had a fixed budget of attention for Jesus’ followers. The food is a metaphor. 

“because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 

They left to eat, but also because their social batteries were drained. Or so it seemed. The question asked by this story from the Gospel of Mark is whether generosity, and fellowship, are like food. Do we run out of it?

And Jesus says – “no, we don’t run out.” Look - five loaves and two fish can feed everyone around us, even if they number in the thousands. 

There is no budget for love and devotion to God, and to others. When my love for one of my children deepens, it doesn’t diminish my love for the other. When I spend time with students or colleagues, when I help other people and put their interests in front of my own, it leaves me fulfilled, not drained.

There are many demands on our time and energy. But whenever I feel drained, I try to remind myself that this is often an illusion. We’ve got more in us – much more than we think. There is no budget. Loving God, and loving others as you would have them love you, transforms scarcity into abundance. Jesus isn’t the only one who can feed the five thousand. We can too.

The Gospel of the Lord.