When the crowds found out [Jesus had withdrawn to Bethsaida], they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who needed to be cured...
Luke 9:10-11
We focus, often and rightly, on the miracle of abundance evident in this story of the feeding of the 5000. More than enough food was supplied for all with baskets of “broken bread” left over. But I saw the parable with new eyes this Advent season when exploring stories of hospitality.
Here is Jesus in a small town, likely a fishing town. Archeological evidence reveals worship sites for Roman gods. Jews lived there as well. Living in the town and surrounding area were also those needing to be healed and those needing to hear about the kingdom of God. I am pretty sure it is safe to assume that the crowd included Jews and Gentiles, clean and unclean, insiders and outsiders. In a crowd of five thousand, there would be plenty of not-to-be-associated-with-folks.
Jesus instructs the disciples to “feed them.” After the back and forth about what was possible and what was not, Jesus instructs the disciples to have people sit down in groups of about fifty each.
My second assumption--though I think it is fair--is that a group of fifty anywhere on the hillside would include those you knew and those you didn’t know, those you approved of and those you didn’t, those clean and unclean, Jew and Gentile, insider and outsider.
And then, they ate. Eating in this culture made you family, transformed enemies into friends, elevated the status of guests to their host’s status. No group ate more, less, or best. All had bread and fish. All ate until satisfied. Twelve baskets were left over.
Not much is said about the response of the crowd, but this I know about people. Eating together establishes connection, relationship. It changes us. Sit at table with people and stories are told, connections made, barriers lowered. No one was excluded from this meal--a rarity in a culture defined on exclusion. This is a remarkable story of generosity and abundance, but it is a more remarkable story of hospitality...acceptance without condition.
The attraction of the early church was not an attraction of doctrine or worship style. The early Christian community was known for their hospitality. All were welcome. All were cared for. All were included. That hospitality drew people in. That hospitality changed the world.
Consider what we avoid--people, places, events--to keep from being excluded or judged or uncomfortable. We even avoid the possibility of that happening. Consider the transformative power of radical hospitality practiced by Jesus on that hillside. Consider the radical hospitality practiced by the God who chooses a people so that all nations (translate every person) will come to know and love the God who knows and loves them already. Consider the power of hospitality from the act of incarnation, the act of God coming as human...wrapping God’s very self in human flesh to practice hospitality in a way we could see and hear, taste and feel.
Hospitality...a gift of transformation indeed.
May we practice the radical hospitality that we have experienced. Amen.
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