The Lutheran Hour
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"Food for Hungry Souls"
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Text: Matthew 14:13-21
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Christ is risen, He is risen, indeed, and if you are having spiritual hunger pains today, He is the Food that fills a hungry soul! Amen.
Every year, Americans spend about five hundred million dollars on Twinkies. Yes, you heard me right-TWINKIES, those golden cakes, tasty cream filled treats, that taste so good but have almost no nutritional value at all! Five hundred million dollars! And, I hate to admit it, but I’ve had a few of those Twinkies with a cup of coffee when I’m on the road to visit many of you out there. I can hear you telling me the truth, “Pastor, you’ve got to eat better than that!” And you’d be right! But they are so, so hard to resist.
Five hundred million dollars, now that seems like a lot, but that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to the sixteen billion dollars spent on chocolate. And that sixteen billion dollars is just a small portion of the 117 billion dollars spent on fast food every year.
So let’s face facts; we’re a hungry nation often for all the wrong things, aren’t we? We love what tastes good, but often forfeit what we really need for healthy bodies and minds! But our Bible reading for today tells us that there is an even bigger problem than that. Today God reminds us that we’re not just junk food eaters when it comes to physical things. As sinful human beings, we’ve got an appetite for junk food spiritually too!
We chase after things that we hope will fill our lives, our hearts, even our souls. Every year, it’s another thing that’s the latest and the greatest, right? A new phone, a new car, an updated computer, the best television set, a new relationship, a better body, a new career, greater notoriety and prestige.
We’re spiritually hungry alright! But that’s not the problem; it’s not the hunger, it’s the spiritual junk food that we consume that consumes us. For the Bible teaches that the souls of human beings can only be filled and satisfied with a relationship to the God who created and redeemed us.
But we still try to fill ourselves up with almost everything else but God. It is estimated that more than twenty million people in the United States need professional treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. U.S. citizens spend over fifty billion dollars each year on illegal narcotics. People are searching for happiness, fulfillment, relief from pain. We have hungry souls, but we need God’s spiritual food!
Are you experiencing some spiritual hunger pains today? Are you feeling other rumblings, yearnings today that seem beyond your control or grasp? Do you feel the rumblings of deep loneliness, yearning for a relationship, one that fills you deeply in your heart and soul? There’s a reason for it; only God can fill that hunger!
In Matthew, chapter 14, even Jesus, as the God/Man experienced deep spiritual hunger pains, yearning for consolation after He found out that John the Baptist was brutally and senselessly killed by King Herod. John was a relative of Jesus and his death struck Jesus’ heart with grief and pain. So Jesus did what could only fill such pain; He went to His Father in prayer. He did what you and I could do too; He sought the things of God the Father, His Word, His consolation, taking that hunger to Him in prayer.
But the Jesus of the Bible is not merely a good example to us about how to receive the good things of God. He is also the source of God the Father’s good things for all people. He is God in the Flesh, the Son of God who came to both take our place, but to also be that go to point of the Father’s consolation and mercy, spiritual Food to fill hungry souls.
In the lesson, the crowds who had been hearing Him teach rightly wouldn’t let Jesus out of their sight. He went to pray, yes; but, they chased right after Him and they met Jesus as soon as His boat landed on the other side of the lake.
The people were hungry. They were starved for hope, and they realized the hope-giving power of Jesus’ teaching. They were battered by trial as they sought healing for their illnesses, and we’re comforted by the consolation of God in the Person of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus felt their pain. Matthew said in verse fourteen: “[Jesus] had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
Even the writer of our lesson today, St. Matthew, he could give you quite a witness of the power and consolation of knowing Jesus by faith! He was a former tax collector, a publically despised profession in his society then and also in our society in many ways today. Everyone knew that people like him were crooks, bilking the poor and catering to the rich, but then he met Jesus. Jesus gave him a second chance that no one else would ever have given him. He experienced the compassion of Christ, the welcome of His forgiveness, and it gave him courage to live life differently after that, to live for others from that point on!
Faith in Jesus, food for souls that hunger; compassion, consolation, forgiveness from Him; that’s food that lasts. The word for “compassion” in our text is more than just a fond feeling. This powerful word conveys a sense of gut-wrenching empathy for people who are in need. And Jesus’ gift of love and acceptance reaches down deeply into our hearts and souls. With compassion from Him, you have the words and promises of the God who made you, who redeemed you, real Food for spiritual hunger.
Matthew received it, but so did so many in the crowds that day as they received the blessing of Jesus’ love and care. Their hunger for hope and help was met in the Savior who brought them more than the world could ever give. And this is the miraculous blessing that Jesus brings to our lives; to yours and mine. His compassion knows no bounds. He is the Savior who understands your hunger, your deep yearning, even more than you do. And He responds by having compassion on you, by healing you, by forgiving you, and making you whole.
This episode in Matthew, chapter fourteen, is about hunger of the crowds, the hunger of the disciples, even the hunger in our hearts, too. We’re hungry for Food that really satisfies, that lasts; hungry for help, hungry for stability, hungry for peace, hungry for just a few more resources to lighten the load and decrease the pressure, hungry for wholeness and fulfillment. But that hunger is not easy to satisfy.
Again, this is not a supply problem; it’s the fickle nature of our appetites! Proverbs 27:20 says, “Never satisfied are the eyes of man.” Or, for you Mick Jagger fans out there; he echoed that same truth when he sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction.”
Have you ever hit that no satisfaction wall? Maybe you’re struggling with that right now. After hitting dead end after dead end you understand that the next best thing won’t fill your void in life. You’ve discovered that the hunger of the soul is a deeper hunger. The search for meaning and purpose and wholeness is not satisfied with the thrills or treasures of this world. You know there’s something more.
The disciples hit this wall in our text, too, when they were faced with other people’s need. For that, they felt completely out of their league. In the face of a hungry crowd, both spiritually and physically, they were overwhelmed. They looked at their resources, a few fish and loaves, and they complained to Jesus to get them out of that situation and fast! When Jesus challenged them to feed the crowds themselves, He was challenging them to see Him as their resource of love and consolation not just for themselves, but for others too. He was calling them to Himself as the source of life for them, and the source of love for others. Wow!
Can God bless people like you and me, like that? Yes! Can God bless others through people like you and me? Yes! For our weaknesses, our helplessness, our pain, our frustration, they don’t overwhelm Jesus; they don’t stop Him as our Savior. To the disciples then, as to all of us today He says, “Bring it all here to me” (vs. 18). So, Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the hungry crowd. So, what happened? A riot? A fight for nourishment? A dissatisfied rabble chasing the disciples for a morsel of food? No. Jesus took their scarce provisions, their tepid faith, and He fed five thousand families through them. He made something out of nothing. He satisfied the hunger of rumbling stomachs along with the hunger of worried disciples. Jesus did the miraculous and made hunger disappear.
And that’s the point; the day’s abundant meal was merely a sign that Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life that lasts forever. He wants you to receive Him, come to Him. In fact, He comes all the way to you to make that happen. This word to you today; it’s the Bread of Life that lasts for you.
Bring your fish and your loaves of struggle and pain. Bring your meager resources amidst your struggle and doubt and lay them at the feet of the One who went to the cross and grave so that you might have life, now and forever.
In the hungers that matter today, Jesus calls you and me to Himself to satisfy that hunger that’s deep in our heart and soul. Through His Word today, He calls you to Himself with compassion and consolation for broken spirits, worried hearts, aching souls. And, even if you feel that you’ve got nothing to bring to Him, He doesn’t wring His hands in the face of our helplessness, He encounters our scarcity and yearning with the power of God for salvation to all who believe.
The Bible calls this peace that passes all understanding; contentment in the face of all the ups and downs of life; personal purpose and value–even when the world says you don’t matter. He gives you the gift of the forgiveness of your sins when you don’t think anyone could love you. He blesses you with eternal life as you see there’s got to be more to this life than this life alone.
Jesus satisfies hungry souls! Do you believe that today for yourself? I pray that you do! I pray that you do. Do you see Him waiting for you, waiting to pour His grace, strength, and meaning into your life? All of life becomes different when you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, when you live your life for Him in all things! And that Good News is closer today than you can even imagine.
Sometimes the big answers to life are like that. Do you remember the name Peter Jenkins? He wrote that book “Walk Across America.” He was a man dissatisfied with life. He was fed up with the political wrangling, disillusioned by the scourge of war, and disenchanted with a country that seemed to thrive on prejudice and hatred. At the advice of an older friend, Peter decided to take a closer look at the nation. So, he decided to walk across America. Jenkins’ excursion lasted nearly six years and at the end of his journey, he wrote the book. It became a best seller; but now what did Jenkins discover on his journey? He found out that the answers to his questions were right under his nose; closer than he ever thought. The spirit of goodwill he was hungry for was right in front of him. He encountered the delightful surprise of good relationships with people in small towns. He was blessed by the acts of kindness from fellow citizens and the helpful wisdom of mountain men, hard-working hippies, wealthy ranchers, and struggling families. The answer to his restless hunger was always there. He just hadn’t seen it.
Well, today, I hope you see that and more. You don’t have to walk across America to find it, because this Food for your soul already made the miraculous journey from heaven itself to come for you. Jesus, the One called the Bread of Life, literally was born, lived, and died, and rose again to bring the Food of His grace and mercy right to your heart and soul. That’s what is here for you today! You may have heard about Jesus, but do you really know what the Bible says about Him; who He is and what He has done for you? The temptation is to start the ‘journey to hope’ on your own, rather than receive the hope we need for the journey of life, hope that comes as a gift to all who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior!
Don’t take my word for it. Listen to what Jesus Himself says, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35-36) and He also says, “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied” (Luke 6:21).
Many years ago, King David, the writer of the Psalms, experienced God’s miraculous help during a great time of need. His life was in danger and he didn’t know what to do. So, David brought his helpless situation to God and God saved him. And that is the testimony of the Bible, Old Testament and New, as David reminds us, in all things, “Taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalms 34:8)
Something different happens when the One who does miracles enters your life of scarcity and hunger. Something unique takes place when the One who conquered death steps into your life with His gracious help. You see, the world, with all of its temporal solutions, will just increase your hunger, your yearning, your pain. But God cares about your hunger and brings you the nourishment you need. And only He can do that. That’s what Jesus did this particular day for the hungry crowd in Matthew 14. We hear, “And they all ate and they were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children” (Matthew 14:20-21).
They were satisfied. There were even leftovers in abundance! Not only is Jesus the Source of abundant food; in Him there is abundant food for forgiveness, life, and salvation, forever.
Friends, there is only one answer, then, to the ongoing hunger of your soul: the miracle of Jesus’ provision for you; faith in Christ for you. He speaks life into you through His living Word. He cleanses and renews your soul in baptism. He lives in you through the gift of the Lord’s Supper.
But you may be asking, “Is it really possible? Is it truly possible that an answer exists for my loneliness, my health struggles, my broken relationships, my personal despair? Is it possible that my hunger can be satisfied? Is it possible that when I need relief from my pain, I can trust in Jesus to truly feed my hungry soul?”
Well, Jesus is saying to you today, bring Me your “Fish and Loaves.” Bring Him your hunger and your struggles. As David said, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Like millions before and millions after, like the 5000 that day and more; Jesus is the Source, the Author, the Fulfillment of all those spiritual hunger pains that can only be satisfied with knowing God as your Savior! With Him, what is impossible is possible, now and forever!
Maybe you’ve heard of the television show “Iron Chef.” The twist of “Iron Chef” is that the expert chefs in the competition are given a short list of ingredients and must cook five different dishes from the random ingredients in sixty minutes. Incredible! They have to whip up masterpieces out of virtually nothing. The moderator of the show announces the start of the competition by saying: “So now America, with an open heart and an empty stomach, I say unto you in the words of my uncle: ‘Allez cuisine!'” –which means, go cook!
Well, Jesus did a little cooking that day too right; to give us a glimpse of the food that really matters in life. So, I’m asking you, “Are you ready to say in your heart, ‘alright Jesus, “Allez cuisine!” Go cook! Create a miraculous masterpiece out of my life! Make something out of nothing by your grace.'”
For the hungers of heart and soul; there is food that satisfies and lasts. Jesus is more than a Master Chef; He’s a Master Savior that brings eternal food to satisfy your hungry soul. Taste and see! Amen!
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for August 3, 2014
Topic: What is Lutheran Hour Ministries Doing to Help Lost Souls?ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, what is Lutheran Hour Ministries doing these days to help reach out to those who are not presently connected to Christ or His Church?
SELTZ: Wow, that’s a great question, Mark; and it is one we love to answer here. The Lutheran Hour and Lutheran Hour Ministries exists for one reason only, “To Bring Christ to the Nations, and the Nations to the Church” one listener at a time!
ANNOUNCER: Certainly a very ambitious goal. How do we go about doing that?
SELTZ: Let’s start right here with what we’re doing right now. We’re in the radio studio of the longest running Gospel radio show in the United States, “The Lutheran Hour.” For more than 80 years, think about it, “The Lutheran Hour” has been proclaiming the unchanging Good News of Jesus to a changing world.
ANNOUNCER: And you have to admit the world has seen a lot of change since 1930.
SELTZ: Yeah, and we’re still here and Christ’s message is more relevant today than ever. In fact, we’re looking for ways right now to expand the Lutheran Hour so that more people will hear the voice of their Good Shepherd Jesus through the programming we’re working even harder on to make the best in the business. (More on that in the months to come, by the way.)
ANNOUNCER: And The Lutheran Hour radio program is not our only outreach effort, is it?
SELTZ: No, it isn’t. In fact, LHM has been active not only here in the U.S., but we’ve got various outreach programs in over 30 countries around the world. So, this good news is not only coast to coast, it is all around the world! In fact, I’m privileged to go to Brazil this year to meet with many of our outreach partners there in the land of those big soccer games!
ANNOUNCER: I’m sure you’re looking forward to that.
SELTZ: Yvette and I sure are.
ANNOUNCER: Here in North America, this radio program touches nearly a million people every week with the Good News of Jesus Christ, and there’s even more.
SELTZ: Much more indeed. In fact, the “Project Connect Booklets;” they’re some of my favorites; they’re timely resources about a variety of topics answering questions that many have about God, about church, about faith, all kinds of things; and so I really encourage people to come to the website lhm.org and download those that they find useful.
ANNOUNCER: And these are good resources you can share with your friends who might be going through a difficult time.
SELTZ: They sure can. There is also, then, daily devotions for your email to keep you connected to the Word, our seasonal devotions, our God Connects video study to help you get to know Jesus; online, at your leisure; and of course, the Men’s Network video Bible series available that have helped bring men and their families back to church. And really there is so much more.
ANNOUNCER: And each of these resources is meant to help bring the saving message of Jesus Christ to as many people as we can.
SELTZ: That’s right; but I need to challenge all of our listeners to use these resources because all of it’s for you to help you in your faith, and to help you share the love of Jesus Christ with those that you know. So, I’ve got one homework assignment for all those listening in.
ANNOUNCER: A homework assignment? What would that be?
SELTZ: Get to your phone, go to the app store or Google play for Android and download the Lutheran Hour app onto your phone. Now, if you can’t do that, have your kids or your grandkids do that for you. Then you can hear the show anytime. But, even better, you can share that app with a friend. Then they can listen anytime, anywhere too.
ANNOUNCER: That’s also a great way, then, to share Christ with others!
SELTZ: It is. Listen each week, and then just have a cup of coffee to answer any questions that your friends might have about the show!
ANNOUNCER: We’d love for people to put all of these resources to work for them.
SELTZ: And that’s the point. All this is here, radio, video, podcast, print; not only to strengthen our listener’s faith, but to help them share that faith in Jesus with others.
ANNOUNCER: And to do that more confidently as well.
SELTZ: Exactly. That’s why we even gather together occasionally for special outreach conferences. We want to equip people to share the most important gift there could ever be: their forgiveness and life that they have in Jesus.
ANNOUNCER: So, in answer to our question for today, Lutheran Hour Ministries is doing a lot to reach those who are living apart from Christ and also missing out on the gifts He so freely gives through His Church.
SELTZ: True, but let’s never forget that Lutheran Hour Ministries is not an institution or an organizational machine. It’s people. It’s partnerships. The people who pray for this ministry, volunteer for this ministry, contribute to this ministry; we’re all being used by God to reach millions of people all over the world with the hope we have in Jesus. You know what; there’s still more work to be done!
ANNOUNCER: And the good part is we get to do it all together. Thank you, Pastor Seltz. For more information, go to lhm.org. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“I Come, O Savior, to Your Table” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“Lord Jesus Christ, Life-Giving Bread” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)
“Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)