Social Disorder

Often the bible is understood as a kid’s story. I was taught loads of stuff in Sunday school which I now think is pretty mental, in fact I think that sometimes people can’t see passed the kids stories so they cast the whole lot aside. Not that I can blame them.

For example, the feeding of the 5000. That’s classic Sunday school material. It makes a good little tale for the kids. It’s easily packaged. It’s a nice story.

But as a consequence is the meaning lost? For years I viewed the feeding as just another of Jesus’ miracles that he did – I guess to show people that he was the Son of God and all that, but it’s only recently that I’ve began to understand that most of what Jesus did had real meaning and purpose, and it wasn’t about showing off his wizard tricks but it was about making political and social statements.

The fact of the matter is in Jesus time, as there is in ours, there is a social hierarchy. In Jesus’ time would men eat with woman, or children? Would Jews eat with Gentiles? Would the Pharisees eat with the Sinners? Jesus was always getting hounded for eating with the ‘wrong’ people. So when it comes to feeding 5000 men, that’s not even including the woman and children, then who sits with who? Does each group have their own basket?

By feeding the 5000 as Jesus did he rocks the boat and draws people together, he challenges the stereotypes that certain people are better than others and so can’t eat with them.

Imagine it today – you’ve been at a massive open air concert, the Queen is there surrounded with body guards at one end, and at the other are some homeless guys, you can smell them from where you are, they obviously haven’t washed for days. No one had anything to eat and there is no food. Suddenly a basket of bread is being passed round, you see a homeless man delve in with his grubby hands. The basket slowly makes its way towards the Queen, as hand after hand is taking bread out.

I wonder what her reaction would be…