Tenth Sunday after Pentecost — Proper 13 (2026)

WHAT MAKES CHRISTIANS DIFFERENT?

Part 5: Christians Trust God to Provide

“Bring Them Here to Me”

The Abundance of Divine Provision

Primary Text: Matthew 14:13–21 Supplementary Texts: 1 Kings 17:1–6; Ephesians 1:3–10

GOAL

That hearers bring every need, fear, limitation, and shortage to Jesus, trusting that the Father who has abundantly provided eternal salvation in Christ will faithfully provide everything necessary for their earthly vocations and everlasting good.

MALADY

When circumstances become difficult and our resources appear inadequate, we fix our eyes on what is missing. We measure God’s care by present comfort, rely upon our own calculations, and interpret delay, hardship, or scarcity as evidence that God has forgotten us.

MEANS

Jesus receives the disciples’ inadequate offering and provides until all are satisfied. More importantly, He gives Himself upon the cross as God’s ultimate provision for sinners. Through His death and resurrection, and through the continuing gifts of Word and Sacrament, Christ gives forgiveness, adoption, daily strength, and the certain hope of resurrection and eternal abundance.

Theme Sentence

God’s abundance is not always having everything we want; it is having a faithful Savior who gives us everything we truly need.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Introduction—What Does Abundance Look Like?

Our preaching series that started the first Sunday in July asks, “What Makes Christians Different?” 

Christians are not spared from need, uncertainty, or hardship. What makes us different is that, because we belong to Christ, we know where to turn when our hands are empty.

Today we continue the series with this truth: Christians trust God to provide.

What does abundance look like?

Most of us probably picture abundance as a full pantry,

a healthy bank account,

a healthy body,

and a secure future — enough money, health, strength, and answers that we do not have to worry.

But Scripture gives us different pictures of abundance.

In 1 Kings, abundance looks like Elijah sitting beside a brook while ravens bring him bread and meat twice a day.

Not a year’s supply.

Enough for morning.

Enough for evening.

Enough for that day.

God was not teaching Elijah self-sufficiency. He was teaching him daily dependence.

In Matthew, abundance looks like five loaves and two fish placed into the hands of Jesus.

Not much in the disciples’ hands.

More than enough in the hands of the Creator to feed 5,000 men, plus women and children.

In Ephesians, abundance looks greater still.

God choosing us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

God adopting us as His children.

God redeeming us through the blood of His Son.

God forgiving our sins according to the riches of His grace.

And Psalm 136 teaches us to interpret every one of those gifts with the confession:

Psalm 136:1 ESV

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

True abundance is not always having everything we want.

True abundance is having a faithful God and Savior who gives us everything we truly need.

That is what Jesus teaches His disciples in today’s Gospel.

The hour is late.

The place is deserted.

The crowd is enormous.

The food is scarce.

The disciples are overwhelmed.

But Jesus is present.

And when they tell Him what little they have—five loaves and two fish— He says:

Matthew 14:18 NIV84

“Bring them here to me.”

Part I—Our Eyes Count What Is Missing

The setting of this miracle is darker than we sometimes remember.

Jesus has just received the news that John the Baptist—His cousin—has been killed.

John had faithfully proclaimed God’s Word. He had confronted Herod’s sin and refused to call evil good. And for that faithfulness, he was beheaded.

Matthew tells us:

Matthew 14:13 NASB95

“Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself.”

Jesus sought solitude.

But the crowds followed Him.

When He came ashore, there they were.

Thousands of people.

Thousands of needs.

Sickness.

Weakness.

Hunger.

Broken bodies and broken lives.

Matthew says:

Matthew 14:14 NASB95

“When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.”

That word compassion gives us a glimpse into the heart of Jesus.

He does not merely notice the crowd.

Their suffering moves Him.

The Greek word is σπλαγχνίζομαι.

This word is vivid. It describes compassion that comes from deep within, from the innermost parts. Jesus is not mildly concerned. He is deeply moved by their need.

Their need doesn’t irritate Him.

It draws His mercy.

That matters because suffering often whispers the opposite.

When dark days come, we may wonder:

“Does God see me?”

“Does He care?”

“Has He forgotten?”

“Have I brought Him this burden too many times?”

But Matthew tells us what is in the heart of Jesus.

Compassion.

He sees.

He knows.

He cares.

His compassion is not a shallow sentiment. He is moved from the very depths of His being.

And His compassion moves Him toward the needy, not away from them.

The disciples, however, see only the circumstances.

As evening approaches, they say:

Matthew 14:15 NIV84

“This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away.”

Their conclusion sounds reasonable.

The place is deserted.

The hour is late.

The crowd is enormous.

The food is very limited—just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

The disciples are not wrong about the circumstances. The situation truly is impossible from a human point of view.

Their mistake, however, is calculating the situation as though Jesus were not present.

That is our temptation too.

We look at the problem.

We count the cost.

We measure our strength.

And we conclude:

“There’s just no way.”

“I cannot handle this.”

“We do not have enough.”

Those conclusions may be accurate if we consider only ourselves.

The disciples could not feed the crowd.

But faith asks one more question:

Who is standing here with us?

The One who made heaven and earth is standing with them in the wilderness.

The Lord who fed Israel with manna is surrounded by hungry people.

The God who sent ravens to feed Elijah is now standing before His disciples.

Yet they see only scarcity.

Five loaves.

Two fish.

Thousands of mouths to feed.

You and I do not merely have empty hands.

Our eyes become fixated upon the emptiness.

We count what is missing and forget who is present.

Jesus tells them:

Matthew 14:16 NIV84

“You give them something to eat.”

They answer:

Matthew 14:17 NIV84

“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.”

Only.

That is the language of scarcity.

Only this much money.

Only this much energy.

Only this much time.

Only this many people.

Only this much faith.

But Jesus does not ask them to produce what they do not possess.

He simply says:

Matthew 14:18 NIV84

“Bring them here to me.”

Part II—Bring the Shortage to Christ

That is where Christian trust begins.

Not by pretending the need is small.

Not by pretending we are strong.

Not by denying the seriousness of the diagnosis, the unpaid bill, the grief, or the uncertainty.

Christian trust begins by hearing Jesus say:

“Bring them here to Me.”

Bring the thing you cannot fix.

Bring the need you cannot meet.

Bring the burden you cannot carry.

Bring the prayer you have prayed a hundred times.

Bring the little you have.

Bring the emptiness.

Jesus does not say:

“Bring them here when you have found ten thousand more loaves.”

He does not say:

“Bring them here when you have developed a workable plan.”

And He doesn’t say:

“Bring them here when your faith is stronger.”

No! He says:

“Bring them here to Me.”

As they are.

As little as they are.

That is prayer.

Prayer is not presenting God with a polished solution.

Prayer is bringing the need to Jesus.

“Lord, here is my family.”

“Lord, here is my health.”

“Lord, here is my fear.”

“Lord, here is this congregation.”

“Lord, here is our future pastoral vacancy.”

“Lord, here is my exhaustion.”

“Lord, here is my sin.”

“Lord, here are my five loaves and two fish.”

“They are not enough.”

“But You told me to bring them to You.”

Christians trust God to provide.

That does not mean God promises every earthly thing we desire.

It does not mean every illness will be healed before death.

And it does not mean every financial burden will disappear.

John the Baptist had just been executed.

Elijah still lived through a drought.

God’s provision is not the promise of uninterrupted comfort.

It is the promise that our Father will never withhold anything truly necessary for our eternal good.

Sometimes He changes the circumstance.

Sometimes He gives strength to endure it.

Sometimes He opens a door.

Sometimes He keeps it closed.

Sometimes He gives twelve baskets.

Sometimes He gives morning bread and evening bread.

Sometimes God’s abundance looks like more than enough.

Sometimes it looks like enough for today.

We would prefer a warehouse. God often gives daily bread.

We want to see the entire road. God gives enough light for the next step.

We ask for an explanation. God gives us a promise.

And His promise is enough because He is faithful.

Worry tries to live tomorrow before tomorrow arrives. It gathers every possible future burden and piles it into today.

Faith brings today’s need to Jesus today.

And tomorrow, faith brings tomorrow’s need to Jesus.

“Bring them here to Me.”

This does not make us passive.

Jesus gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples distributed it.

They worked with what Jesus supplied.

That is Christian vocation.

Parents serve with strength God supplies.

Pastors preach the Word God has given.

Congregations carry out ministry with gifts Christ distributes.

Call committees pray, listen, deliberate, and act with wisdom the Holy Spirit provides.

The disciples did not create the bread.

They passed along what first came from the hands of Jesus.

Then the men who began the evening saying,

“We have nothing here except…”

ended the evening holding twelve baskets of leftovers.

And those twelve baskets matter.

Jesus did not miscalculate.

He did not accidentally make too much.

He did not overestimate His multiplication or underestimate the crowd’s hunger.

The leftovers were part of the lesson.

There were twelve baskets, and there were twelve disciples.

Each disciple left that desolate place carrying in his own hands a basketful of proof that Christ provides.

But the twelve baskets were not given so the disciples would trust bread. They were given so the disciples would trust Jesus.

The Messiah’s kingdom is not a kingdom of barely enough. It is the kingdom of the One whose mercy overflows. When Jesus provides, He provides abundantly.

They began with scarcity. They ended with abundance.

Not because the bread was impressive.

But because Jesus is.

Part III—God’s Abundance Has a Name

The deepest comfort in this Gospel is not merely that Jesus can multiply bread.

The deepest comfort is the One who gives it.

Matthew tells us that Jesus took the loaves, looked up to heaven, said a blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to His disciples.

Later in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus will take bread, bless it, break it, and give it to His disciples, saying:

“Take, eat; this is My body.”

The feeding of the multitude is not the Lord’s Supper, but the language points us forward.

The One who gives bread in the wilderness will soon give Himself.

Because our greatest shortage is not food. It is righteousness.

Our deepest problem is sin. We need forgiveness. We need peace with God. We need life that death cannot destroy.

Before God, we do not even possess five loaves and two fish. We stand empty. No righteousness of our own. No obedience sufficient to erase our guilt. No strength capable of defeating death.

But Jesus does not send us away to provide salvation for ourselves.

He has compassion on sinners.

He gives what we could never supply.

He gives His holy life in place of our sinful lives.

He gives His innocent blood in payment for our guilt.

At the cross, the hands that multiplied bread are stretched out and pierced.

And when those pierced hands are raised from the dead, God shows that this provision can never run out.

Forgiveness is yours.

Peace with the Father is yours.

Adoption is yours.

Resurrection is yours.

An eternal inheritance is yours.

Before you understood your greatest need, God had already determined to provide for it.

That is divine abundance.

Not merely more bread. But Christ Himself.

Not merely improved circumstances. But forgiveness and everlasting life.

This is why Christians trust God.

Not because every day is easy.

Not because every hardship makes sense.

We trust Him because of the cross.

When suffering says God has forgotten you, look at the cross.

When the future is uncertain, look at the cross.

When resources appear small, look at the cross.

There God has answered the most important questions.

“Does He love me?” Yes.

“Has He forgotten me?” No.

“Will He abandon me?” Never.

And He continues to deliver His gifts through His appointed means.

In Baptism, He clothed you with Christ.

In Absolution, He places forgiveness into your ears.

In His Word, He gives promises stronger than fear.

At His altar, the Lord who fed the multitude feeds His Church with His true body and blood.

God’s abundance has a name.

His name is Jesus.

Tanya and I were reminded of this recently through a note from one of our members. They wrote, “We’ve been given a heavy cross to bear, but the heavier one was already carried for us, as it was for you. Thinking of you and your wife tonight. You are not alone.”

That is Christian abundance speaking. Not the absence of a cross, but the confidence that Christ has already carried the heavier one.

Conclusion—His Mercy Endures Forever

Psalm 136 teaches us how to remember God’s provision:

Psalm 136:1 ESV

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

When ravens brought bread to Elijah:

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

When five loaves fed thousands:

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

When the Father chose us in Christ:

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

When Jesus stretched out His hands upon the cross:

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

When the tomb stood empty:

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

When God gives more than enough:

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

When He gives enough for today:

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

Dear friends, there will be days when your hands feel empty.

Days when the need is greater than your resources.

On those days, remember:

Empty hands are not a barrier to Jesus.

They are the hands He invites to come.

The disciples said:

Matthew 14:17 NRSV

“We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”

Jesus answered:

“Bring them here to Me.”

So bring Him what you have.

Bring Him what you lack.

Bring Him what you fear.

And stop looking only at the emptiness of your hands.

Look at the fullness of your Savior.

He sees you.

He has compassion.

He gave His life for you.

He rose from the dead.

He feeds you with His Word and in a few moments He will feed you with His very body and blood.

He promises resurrection and an eternal feast in His kingdom.

Christians are different not because our hands are never empty, but because we know where to take them.

We hear the voice of Jesus:

“Bring them here to Me.”

And we trust the Savior whose hands are never empty, whose compassion is never exhausted, and whose steadfast love endures forever.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Prayers of the Church

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Gracious heavenly Father, You provide for Your people in ways both ordinary and extraordinary. When our hands seem empty and our resources inadequate, keep us from measuring Your care by what we can see. Teach us to hear the invitation of Your Son, “Bring them here to Me,” and to entrust every fear, burden, and need to His compassionate hands. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ, You saw the multitude, had compassion upon them, and supplied what they could not provide for themselves. Look with mercy upon Your Church and upon all who are weary, hungry, frightened, or overwhelmed. When we count what is missing and forget that You are present, turn our eyes from our scarcity to the fullness of Your grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Faithful Savior, forgive us for measuring Your goodness by present comfort. When Your provision comes slowly, unexpectedly, or differently than we had hoped, preserve us from despair. Give us grace to receive daily bread for today, light for the next step, and confidence that Your steadfast love endures forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Lord, preserve Your holy Church throughout the world. Grant pastors faithfulness in preaching Christ crucified and risen. Bless missionaries, teachers, church workers, parents, and all who pass along the gifts that first came from Your hands. Keep Your Church from trusting in wealth, influence, numbers, or human strength, and teach us to depend upon Your Word and Sacraments. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of the harvest, bless the Pastoral Call Committee of Our Redeemer’s. Grant its members wisdom, patience, unity, and hearts attentive to Your Word. Keep them from fear and anxious calculation. Teach them to bring this congregation, its needs, and its future into the hands of Christ, trusting that You will provide according to Your good and gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Prepare and preserve the pastor whom You will call to serve this congregation. Strengthen him in sound doctrine, humble faith, pastoral compassion, and love for Your people. In Your appointed time, bring pastor and congregation together, and bless their life and ministry through the faithful preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, grant wisdom and integrity to our president, governor, legislators, judges, and all who hold public office. Lead them to protect life, defend the vulnerable, punish wrongdoing, and preserve peace and good order. Bless those who serve in the armed forces, law enforcement, emergency services, and every vocation through which You provide protection and care for our neighbors. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Compassionate Father, look with mercy upon all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. Provide healing according to Your will, strength for each day, and the comfort of Your promises. Bless physicians, nurses, hospice workers, caregivers, and all through whom You provide daily help and mercy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

We commend Wally Schmidt into Your gracious care as he receives hospice support. Relieve his pain, calm every fear, and strengthen his faith in Christ. Assure him that the Savior who fed the multitude has given Himself for him, has conquered death, and has prepared an eternal feast for all who trust in Him. Comfort Wally’s family and surround them with faithful care and resurrection hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Continue to uphold Amy Jorgensen. Supply the strength she needs for each day and grant wisdom and compassion to all who care for her. When her resources seem small and her burdens great, remind her that Christ sees, knows, and cares, and that His mercy is never exhausted. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Sustain Pastor Greg as he lives with chronic kidney disease and congestive heart failure. Bless his dialysis treatments and all medical care he receives. Grant healing according to Your will, endurance in weakness, and peace in uncertainty. Uphold Tanya also, and assure them both that they are not alone, for Christ has carried the heavier cross and remains near with forgiveness, strength, and hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Loving Father, bless all homes and families. Strengthen husbands and wives in faithfulness, give parents wisdom, protect children, comfort the lonely, reconcile those who are divided, and provide for all who struggle with financial, emotional, or spiritual need. Teach us not to live tomorrow’s troubles today, but to receive each day’s bread with gratitude and trust. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, You are God’s greatest provision for sinners. We come before You empty of righteousness and unable to save ourselves. Thank You for giving Your holy life in our place, shedding Your blood for our forgiveness, and rising from the dead to give us eternal life. Keep us mindful that true abundance is not merely more earthly possessions, but Christ Himself and all the blessings found in Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Prepare us to receive Christ’s true body and blood at His altar. Grant us repentance and faith, that we may receive this holy gift for the forgiveness of sins, the strengthening of faith, and the assurance that the Savior whose hands were pierced for us still feeds and sustains His Church. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Finally, we give You thanks for all the saints who trusted Your provision and now rest from their labors. Keep us steadfast in Christ until the day of resurrection, when You will gather Your people to the eternal feast of Your kingdom, where hunger, weakness, sorrow, and death will be no more. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in the compassion of Jesus Christ, whose hands are never empty and whose steadfast love endures forever.

Amen.