I have a simple point to make, and so I will tell a simple story.

            Once, years ago, in a time after all the apostles had died, but a few of the old saints could still remember them, a young man named Titus became a Christian.  Titus was thought of as slow, and slow he was.  He had been apprenticed to a baker where he learned to make simple flat-bread.  Taking flour, a little salt, the right amount of water, kneading the dough just enough, heating the stone just right, turning it at the right time – were simple tasks that Titus mastered, and he was happy. The baker who taught, and then employed Titus was a Christian, and although people thought of Titus as simple, so also was the message he shared with Titus. Titus was baptized, and was very happy. 

            There arose in Titus’ village a persecution against Christians, and so Titus’ mother sent him to live with a relative in another region, where the dialect was slightly different, and some of the ways were strange.  But Titus was soon employed baking flatbread, and was soon connected with other Christians as there were many in that region, and again he was happy.  One Sunday an elder was teaching about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and he emphasized Jesus’ command “you feed them.” As Titus was not so familiar with the dialect, he misunderstood and thought Jesus had commanded “You feed me.”  He thought, “I do not know how to fish, but I can make bread.  Tomorrow I will make five loaves for Jesus.”  So early in the morning he made five loaves of flat-bread and laid them in a basket on the communion table in the converted house his congregation used as a church.

            Also in that town, and in that congregation was a brother named Crescens.  He was a skilled stone carver who had suffered a fall and was unable to work at his trade.  He could only limp along, unable to climb ladders, and the strength had gone out of his arms.  He tried to support his family by doing menial jobs – but there were few he could do.  He earned a few coins cleaning the converted house his congregation used as a church, but the congregation was poor, and there wasn’t much more help available.  His three children were all too young for gainful employment.  His wife had never really recovered from the birth of their last child.  He was afraid slavery might be the only option for feeding and housing his family, but who would even want him?  He remembered the sermon from the day before, and prayed for a miracle. Would God provide 5 loaves of bread for his family that day?  It was a meager request, and yet he had trouble finding the faith that it would be answered.

            And then he entered the church, and there, in a basket on the table were five loaves.  He prayed a prayer of thanksgiving that lasted throughout his labor, and his walk home. That evening, when Titus came to check the basket on the communion table, he found that Jesus had accepted his five loaves.  Rejoicing, he promised to bring Jesus five more the next day.  And so it happened that every day Titus would make five loaves of bread for Jesus, and every day Crescens found five miraculous loaves provided by God.

            One day, a young deacon happened to be at church when Titus came in and explained about the loaves.  The Deacon stayed to see what was happening to them when Crescens came and told his story of the miraculous loaves.  The young Deacon went to the elders and explained all, and asked that they make everything known to Titus and Crescens.  After speaking together, the elders decided to leave the matter alone.  The young deacon protested, “But Titus thinks he’s making bread for Jesus.  Crescens thinks he’s receiving bread from God.”  The oldest of the elders replied, “’What you have done for the least of these you have done for me.* Every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the father of lights.’** Titus is making bread for Jesus.  Crescens is receiving bread from God.”

            I was reminded of this story recently because of two similar events in our own congregational life. A few weeks back a past member emailed us that he had burial plots in Manassas that he wouldn’t use, and wanted to know if anyone needed them.  “What an odd bit of information,” I thought, “how do I announce this?”  I didn’t get the chance to announce it, because a need arose immediately, and those plots were a great blessing.  Then a sister congregation called and needed a hospital bed.  The very night I announced the need, one of our young mothers came and said she had been trying to find a home for a hospital bed her family no longer had room for.

            My simple point is this: We must not hesitate to offer help, or to ask for it.  I Corinthians 12.18 says that per God’s design we need each other.  To refuse help is hubris, and to refuse to offer it is the highest form of ingratitude, or even theft – both are a rejection of the will of God who blesses us so we can bless each other.

            When 5000 hungry bellies needed to be filled Jesus did not hesitate to ask, and one little boy did not hesitate to offer.  Nor should we.