Good day dear friends.
While at our annual conference I share this early ConCafe:
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to adeserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followedhim on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a greatcrowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 Whenit was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desertedplace, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they maygo into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16 Jesus said tothem, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." 17They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." 18And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then he ordered the crowdsto sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, helooked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them tothe disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And allate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the brokenpieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about fivethousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus tried as often as was possible to find a place where He could bealone with God. This was especially true in the days leading to Hiscrucifixion. Yet, everywhere Jesus went, so did the crowds. There wasno place to find quiet for prayer and reflection. And as we just readwhile trying to find this quiet Jesus finds Himself called on to sharesomething with the crowds. What Jesus shares is His compassion. Inthat compassion Jesus "cured their sick." The crowd lingers and wantsmore. When it is time for supper the disciples have a plan: send thepeople away! Jesus says, "you give them something to eat." Jesus hadcalled the disciples to do His will. And His will at this point was tohave them serve the people. The reply was that there was only fiveloaves of bread and two fish. Not exactly a catered affair. But Jesuscalls for them to bring forth that food and He takes the loaves and thefish, looks to heaven, and blesses and breaks the bread and they giveit to the disciples and they give to the crowd. Verse 20 says, "allate and were filled." What was left over were "twelve baskets full."The final count was "about five thousand men, besides women andchildren."
How did He do that? We get "stumped" by trying to explain how Jesuswas able to feed 5,000 men, "besides women and children," when in theprevious sentences Jesus "cured their sick." William Barclay in his"Daily Study Bible Series, The Gospel of Matthew, vol 2" says there arethree ways to see this. Number one. Take it at face value. It was amiracle. If you believe that, fine! Praise the Lord! The second way,some can see it as a sacrament according to Dr. Barclay. Those whobelieve this believe that the people present received only a morsel offood "and yet with that were strengthened for their journey and werecontent." Not a meal of physical proportions but rather the spiritualfood of Jesus. Barclay concludes, "If that be so, this is a miraclewhich is re-enacted every time we sit at the table of our Lord; forthere comes to us the spiritual food which sends us out to walk withfirmer feet and greater strength the way of life which leads to God."The third way is to see it perfectly natural and to know there reallyis a crowd. It is getting very late and they are very hungry. And thequestion is asked would have these many people taken off this late inthe day toward the lake without food? Wouldn't they have takensomething? Could they have also been very selfish? But it wasn'tuntil Jesus takes the bread he and his disciples have and then blessingit and sharing it with "an invitation and a smile." Before you knowit, everyone is sharing and there is more than enough to go around.Barclay says that if this is what happened, it was a "miracle of thechanging of selfish people into generous people at the touch of Christ.It was the miracle of the birth of love in grudging hearts. It wasthe miracle of changed men and women with something of Christ in themto banish their selfishness."
However you chose to believe this miracle, remember this: Jesus came tochange us and if Christ is with us we have our needs met. Sometimes inunexplainable ways.
Prayer: Lord of changed hearts, change mine. Let me see the miracle ofa life lived in You! I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
While at our annual conference I share this early ConCafe:
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to adeserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followedhim on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a greatcrowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 Whenit was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desertedplace, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they maygo into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16 Jesus said tothem, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." 17They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." 18And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then he ordered the crowdsto sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, helooked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them tothe disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And allate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the brokenpieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about fivethousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus tried as often as was possible to find a place where He could bealone with God. This was especially true in the days leading to Hiscrucifixion. Yet, everywhere Jesus went, so did the crowds. There wasno place to find quiet for prayer and reflection. And as we just readwhile trying to find this quiet Jesus finds Himself called on to sharesomething with the crowds. What Jesus shares is His compassion. Inthat compassion Jesus "cured their sick." The crowd lingers and wantsmore. When it is time for supper the disciples have a plan: send thepeople away! Jesus says, "you give them something to eat." Jesus hadcalled the disciples to do His will. And His will at this point was tohave them serve the people. The reply was that there was only fiveloaves of bread and two fish. Not exactly a catered affair. But Jesuscalls for them to bring forth that food and He takes the loaves and thefish, looks to heaven, and blesses and breaks the bread and they giveit to the disciples and they give to the crowd. Verse 20 says, "allate and were filled." What was left over were "twelve baskets full."The final count was "about five thousand men, besides women andchildren."
How did He do that? We get "stumped" by trying to explain how Jesuswas able to feed 5,000 men, "besides women and children," when in theprevious sentences Jesus "cured their sick." William Barclay in his"Daily Study Bible Series, The Gospel of Matthew, vol 2" says there arethree ways to see this. Number one. Take it at face value. It was amiracle. If you believe that, fine! Praise the Lord! The second way,some can see it as a sacrament according to Dr. Barclay. Those whobelieve this believe that the people present received only a morsel offood "and yet with that were strengthened for their journey and werecontent." Not a meal of physical proportions but rather the spiritualfood of Jesus. Barclay concludes, "If that be so, this is a miraclewhich is re-enacted every time we sit at the table of our Lord; forthere comes to us the spiritual food which sends us out to walk withfirmer feet and greater strength the way of life which leads to God."The third way is to see it perfectly natural and to know there reallyis a crowd. It is getting very late and they are very hungry. And thequestion is asked would have these many people taken off this late inthe day toward the lake without food? Wouldn't they have takensomething? Could they have also been very selfish? But it wasn'tuntil Jesus takes the bread he and his disciples have and then blessingit and sharing it with "an invitation and a smile." Before you knowit, everyone is sharing and there is more than enough to go around.Barclay says that if this is what happened, it was a "miracle of thechanging of selfish people into generous people at the touch of Christ.It was the miracle of the birth of love in grudging hearts. It wasthe miracle of changed men and women with something of Christ in themto banish their selfishness."
However you chose to believe this miracle, remember this: Jesus came tochange us and if Christ is with us we have our needs met. Sometimes inunexplainable ways.
Prayer: Lord of changed hearts, change mine. Let me see the miracle ofa life lived in You! I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
