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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Matt. 14
Life is full of interruptions and disruptions. You set your mind to doing a certain thing and wham – obstacles start popping up all around your efforts and good intentions. It can be difficult to deal with. It can be especially difficult when your heart is heavy and you just need some time alone to process some things. At times like that you are vulnerable and emotionally exhausted. In other words, you are in a state where you are highly unlikely to respond well to such interruptions.
Jesus was in such a state after hearing of John the Baptist’s death. In His effort to find some solitude, He instead found a large, needy crowd. His response? Certainly not like mine would have been. Jesus met that interruption, even in His own moment of need, with compassion. I want to be more like that. A couple other things I notice in this situation are that God used the interruption in a very mighty way, and Jesus did eventually get His moment of solitude. Understanding that God uses the unexpected in life while still taking care of my needs might just help me to respond to life’s interruptions more like Jesus did.
Mark 6
The feeding of the 5000 was so much more than just a physical miracle. It was more like an acted out parable. Which means the story holds deeper meaning than simply the event. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all wrote about the miraculous feeding, but I like the way Matthew described it. He wrote, “He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. Everyone ate and was satisfied.” (Matt. 14:29b-20a). Mark, however, adds an interesting detail. Jesus and His crew ran into this crowd in their effort to get away by themselves for some rest. The reason, Mark said, was that, “many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” (Mk. 6:31b).
What I see in this actually connects to what John added to this story. It is through him that we know that Jesus said that He is the bread of life. This is the truth revealed through this real life parable. Jesus’ disciples were as hungry as the crowd was. However, when they gave what they had, wherever they got it, to Jesus, He gave them sustenance, which they then passed on to the people. In the end, all were satisfied. Jesus does for our souls what bread does for our bodies. And the goodness God gives us in Him should pass through us to others who are in need of it.
Luke 9:1-17
I wonder what the Twelve were really concerned about when they approached Jesus to have Him send the crowds away. They expressed concern about food and lodging for the people, because they were out where none of that could be had. Yet we know from what Mark wrote that they themselves were tired and hungry. Could it be that the disciples hid behind the crowd to make a request for their own needs? It would be a very human thing to do; feigning concern for others when you are really only – or mostly – concerned about yourself. The thing I notice, though, is that ultimately, Jesus met their needs by having them meet those needs in others.