Today’s reading, the feeding of the 5,000, is told in all four gospels. This is an important message for us. Let’s watch a re-enactment of it as told by John’s gospel HERE.
There are some differences between the versions, but I’m not going to focus on those. Instead, what struck me today was how hungry the people were. I’m not necessarily talking about a hunger for food, but for something deeper. It’s like Jesus had this magnet inside him and the people were drawn to him and wanted to swarm him everywhere he went, much like celebrities today who have to fight off paparazzi. Jesus was so much more than a famous person, he was God.
Are you hungry? Are you longing for a richer, deeper relationship with Jesus? Have you lost your spark and feel a bit dull?
There is hope for us all in that regard. We need not limit God’s ability to provide. We see it here firsthand. How much more he can provide for us when we ask. He can take what we have and multiply it. Why do we often forget that or deny that it can happen? Maybe because we haven’t seen such a miracle in person?
God can take a little flicker of faith and explode it into a blazing fire. Let’s not lose our faith and let what’s “normal” cloud our belief. God’s power has no limit, so why do we limit him? Probably because we are human. It is our nature to want to explain everything. If we can’t, we get frustrated. We have to let go of that and be seeking, ready to accept God’s provision.
What sort of message do you think we should take from Jesus’ command to pick up the leftovers so nothing gets wasted? As a global society, we should be very mindful of waste. Our planet is being overrun with waste products. Not a week goes by I don’t see something in the news about polluted water, mass murder of wildlife, smog alerts, etc. Tragic.
Living in Mexico, I’ve witnessed a completely different mindset about waste. While there is more litter in public places, people keep their own property immaculate (for the most part). If something is broken, it is not discarded and replaced with new. It is repaired time and time again, usually in very resourceful ways. It’s commendable. Coming from the United States, I had a very different perspective on “things” and the lifespan they had.
If you are hungry for more of Jesus, you need to simply reorganize your day a bit to fit in more quiet time with him. So much good can come from taking time to listen. Don’t be in a rush. Slow down. How can you expect to hear Jesus if your music is blaring or your head is full of other tasks and distractions?
Be still. Be fed.
Let’s pray. Lord, thank you for your word today. Thank you that we can come before you just as we are. You will feed us and give us the food we are searching for. Help me to close out the distractions that keep me from spending more time with you. Forgive me for my lack of attention at times. I want to zoom in to you and your truth. I want to live my life in praise to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
