Most people know the story. A hungry crowd of 5,000 men, plus women and children, are gathered together in a “desolate place” because they had heard that Jesus was there and they had it in mind to follow Him, be with Him, hear Him speak to them because they were amazed by what He said, because He spoke with such authority, and because He had compassion on them to heal their sick.
You might say, they hungered for Jesus’ presence but by eventide, they were also hungry for something to eat. And Jesus instructs His closest followers saying: “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16)
Feeding the 5,000 + would take a miracle with only five loaves of bread and two fish on hand, according to the text of Matthew 14:13-21.
And we might be reminded that even here in Cook County, the Food Shelf supplies hungry individuals and families with a “miracle” every month in order to compassionately sustain and nourish them with just one of life’s core essentials: food!
And I know what a blessing it is to have “meals-on-wheels,” dining at the Senior Center, NAPS, and the food program called Ruby’s Pantry down in Silver Bay. When you’re hungry, you go where there’s food!
We live in a world of hungry people–physically and spiritually hungry. We compassionately want to do something about it and may send them somewhere for help. And just when we think we’ve solved the problem through our knowledge and ingenuity, Jesus startles us with the words: “Bring them here to me” (v. 17).
Without a grocery store or C-store in sight, without the convenience of a food truck nearby or an in-house caterer, five loaves and two fish presented an impossible means to feed so many. In the terms of a modern expression, “It would take a miracle!”
And if you believe the Words recorded by the Gospel writer, Matthew, which say: “Jesus taking the five loaves and the two fish looked up to heaven and said a blessing, then broke the loaves (or divided them up so as) to feed the people and they all ate and were satisfied and the disciples took up 12 baskets full of the broken pieces left over.”
It can only be described as a miracle. Impossible? Not for Jesus, God’s Son, our Savior.
We live in a world of hungry people–physically and spiritually. Jesus says to us: “You, bring them to Me.”
In recognition of who God is and in faithful response to what good things He has done for us through Christ Jesus, our crucified and risen Savior, we invite the hungry to come into His presence and hear His divine Word spoken. He takes our Godgiven gifts and multiplies them. He bestows on us all His mercy and grace to redeem us, forgive us, restore us, and make us His own to live under Him in His kingdom to serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.
Impossible? Yes, on our own, but with Him, all things are possible as He supplies the world of people in it with Himself saying: “I am the Bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) Yes, my friends, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This week our contributor is Reverend Dean Rudloff, Life In Christ Lutheran Church (now located at 2017 West Hwy 61, Grand Marais), a church of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
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