Passage of the Day:
When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. 12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” 13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over, Luke 9:10-17.
Reflection:
Based upon the words of a first century historian, apostles, a.k.a. the 12 disciples were excited to share with Jesus what they were able to accomplish in teams of two. Luke gives the impression that the disciples and Jesus were ready to call it a day. Despite withdrawing from the crowds, there was a spiritual hunger that spread throughout the land. Jesus embraced this hunger, welcoming the growing crowds as He spoke about the kingdom of God until late in the afternoon. While the disciples wanted everyone to leave so that there was enough time to eat dinner before darkness set in, Jesus had a different plan. After taking an inventory of what the disciples had to offer 5,000 men, excluding woman and children, Jesus saw an opportunity to provide daily bread.
Prayerful Action:
“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us today our daily bread, Matthew 6:9-11.
Developing the Spiritual Guts to Press On:
There are two life lessons Jesus is trying to teach His disciples. First, ministry can be exhausting as you reach out, serve and teach people about the kingdom of God. Second, ministry is never ending, even when you’re hungry, tired and weary. Jesus could have turned away this massive crowd. Yet, part of any ministry is seizing every opportunity that the Lord gives you. Although Luke never uses the term fortitude, Jesus demonstrates the courage and guts necessary to touch the lives of everyone He came in contact with on this particular day.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
This is my favorite song when I partake in communion. Whenever you sit down to eat, remember the feeding of the 5,000 as you thank God for proving you with daily bread.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 