John 6:1-15 - Feeding Your Neighbor

John 6:1-15 NIV
The feeding of the 5000 is one of my favorite stories among many favorite stories. Such a miracle! But, today I'm not wondering so much about the miracle of five small barley loaves and two small fish feeding the multitude. Today, I am wondering about the miracle of this boy who was willing to give his five small barley loaves and two small fish to feed the multitude. Who was he? Where did he come from? Where were his parents? Were they lost in the crowd somewhere? How did he come to have these loaves and fish? What was going on in his head when he gave them to Jesus to feed the people around him? Was he reluctant? Was he excited over the prospect of feeding his "neighbors?"

How excited do you get over the prospect of feeding your neighbors with food for the body as well as the soul? Are you reluctant? Do you calculate how much you can actually give and still have enough for yourself to be a bit more than comfortable? Do not worry. These five small loaves and two small fish fed 5000 men plus women and children and they still had leftovers to gather up. Do we suppose that God cannot do this today as well? Give generously to those in need then of both food for the body and food for the soul and do it with a joyful spirit! Let's get a bit excited about our opportunity to be able to participate in the mission God has called us to. Let's get a bit more excited about living in His Kingdom, even today!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 6:30-55 - Miracles

Jesus feeds the multitude on five loaves of bread and two fish! Many have tried to reason away this miracle. But, let me ask you this: have you ever had a meal with God's children and did not have enough food to feed them all? I know that it has never happened at Zion or in communities that I have worshipped with or served. There have been a few meals where we may have run out of something, but there has always been something else to put on the plate to feed the people with. Most often we have so much left that we're busy trying to figure out who in the community we can bring food to that was not able to make it to the meal.

On Saturday, we held a funeral service for a very dear sister in Christ. The great crowd of people who came to hear the Gospel stood in the narthex as well as in the kitchen. While grieving our loss, it was a joyful celebration of her eternal life in Christ. When it came time for the fellowship meal, the line went up the stairs and into the narthex for a very long time. It never crossed my mind that we would not have enough food to feed them all, only maybe not enough chairs for them all to sit at. We all ate. We all sat (except for those who were serving). God provides.

We don't have to reason out how God performs the miracle of feeding the multitudes. We don't have to justify Jesus walking on water or how he did it. We don't have to figure out how Jesus heals the sick. Like Sylvia, we just know that He did and He does. Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J