Daily Bread

In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way — and some of them have come from a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’ Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

Where the **** is Dalmanutha? Did you know that no-one knew where Dalmanutha was until recently, when in 2013, archaeologists discovered a 2000 year old town on the shores of the Sea of Galilee? How cool is that!? Anyway, Dalmanutha was simply the town Jesus headed to after this miracle and not the point of the story.

I love that Jesus had compassion on the crowds who were following him. I do not know if the fact that they had been following him for three days was a sign — for we all know what happened to Jesus on the 'third' day — but this miracle, again, points to the superabundance of God. The fact that there were seven basketfuls left over points to there being 'not just enough' but more than enough food for everyone. It also points to this being a God-provision and not our own provision. In the same way, it is not that God provides an abundance of forgiveness and grace based on our levels of repentance or how much we give. No, this is all God's work.

However, there is also something about the fact that Jesus started with food that the people had provided. Although Jesus does not 'need' it, I love the fact that he starts with what we bring to the table and that he honours our contribution. In the same way, ministry between us and God is a partnership. All we need to do is offer up all that we have, even if it is meagre and no where near enough, and let God do the rest.

Holy God
Thank you that you are my provider,
and that your grace, love, and mercy is superabundant.
Thank you for honouring my own gifts and talents —
that which I bring to the table.
Today, I offer you my life,
all that I was, all that I am, and all that I will be,
for your loving service.