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32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

 

Have you ever been really hungry? So hungry that you could eat shoe leather? The three thousand had been with Jesus for three days in a remote wilderness with only what they had brought with them. It appears to me that they were so hungry for the word of God that they didn’t care about their physical hunger.

Jesus was concerned about their spiritual hunger and their physical hunger because of his compassion for us. Jesus understands us better then we can understand ourselves, so he feeds us daily with holy direction through the Holy Spirit. This feeding strengthens our faith and helps us have the strength to meet the demands of the day because Jesus has our back! So, as I face the demands of life I am thankful for Jesus, his teachings, his love and his understanding of the help we need to live fully.

Let us pray: Father thank you for the gift of life you sent to us through Jesus’s teachings Help us to feel his presence and his love as we navigate our confusing world. Amen.

Robert Carrothers

robert.carrothers@gmail.com