Meeting Needs
Opening Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You give lavishly and abundantly. Thank You that You can take what I have and multiply it.
Read Matthew 14:13-21
[13] When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. [14] When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. [15] As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” [16] Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” [17] “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. [18] “Bring them here to me,” he said. [19] And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. [20] They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. [21] The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What do you have to offer Jesus?When I was an apartment-sharing student, the six of us used to eat our evening meal together. So we had a rotation for cooking it. Often we would have unexpected guests, and we would need a childhood adage: “Family hold back.” In other words, the guests were the priority for receiving food. Interestingly enough, no one ever went hungry.The disciples had their own plan for ensuring that the hungry people on the mountain were fed. They would send them to the village to fend for themselves. But Jesus had other ideas. Hurting from the news about the death of John the Baptist, he was still conscious of the needs of others. And if that meant providing food for all these people, then that is what he would do. Jesus had already done miracles of healing, and we might think (especially in our experience of rarely, if ever, going really hungry), that this was something minor and not worth bothering about. But Jesus cares for the whole person. And he always gives us what we need. How ready are we, in turn, to be a part of the answer to someone else’s need?
Apply
Invite someone to share a meal with you. Make it a gift to Jesus, both in whom you invite and all you offer.
Closing prayer
Generous Father, I desire to be in step with You as You bring the bread of life to the world. Help me to be ready.
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