DAILY BYTE
Yesterday, we spoke about the love of God. Throughout this week we are going to be reflecting more deeply on that love by looking at a particular story found in the Gospels.
The story of the feeding of the 5000 gives us some wonderful insights into the love of God for all people. Often when we encounter the miracle stories in the Gospels, we find ourselves sidetracked by the 'how' questions. Questions such as: How exactly did Jesus multiply a scarcity of food so that there would be more than enough for all?
While these types of questions have some value at certain times and places, I think that the most valuable question we can bring to this text is not 'how' but 'why'?
For as soon as we bring the question of 'why' to this text we immediately find the very essence of this miracle - that God's love and compassion for a hungry crowd moved him to miraculously feed them.
The story begins with Jesus hearing the news of his cousin's death, John the Baptist. We are told that Jesus immediately seeks to retreat from his ministry. We don't know exactly why he retreated so swiftly, but it was more than likely for a combination of reasons such as grief and the need to rest. So Jesus got on a boat and went to a 'solitary place'.
However, as soon as Jesus set foot in his chosen place of rest, he was swamped by the crowds who had followed him. This is where Jesus' compassion first strikes me. It can be really hard to love those who interrupt your rest!
Often my first reaction to such interruptions is one of irritation and exasperation. Yet Jesus' first reaction was compassion. He looked out at the crowd and saw their tremendous need. The Greek word used to describe Jesus' feelings towards the crowd literally conveys the idea of his heart contracting compulsively with compassion. Jesus' heart was 'squeezed' by love for the crowds.
This is vital for us to remember - if Jesus is the human face of God, then God is not some distant and disinterested being sitting on a throne somewhere. Instead, when God looks upon you as part of the great human crowd, God's heart is 'squeezed' with love for you.
Think about the people in your life that your heart gets 'squeezed' by - then think about how awesome it is that God feels that way, and more, about you!
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord God, our prayer today is that you would not only open our hearts to the reality of your love, but our minds as well. Help us to grasp the fully extent of your love, help us to be consumed by your compassion. For it is only in receiving your love, that our souls will find the food they truly need. Amen.
FOCUS VERSE
Matthew 14:13-14 (NIV)
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. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
