5,000 for Dinner

Of all the many miracles Jesus performed during his time here, I find this one most profound, not so much because of what he did, although it is certainly impressive, but because of when he did it. Jesus just learned that John had been beheaded.  He withdrew to a lonely place apart and prayed.  Then he went back among the crowd of people, healed their sick and fed them.  Whether there were 5,000 or 500 in the crowd is immaterial.  It is his action that is the important lesson.  How many of us would respond that way upon learning of the gruesome death of someone we loved?  If we had the power he had, most of us would be blasting the living daylights out of everyone and everything in sight; but he is showing us how we are meant to respond; always with love and compassion.

Scriptural Reference: Matthew 14:13-21

Now when Jesus heard this [about the beheading of John the Baptist], he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.

When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”

And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

E.J. Lefavour

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