Post by Woody Williams on Sept 7, 2024 8:34:48 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Matthew 15:32-39
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Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion
for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and
have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for
they might faint on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where are
we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ Jesus
asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ They said, ‘Seven, and a few
small fish.’ Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he
took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke
them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to
the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the
broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were
four thousand men, besides women and children. After sending away the
crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
Devotional
----------
Bread plays an important role in the Biblical story. Bread is a sign
of God's care and compassion for God's creatures, including humans.
The manna in the wilderness sustained Israel day by day. The prophet
Elijah was sustained in the widow's home by a grain pot that never
emptied. In the wilderness Jesus had compassion on the crowd and fed
four thousand. God's presence is bread for the journey, whether to
feed the body, soul or spirit. In Holy Communion, as well as on our
dinner table, bread continues to be a sign that God journeys with us
and is present to our lives.
Prayer
----------
Bread of Life, feed my hunger for your presence and feed our
neighbors through your Body, the Church. Amen
----------
Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion
for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and
have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for
they might faint on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where are
we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ Jesus
asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ They said, ‘Seven, and a few
small fish.’ Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he
took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke
them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to
the crowds. And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the
broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Those who had eaten were
four thousand men, besides women and children. After sending away the
crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
Devotional
----------
Bread plays an important role in the Biblical story. Bread is a sign
of God's care and compassion for God's creatures, including humans.
The manna in the wilderness sustained Israel day by day. The prophet
Elijah was sustained in the widow's home by a grain pot that never
emptied. In the wilderness Jesus had compassion on the crowd and fed
four thousand. God's presence is bread for the journey, whether to
feed the body, soul or spirit. In Holy Communion, as well as on our
dinner table, bread continues to be a sign that God journeys with us
and is present to our lives.
Prayer
----------
Bread of Life, feed my hunger for your presence and feed our
neighbors through your Body, the Church. Amen