Give them something to eat...

Today's Reading: Mark 6:30-44

The crowds were always clamoring around Jesus and His disciples. Their teaching was true and their compassion for the lost and hurting was evident to all. God did mighty works and drew many people to Him through His Son and His disciples.

In Mark 6, we read the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. It's a story that is recounted in all four gospels. And there is no getting around the miracle that was performed that day. Five loaves and two fish fed all those people with 12 baskets of leftovers to boot! If you have ever had to feed a bunch of people in a hurry, you know what a miracle that was!

But as is often the case with Jesus, I think there is something else going on here. The story starts out with the disciples reporting to Jesus all that they had done and taught. They were excited but tired...exhilarated but spent...and Jesus wants them to come away and get some rest.

The crowds couldn't stay away though. They recognized the apostles and ran ahead of them and when Jesus arrived, He had compassion on them and began to teach them. Late in the day, the disciples asked Jesus to send the people away so they could all be fed.

And Jesus said, "You give them something to eat." Even though He went on to perform the miracle that physically fed these folks, I think He was really trying to tell the disciples that they would always need to be prepared to "feed" the people. To love on them. To heal them. To teach them. To point them to Jesus. And yes, maybe to feed them actual food.

What if the crowds clamored around us to find out more about Jesus? What if they needed physical food, but so much more? Are we prepared? Will we do what we need to do to get prepared?

Right now at PR, our church family is being asked to pray, to prepare, and to feed the people that God is bringing to us on a weekly basis. Will you give them something to eat?

- Holly Barrett