Thursday 11 February 2016

Psalm: Psalm 34:1-10

Background

The "again" in the first verse draws attention to the fact thatthis is the second account of Jesus feeding a great crowd (see Mark6:33-44). The stories are similar, but there are differences.They are both set in a deserted place. This would have reminded thelisteners of the story of the Israelites hunger in the wildernessafter they escaped from slavery in Egypt, before they reached thePromised Land (Exodus 16). In transitional places, the normalprovisions which sustain us may have disappeared. We miss them andare hungry. And we don't always remember to trust God to providefor us in these strange places.

Jesus had compassion on the crowd, recognising their hunger.Sadly, despite the experience of the first miracle of the feedingof 5,000, this second time the disciples still cannot imagine howthe crowds might be fed. Like us, they are slow learners!

Once again, there were a few loaves and some fish available.Once again, Jesus gave thanks for what was available, broke it andgave it to the disciples to distribute to the crowds who ate andmiraculously had their fill. The closer we are to Jesus, it seems,the more he calls us to share in his work of compassion.

The differences in the two stories are mostly in details of thenumbers involved:

• In the first story the crowd have nothing to eat for a day, inthe second it is three days.
• In the first story there are five thousand men, in the secondfour thousand.
• In the first story there are five loaves, in the secondseven.
• In the first story there are twelve baskets of leftovers, inthe second seven.

Some have thought that the first story represents God amplyproviding for the Jews, and the second for the Gentiles (non-Jews).Others have wondered whether the story shows how slow the disciplesare to recognise the significance of who Jesus is - God's Messiahamply providing for the needs of the whole of humanity. It was morethan they could understand.

To Ponder

• Describe a situation where, like the disciples, you have feltoverwhelmed by the sense of the need in a situation, and feltinadequate to do anything about it. What happened?

• What does being thankful and thanking God mean in a situation,where you don't think you have enough? Have you tried it, and whatwas your experience?

• Think of, and describe, an occasion where you offered thelittle that you had and God used it beyond all your expectation.Give thanks for that.