Reflection for March 1 – Sharon Richardson

Today’s passage from the Bible: Mark 6:30-44 

 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘How many loaves have you? Go and see.’ When they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Reflection: Sharon Richardson

Probably one of the most well-known miracles performed by Jesus is the miraculous feeding of five thousand. Jesus and the disciples had been on the road and badly needed rest. They were moving to a place of retreat. But as people saw them departing they ran ahead to the next possible meet-up. Jesus saw the desperate need of a lost people and was moved to compassion for how much they needed Him.  He felt their needs, their hunger, their pain, and their injuries and was moved to the deepest level.

He also knew their hearts. They wanted to make Jesus king, a worldly king. They wanted a deal where Jesus would solve their problems and their needs on their time. Even aware of this He stopped His plan, ignored His own weariness and began teaching. The weary disciples were taken aback at this change and wanted Jesus to send the people away. Instead Jesus wanted to use the opportunity to demonstrate the power of prayer, reliance on God and God’s provision. Jesus knew what they needed most was nourishment of both kinds, spiritual and basic sustenance. There are times when the needs of others must take precedence over our own wants and needs.

In this miracle, I can’t help but think of the season of Lent. This season is to an opportunity to draw closer in our relationship with God. It is a time of prayer, repentance, a time to focus with renewed interest on our relationship with God (minimize the distractions of daily life), and yet it is a time to also look outward to the needs of others and share, share by giving. Many observe the season by giving up certain indulgences as a form of self-discipline and penance, in a way paralleling Jesus’ time in the desert.

The season of Lent reflects this period where Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Jesus fasted forty day and forty nights and he suffered much like the people of that day and even some today. Lent gives us time to remember His obedience to His Father as well as remember the death and resurrection of Jesus.

This miracle of the five loaves of bread and two fish demonstrates that things happen and have a purpose, and miracles come in the response to faith-filled prayer. Miracles don’t happen just because there are wants and desperate needs but when we share His compassion for the poor, the hungry, the hurting and particularly the lost we are drawn into His work through the power of prayer.  Jesus took the bread and fish and the first thing he did was lift them in prayer, giving thanks to His Father, God, from whom all gifts come, and the miracle occurred. There was plenty for all, so abundant that the disciples collected all the leftovers and nothing went to waste, good stewardship.

This miracle of the bread and fish teaches us that through prayer, though co-operation, though sharing, everyone is welcome and included and worth the time to change plans and allow God’s plan to take precedence over our own wants and needs.

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