Friday 6th June
Read Luke 9:14-17
“(About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, ‘Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” (NIVUK)
‘Take, bless, break and give’ are four words that are common to all accounts of the miraculous feeding in the gospels, the Last Supper itself and even the meal on the road to Emmaus. They highlight the significance of this event not just for those hungry folk on an ancient hillside, but for us today. For in those repeated words we hear our status – we are members of a new family, with Jesus at the head.
It is the head of the family’s responsibility to provide for their needs. We, as part of that same family two thousand years on, are also responsible to provide for the needs of those members in hard times, those members struggling in the wilderness. But it is not simply from our own resources that we need to draw for we can look to the head of the family to provide. And provide abundantly, and ultimately square things away perfectly.
“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: ‘The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.’” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15) (NIVUK)
