Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21
Dear Church,
Each January our community returns to its mission–inviting all to serve and come alive in Christ–to review, to renew, to recommit. This Sunday, we focus on the call to serve that’s at the center of our common life and the story of the feeding of the crowd in Matthew 14. Most bibles give this passage of scripture the subtitle ‘Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand,’ but it wasn’t Jesus who did the feeding. The disciples ended up feeding the people that day, but only after they tried to send them away.
The disciples had been serving the crowd with Jesus all day. They noticed the growing hunger in the crowd, but assumed it was not their job. They came to Jesus and asked him to send the people away so they could find food for themselves. After all, they signed up to ‘fish for people,’ not feed them fish. They assumed people were responsible for caring for their own physical needs.
They were wrong.
They didn’t understand the assignment.
And we continue to struggle. Some of us feel that people’s spiritual needs are all that matter. Others of us are convinced that our call is only to meet physical needs. A few understand that everything, every need, every encounter is spiritual, but are paralyzed by their own limited resources.
Today we consider how the power of Jesus still flows through us to meet the needs we notice.
Peace,
Pastor Kate
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