March to the Cross
Monday March 22, 2021
Jesus: King of Provision Focus: Jesus feeds five thousand; some believe, some question.
Today’s verses: Exodus 16:4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day…”
John 6:48-51 (Jesus said), “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate bread in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
John 6:60 Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?”
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
We all are probably familiar with this scene in the Bible. Jesus spent some time preforming miracles on the sick which peeked the attention of many. This crowd began to follow and multiplied to about 5000. Jesus did yet another thing that only He could do: He fed all 5000 with only 5 loaves and two fish. Can you imagine what it would have been like to be in that crowd following a man who reportedly healed the sick and now feeds the masses out of almost nothing? Yes, I’m sure these people were hungry and in need physical food, however were they aware of their need of spiritual sustenance as well ? Were the “dots” connecting for them? I think I would have been be very much caught up in the “magic” this man had performed. How did He do this? Is this a magic man or is this indeed the Prophet of the world? I can only imagine the conflicting thoughts many might have had.
How about you? If you were one of the 5000 that was miraculously fed by Jesus, would you have gotten caught up in the physical miracle, or in the spiritual truth that Jesus was trying to teach about Himself?
For further reading: John 6
King of Provision, May we all recognize that You are who You say you are: the Bread of life. Help us to reach for the daily feeding You offer and not get distracted by earthy things. Keep our eyes on You, Jesus. May we reflect this to others so they will look deeper into what You so freely offer to all. Thank you for calling us out and giving us the One thing we cannot live without- YOU! We are grateful we have the opportunity to grow in You daily and ask that we may glorify You with each day we live on this earth. Amen.
