the 10th sunday after pentecost
the PRAYER …
O God, eternal goodness, immeasurable love, you place your gifts before us; we eat and are satisfied. Fill us and this world in all its need with the life that comes only from you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
the READING …
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” john 6:24-35
the DEVOTION …
We get so carried away by the math! Five loaves! Two fish! A crowd of thousands! Twelve baskets of leftovers! The miracle, for us, is always the bottom line! How it adds up! We get so swept up in the numbers that we miss the story! Jesus crossing the sea. The crowd strung out behind him. Jesus going up the mountain. The only thing missing is pharoah in hot pursuit! Then, like an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence, Jesus feeds the people! Just! Like! Moses!
But this is where Jesus loses the multitudes … They’re expecting something spectacular! Something sensational! They assume the heavens will open and angels will drop out! After all, that’s how they’d do it … if they were god! But instead of angels, it’s just a boy. A boy with a brown bag. Five loaves. More cracker than loaf, actually. Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to the people. And then, he talks as if something marvelous just happened! And the crowd’s confused. Where’s the angels? The manna? The magic? The miracle? They look around. Befuddled. Bemused. “Where’s the bread from heaven?” Jesus smiles. “I’m right here!”