Feeding the Five Thousand

Luke 9:1-36

To title this passage the feeding of the five thousand doesn't let us know what we are in for. There is a lot more  than the one incident today. This says that Jesus sent the disciples out with authority to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. They were not to take anything extra for their journey-just go. They were not to worry about how they were received-just go. They were to do the work, and leave when they were done. Interesting. Sometimes we want to prepare for every contingency, and once we get somewhere we want to settle in and stay. and we always worry about what people will think and how we will be received, and yet this isn't about any of those things. This reminds me of Abraham all those years ago, when God says I will send you to a new place, and by going there you will be blessed, and you will be a blessing.

Verses 7-9 say Herod is perplexed by Jesus; he knows he has already killed John the Baptizer (who told him things he didn't want to hear) but who is this new person that the people are listening to? Herod wishes to know, since it should be Herod the people listen to-as far as Herod is concerned.

Now we come to this story of the feeding of five thousand men. Was this a men's retreat? Were there others with them, did this mean five thousand households? Well anyway, that is beside the point. The point is there were a LOT of people and there were not any stores nearby to buy food, and with only five loaves and two fish there couldn't have been enough food...and yet there was enough so that everyone was fed and satisfied. How did that happen, and why did that happen? It is good to feed people who are hungry, but I think there was more to it than that. How did five loaves of bread feed that many people? When we ask a blessing over the food does it grow to meet the need? I don't think this normally works this way...but when Elijah went to the starving widow their meager rations stretched to feed the family for as long as was needed. Hmmm.

The next thing we read about is Jesus asking who the crowds think he is, and they tell him John the baptist (come back to life-how often does that happen?) others say Elijah-ok we can maybe see why but still, how often do people come back to life? and then Peter says you are the Christ of God. Peter was saying you are the anointed one of God. Ok I think I can see where he might say that.

Why shouldn't they tell anyone? I think because people need to find this out for themselves. Being told is not enough. I've been told lots of things, but it doesn't mean I believe them all. Being told isn't enough. Jesus says the Son of Man is going to suffer and be killed and raised. Being told is not enough.

If anyone wants to follow me...they must do it daily. This is not a one time thing. This is not something our parents or grandparents did and bring us along. Then Jesus says there are some standing here who will see the kingdom of God before they die. What is this kingdom?

A week later...Jesus goes with the guys (three of them) up the mountain while he was praying. His face and his clothes became dazzling white-and all of a sudden two men were talking with Jesus: Moses and Elijah. They talked with him and told him about the things that he was accomplishing. The guys were 'heavy with sleep' but when they became fully awake they wanted to stay there-without knowing why just that it was a special time and by extension maybe they were special? But out of the cloud came the voice saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!" And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Hmm, this same admonition not to tell anyone. Would they try to be special by association? Was it that it wasn't yet the time? Was it that being told is not enough? This voice in the cloud said listen. Let's see what he has to say, and if they do.

See you tomorrow.
-maggie