Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21
This is a short story with many parts. Jesus is mourning the murder of his cousin, John the Baptist, and yearns to be by himself. A crowd of 5000 men (plus women and children) follow Jesus. Rather than turn them away so that he can mourn alone, Jesus has compassion for the great number of people who have followed him. He spends time healing them, and when he is finished it is late. His disciples urge him to send the crowd home, to find food as they might. But Jesus again has compassion for the masses. There follows a massive picnic, where the scant amount of food provided by the disciples is able to feed so many that there are baskets of leftovers. Today’s scripture asks us, what would happen if we looked (and responded) with compassion on those around us? What would it look like in our homes, our neighborhoods and our communities if we blessed and shared what we had, and trusted those who shared with us?
Watch- June 4, 2020
Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21
The feeding of the 5000 is found in all four Gospels. It is a compelling story, full of action. It’s no surprise that it has been an inspiration to artists for millennia. We invite you to investigate a few ver...
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Read- June 4, 2020
Scripture: Mathew 14:13-21
Read this 2014 article by Rachel Held Evans, “ From the Lectionary: 5,000 Companions. ” The author tells us that this has long been her favorite story, and that as a little girl, she imagined herself right in t...
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Listen- June 4, 2020
Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21
Listen to the audio re-telling of today's passage at this link . (Scroll down to "audio telling" in order to listen.)
After listening to the audio, discuss these questions: Did a particular word or phra...
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Do- June 4, 2020
Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21
Jesus fed the multitudes by noticing those around him, welcoming them and offering them nourishing food. How might you share with others? Here are a couple of ideas:
Locate your local food pantry using an o...
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Pray- June 4, 2020
Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21
Jesus feeds the multitudes is a story of God’s blessing for everyone who hungers, no matter who they are. It is a vision of God’s Dream for all people. The Hebrew scriptures are full of visions of the world ...
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