Matthew 14:13-21 and Mark 6:30-44
…and taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing. (Matthew 19b) Looking forward to the Last Supper…?? Mark is even more explicit: …He looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves… (Mark 6:41b) And further in Mark: As they were eating, He took bread, blessed and broke it… (Mark 14:22a) In Cana at the wedding feast Jesus turned water into wine. So these miracles by Jesus earlier in His earthly life are also looking forward to His Passion week. Touching…!
See also: May 15 / Matt. 14:13-21; May 16 / Mark 6:30-44
Bingo! But it is more than just touching, it reveals Truth.
I was struck by two things. One is that Jesus didn’t make the food out of nothing. When the meager fish and loaves were offered/given to Him, then he multiplied them, to abundance. We offer what we have, then He does the rest. How comforting! We aren’t supposed to do it all yet we aren’t supposed to do nothing.
The second is in Mark’s retelling. He saw they were like sheep without a shepherd, in other words, in grave danger. And He had compassion. What did He do? He started preaching, telling them the good news. Was this a prelude to the Sermon on the Mount?
Excellent point, Debbie, that God does not fix our earthly problems by himself (even though He certainly could), but requires our efforts or resources toward the problems in accordance with God’s will; and He will multiply the effects in abundance. We often pray for World Peace, or the abolishment of World Hunger, but what are we doing about it ourselves that can be multiplied? Lots to think about.