July 31 - Matthew 14

Another Look at Matthew 14.13-21

Now when Jesus heard that John the Baptizer had been killed by Herod, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 

When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 

When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ 

Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ 

They replied, ‘We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’ 

And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ 

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 

And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 

And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

It’s the first part of this reading that I am struck by today.  Jesus withdrew to a deserted place.  He does this after John the Baptizer has been killed by Herod. 

In the gospel story for next week, Jesus will send the disciples off in a boat, and he will go off by himself to pray.

I am struck by Jesus’ need for alone time.

It can be so very easy to get caught up doing lots and lots of different tasks, that we don’t take time to just sit and be. Or time to reflect.

I need this reminder, so that I can do the work God asks of me.

In this reading Jesus responds with compassion.

I’ll leave you with that for today.

Let us pray:  Lord even you took time to be away from the crowds.  You took time to pray.  What did you do when you prayed?  Did you run?  Did you fish?  Did you cook?  Did you simply walk?  Alone?  Remind us that life does not always consist of checking tasks off our to-do lists.  But you desire to spend time with us.  As you do that, re-fill our lives so that we can respond with compassion to the needs of people around us.  In your name we pray.  Amen.