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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We are moving on to Matthew Chapter 14 and verse 13. The setting is after the death of John the Baptist and Jesus continues ministering. Nothing would put Jesus off. It was as if Jesus wanted to get away and be on His own. His cousin had just been beheaded.
It is as if He is being interrupted, but He had compassion upon needy people.
Nevertheless the crowds came. Jesus welcomed them, and spoke to them, healing those who needed healing. Wonderful!
He feeds them with spiritual food, and, when they are hungry He feeds them with physical from what is available - 5 loaves and 2 fish.
It is in all four Gospels and the different writers are selective.
Thousands of people began to walk around the north end of the Lake of Galilee to the place where Jesus was with His disciples.
Jesus looked up and saw the people. He knew they had travelled far. He knew they were tired, and hungry.
In John Chapter 6, Jesus asks Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Jesus was testing Philip. Jesus already knew what He was going to do. Jesus is concerned about the people. Jesus Christ continues to be concerned about people.
Philip’s calculating pessimism is expressed. Six or eight months wages would not buy enough bread for this vast number of people. Jesus had pessimists around then just as we have today.
Jesus, we can’t do it. Jesus, we can’t do that. Jesus, it can’t be done. Jesus, it’s impossible.
Andrew speaks up. “Lord, there’s a boy here with five small rolls and two small fish, but that is not very much among so many people.
It is his own piece. It is his packed-lunch.
Verse 19. Make the people sit down. There were around 5,000 men, plus women and children.
Jesus took the bread and the fish, gave thanks, and He distributed the bread and the fish. He just kept breaking off more and more bread and fish, until the people were fed and filled and satisfied.
When the disciples gathered up the crumbs, they filled twelve baskets.
Were there gasps? Did the disciples look at one another? There appeared to be more left over than they had to start with.
Jesus Christ has always ministered to people so that they might be fed, and filled, and satisfied.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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