Bread and Fish

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. Bring them here to me," he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children."

Most of us have read this story before and tend to focus on the bit about Jesus multiplying the loaves and fish. The miracle becomes that Jesus made much out of little. It's easy to get lost in the physical miracle. It would certainly be a cool thing to see but I don't think that's the point for the original audience. After all, Matthew points out that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, in Chapter 1. What is it for the God who spoke into being everything to make a few more loaves and fish?

The real miracle is that Jesus, God with us, actually cared in the first place. See, in the first century gods didn't care about people. At worst people were playthings and, at best, only the rich and powerful were considered blessed. Jesus flips the script on all of that. He was moved by compassion for those who were sick, hungry and alone. He wants to spend time healing those who are sick and feeding those who are hungry. Through Jesus we learn that God is moved with compassion by the least, the last, and the lost.

Who do you know that you can reach out to this week? Someone who is hungry for companionship? Someone who needs to know that they are not alone? Or maybe you can go feed someone who is hungry? Take the opportunity this week to love the least, the last, and the lost.