Luke 9: 10-17

 How many times have we said, “I’m starving”?  How many times have we really been “starving”!  I am sure most of us never go to bed with a grumbling tummy – screaming from hunger.  Most of us have never looked into our cabinets and said, “the cupboard is bare”!  For this we Thank you God!

 In this Chapter of Luke, Jesus was traveling around teaching, preaching, healing (as were the Disciples) continuing his miracles.  When Jesus returned, he gathered up his Disciples and took them away to a town near Bethsaida .  Crowds got wind of this gathering and followed.  Of course Jesus welcomed them and he continued to preach, teach and heal!  As the day declined, the Twelve said, “Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat.  We’re out in the middle of nowhere.”  “You feed them”, Jesus said.

   Well, we all know the end to this story.  The Disciples knew they did not have the ability to feed this crowd – some five thousand.  Once they followed Jesus’ instructions, and seated everyone in groups of about 50, they watched “as he took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke and gave the bread and fish to the Disciples to hand out to the crowd”.  There were leftovers.

 As Christians, and through our faith, our tables are always full, and we always have leftovers.  Through prayer, we ask God to feed our body, mind and spirit – and through Grace we receive and rejoice all we are given.

Dearest Lord – thank you for always feeding us with your love, with Grace through the Holy Spirit, with your body and blood.  As we continue our Lenten walk, help us to remember, through you all things are possible.  Let us remember to always give ‘you’ our thanks!  Amen.

 Cindy Marcus