Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus heard that his cousin, John the Baptist had been killed,
he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
Jesus replied,
"They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
"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.
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His cousin, barely in his 30's, older than Jesus by just a few months was needlessly killed by Herod, the man Jesus would soon stand before as well. John wasn't just killed but beheaded, his head sawed off his body and then presented to entertain guests at a dinner party. Herod's spineless maliciousness exposed; how would he choose to kill next? The remaining parts of John's body cast aside, violating the Jewish law command that a body must be buried with all parts amputated or removed, making his death not just horrifying but also deeply offensive. When Jesus hears these details he gets into a boat where he sits, rocked gently by the very water his cousin used to baptize him and others. He passively paddles to a place where he can be alone.
That wasn't to be. Word had traveled of Jesus' whereabouts and when he got to the shore, a massive crowd of people were already waiting for him, seeking to be taught and healed. We don't know if any of these people knew about John, perhaps Jesus was the one to tell them. Whatever he taught that day, the crowd was entranced and stayed as the sun set, drinking in Jesus' words. Rather than dismissing them to get dinner, Jesus was given five loaves of bread and two fish which he used to feed more than 5,000 people.
I always wonder where Jesus got the strength to deal with that crowd. He must have felt so empty and distracted, yet somehow, as water lapped the shore where he stood, Jesus went on to perform one of his most famous miracles, fulfilling the words of which John had spoke. The work was carried on. Recently I heard someone say that you might feel like you've been buried, but to God you've only been planted. At times we might feel like we have nothing to give but those are beautiful moments because we know everything we receive is from God. When our view is completely dark and obstructed, we know it is God who is guiding us, providing for us, leading us upward and outward. Add a little bit of water and God's miracles will abound.
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