Month: July 2020

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard what had happened, 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.

Jesus teaches us a pattern that will mean even more to us later – “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves” (v. 19). Jesus reminds us to thank God for what we have been given, no matter how large or small. God is the source of all good gifts and without Him, we have nothing.

Jesus breaks the bread, as is done during the Jewish Passover celebration in order to share it with those attending the meal. Everyone is given a piece of the broken loaf. He shows us that this huge crowd is like the whole world, and we are to treat everyone as a family member at the table and share what we have with them.

Jesus also does something more – “Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people” (v. 19). This is our call to ministry, we are provided for and we must provide for others. Give thanks for the blessings you receive and pass them on!

Gracious God, we are grateful for all our many blessings, and Your loving care for us. Help us to care for all Your children in the same way, sharing the gifts we have received from You. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard what had happened, 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.

“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish” we say. We’re always telling the Lord how little we have with which to do the work. We operate from a position of scarcity rather than out of the abundance God has provided us. Jesus wants us to see that the gifts we have been given are enough and more.

The basis of our faith is that through Him all things are possible. He wants us to be a part of His work, but we must be willing to do as He bids, not following our own selfish motives. In order to give as He calls us to, we must be willing to give up what we have.

In verse 18 Jesus tells us “bring them here to me”. When we trust in Him, our gifts can be multiplied to work together for the good of all. By offering ourselves as He did, we are enabled to bring the gift of the Good News to the world.

Gracious God, you have blessed us beyond measure. Help us to use Your gifts wisely for the good of Your children everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard what had happened, 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.

This passage begins with Jesus and the disciples withdrawing to a solitary place (v. 13). He had just received word that King Herod had executed John the Baptist and even Jesus needed time to process this news. He knew the value of time alone with God and time spent with His disciples away from the crowds. Although it didn’t work out that way in this instance, Jesus is telling us to take a break now and then.

We may not see it now, but there has been a blessing of slowing down in this virus we face. It has caused us examine our actions in light of our own safety and that of others. While we may have different feelings about particular protective measures, we have all paused to think about what needs to be done. It has also made us spend time to those closest to us, perhaps rediscovering old activities at home or finding new ones to occupy our time.

My hope is that when the pandemic passes, we will have learned new things about our relationship with God and each other. While it may seem harsh as we go through it, perhaps it can bring us new perspectives about how we treat our brothers and sisters. The “solitary place” that we inhabit now can be the inspiration for better ways of serving.

Loving Lord, teach us Your ways. Let us learn to use the gifts You have given us to better serve Your creation. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard what had happened, 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.

The story of feeding the five thousand appears in all four Gospels (here in Matthew, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-15). This account shows the disciples attempting to send the people away and Jesus telling them instead “You give them something to eat” (v. 16). The Lord has some very important points to make to His disciples.

When He tells them to feed the people, He is indicating the huge responsibility His followers bear, to literally care for the whole world, represented by the large crowd. He knows they can’t do this, so it is a lesson in faith – they must believe that Jesus has the power. While Jesus needs no help from them, He calls them to be part of the solution, working with Him to resolve the situation.

Responsibility, faith and participation in the work of His kingdom – these are the lessons Jesus has for us here. They have not changed since the time of the disciples and as the disciples of today, we must answer the call Jesus makes on our lives. We show our love for Him by loving those around us.

Gracious God, we have received marvelous gifts from You to be able to accomplish Your will. Let us use these gifts wisely as we give back through our care for each other. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard what had happened, 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.

In this lesson, Jesus teaches us about faith and responsibility. When He withdraws to “a solitary place”, the crowds follow. The disciples are worried and ask Jesus to send the people away. Are they concerned for Jesus or themselves?

Jesus however has compassion on the crowd and heals the sick among them. He shows us that we are to love each other and care for their needs even when we don’t feel like it. Our personal feelings toward the responsibility God gives us won’t change the obligation.

Being aware of and dealing with the problems others face is difficult; don’t we have our own problems to deal with? The two people who passed by the injured man in the Parable of the Good Samaritan had other things to deal with and did nothing. Jesus calls this out as an example of ignoring our responsibility, and that we will be held accountable for our lack of action.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we have shirked the duty You have called us to and not done as You would. Help us to see our responsibility to each other and live as You have taught us. Amen.

Posted by Doug Olson on Sunday, July 26, 2020

Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:31-43.

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Jesus came to share the joy that a relationship with God brings. He wanted the whole world to know, but He wanted us to carry the Good News. That meant He had to teach us in ways we would understand. The stories we hear from the scriptures were intended for people that Jesus knew then; what sort of parables do you think He would share today?

I’m sure Jesus would find something that spoke to a majority of us, depending on our background. He would have examples that reached young and old, metro and rural, the comfortable and the struggling. Each of us would hear something that was familiar, but also something to ask Him questions about.

The disciples asked Jesus to explain the Parable of the Weeds to them that they might better understand its meaning. By asking in prayer and sharing in discussion with our brothers and sisters, we can also gain new meaning and guidance from the scriptures. Jesus wants us to be the ones to bring the story of God’s love to others but we must listen and learn first. “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matt. 13:43).

Loving Lord, we need Your love to save us and Your word to guide us. Help us to hear and understand that we may take the Good News to every corner of the earth. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:31-43.

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

While Jesus is anxious to share the blessings of God’s kingdom and His love with us, He also lets us know there will be consequences for those who do not obey God’s law. In verses 41-42 He tells us “The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus wants us to know that we have an obligation to God as our Creator.

During these troubled times we hear much about our rights, but along with rights go responsibilities. The Apostle Paul teaches “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others (1 Cor 10:23-24). He also cautions us “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God” (1 Cor 10:32). We are called to be an example for our brothers and sisters, showing God’s love through the way we treat each other.

Jesus wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves and to do that we must sometimes put their needs ahead of our own. We are responsible not only for our own actions but for the welfare of all God’s children, even when it is difficult. Jesus knows how hard this can be, but it doesn’t change the command to love one another.

Loving Lord, we are often so wrapped up in our own problems that we fail to see the issues around us, and realize that our concerns are part of them. Help us to be aware of those in need and how we can bring Your love into the situations we face. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:31-43.

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

When Jesus and the disciples are alone, they ask Him to explain the parable of the weeds he had told earlier. Jesus tells them what each of the examples stand for in the lesson. Jesus never kept the meaning of His teachings secret, but people had to want to know more to get the full understanding.

Jesus came to be with us and show us God’s love, but it is up to us to respond to that invitation. We may hear the parable but if we don’t ask questions and discuss what that teaching means in our lives, it remains just a story. Jesus wants us to be active participants, not just passive hearers.

Consider how you can make God’s word more a part of your life and your life more a part of God’s plan. Spend time in scripture, share your understanding and your concerns about what we are taught with those close to you, and listen for what God calls you to do in the world. Through intentional obedience to God’s will and serving each other as Christ did, we can be the children He intends us to be.

Gracious God, we are often overwhelmed by events in our world and confused by the lessons we hear. Calm our fears, open our hearts and teach us to use the gifts You give us to share Your love with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:31-43.

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Jesus quotes from Psalm 78:2, “I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old”, as part of this lesson. It was written long before that this method of teaching would be used by God’s Chosen One to help people learn about the kingdom. We can better understand our relationship with God and our responsibility through these short examples.

The Pharisees taught the people from a position of knowledge, and often their pride in their learning and their position got in the way. Jesus taught the people simply, relating directly to them using situations and objects with which they were familiar. We still need intelligent, learned teachers but it is important that people are able to understand the lesson.

An internet meme has Jesus ask “who do you say I am?” and the theologians reply “You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground of our being, the kerygma of which we find the ultimate meaning in our interpersonal relationships.” And Jesus said, “What?” I’m sure that some of these terms make sense to the theologically educated, but to most people they are just noise. We need to make sure the things we share about God and His love are understood by those we hope to reach, as Jesus did with His gentle teaching.

Loving Lord, sometimes we get wrapped up in how we do things and neglect why we do them and for whom. Help us to be caring and patient in our sharing of the Good News, that all may come to know You. Amen.