Joining with God
A reading for Thursday, October 15, 2015: John 6:1-14.
“Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” The problem seemed insurmountable to the disciples. How could they do what Jesus was asking? To feed so many without any resources seemed impossible.
Notice, however, that God does not simply rain down manna from heaven as in the stories from the Exodus. Of course God could just feed the five thousand in any way God chooses. Notice God participates with the disciples, or perhaps it's more accurate to say the disciples get to join in with what God is doing.
They find the boy with loaves and fishes. They bring him to Jesus who blesses and sends them out to distribute the simple meal person to person. The disciples are even sent to gather up the broken pieces so that nothing is wasted, as Jesus instructs. It is then, when they have finished joining with God in the work of demonstrating God's wonders, that the people see the power and grace of God. “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world,” they say.
And so it is with us. Sometimes the problems that face us and the world around us are impossible. Surely nothing can be done about this or that. How could we ever bring peace, or justice, or food or shelter, or dignity to this world? And so on...
We forget in moments such as this that we only join with God, participating in what God is already doing in the world around us. We do our part, and God does wonders, and all the world is able to see the power and the grace of God.
“Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” The problem seemed insurmountable to the disciples. How could they do what Jesus was asking? To feed so many without any resources seemed impossible.
Notice, however, that God does not simply rain down manna from heaven as in the stories from the Exodus. Of course God could just feed the five thousand in any way God chooses. Notice God participates with the disciples, or perhaps it's more accurate to say the disciples get to join in with what God is doing.
They find the boy with loaves and fishes. They bring him to Jesus who blesses and sends them out to distribute the simple meal person to person. The disciples are even sent to gather up the broken pieces so that nothing is wasted, as Jesus instructs. It is then, when they have finished joining with God in the work of demonstrating God's wonders, that the people see the power and grace of God. “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world,” they say.
And so it is with us. Sometimes the problems that face us and the world around us are impossible. Surely nothing can be done about this or that. How could we ever bring peace, or justice, or food or shelter, or dignity to this world? And so on...
We forget in moments such as this that we only join with God, participating in what God is already doing in the world around us. We do our part, and God does wonders, and all the world is able to see the power and the grace of God.
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