Daily Lectionary – June 9, 2020

Morning Psalms 12; 146

First Reading Ecclesiastes 8:14-9:10

Second Reading Galatians 4:21-31

Gospel Reading Matthew 15:29-39

Evening Psalms 36; 7

 

Matthew 15:29-39

 

²⁹After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. ³⁰Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, ³¹so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

 

³²Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” ³³The disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” ³⁴Jesus asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” ³⁵Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, ³⁶he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ³⁷And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. ³⁸Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

 

I’m amazed at the crowds—crowds protesting, crowds celebrating, crowds attempting reform through the re-embodiment of human community. These past months we have lost what it’s like to be in a crowd, surrounded by others who are different from us. When we miss crowds we miss something of human connection and community. The crowd often follows Jesus—the lame, maimed, blind, and mute. The crowd is a character in the story of Jesus, like a chorus in a Greek tragedy. They all need something; and their chance to get it increases the closer they get to Jesus. We wonder what Jesus can do with so many people? He blesses loaves, and breaks them. His disciples hand them out so that everyone who comes into the presence of God can be full. When they run out of bread, Jesus offers his own body instead. It’s enough for the whole crowd.

 

God, let your Spirit come to us all—in healing, in hope, or in simple relief—that we would be full of your grace, all that we need from you. We pray in Christ. Amen.