If you and I were bystanders and heard Jesus say to the disciples, ‘Feed them’, how would we have reacted? I can think of several committees I’ve been with, planning fund raising dinners. Feeding 500 takes hours of planning, let alone 5000. Obedience to what Jesus wanted was the window to the way the Kingdom operates. Surrendering my misgivings, doubts, and lack of faith in what I know to be true is letting my limited view go. I cannot control outcomes, but our Triune God has everything under control.
“The Upside-Down Kingdom -
The Kingdom is where everything is turned upside down. Those who are marginal, those considered not respectable, are suddenly proclaimed as the people who are called to the Kingdom. The part of us that is weak, broken, or poor suddenly becomes the place where something new can begin. Jesus says, “Be in touch with your brokenness. Be in touch with your sinfulness. Turn to God because the Kingdom is close at hand. If you are ready to listen from your brokenness then something new can come forth in you.”
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6: 33) - Henri Nouwen
“The central message of the story is captured in the twelve baskets of leftovers. The twelve baskets call to mind the twelve tribes of Israel—the people of God. They also represent the abundance found in the kingdom. In the kingdom, there is more than enough for all the people of God. This abundance challenged the scarcity thinking of the disciples. Their response to Jesus said, “There isn’t enough. There are too many people. It costs too much.” Scarcity thinking is driven by anxiety. It is inherent to the human condition.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford
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