Devotion - Tuesday, March 8

The Gospel of Mark contains a second feeding of thousands.  In Mark 8, there is what might be considered a repeat of the story in Mark 6.  In Mark 6, 5,000 are fed with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish; in Mark 8 it is 4,000.

I would remind you that these stories, of Jesus feeding thousands of folks with just a small amount of food, are in all the Gospel accounts.  This is an indication of the significance placed upon the stories by the earliest of followers.  They knew something significant was revealed about Jesus in these events.

Mark even has two such stories.

We too often live with a false notion of scarcity.  We look at the loaf and we think, "there are only so many pieces."  We are too inclined to get a piece for ourselves (and one for latter in the day when we are once again hungry) all the while ignoring the hunger of those around us.  We do not have the courage to share our bread.

These stories in Mark 6 and Mark 8 will be considered by some as naive.  They will encourage us to look out for ourselves and take care of number 1.  Such thinking invades our culture and too often dominates our communities.  It will not be so among us.  We will trust Jesus to take what we offer, bless it, and return it.  It comes back to us and to the other 3,999 who stand around us.

There is a greater likelihood of our souls shriveling up inside us from a hardening of our hearts that there is of our stomachs collapsing from lack of food.