Scarcity Meets Sufficiency
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
Today’s Text: Matthew 14:13-21 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
After hearing about the death of John the Baptist, Jesus withdraws to a place of solitude. He is probably grieving the death of his dear friend and spending that time in prayer unto God the Father. However as Jesus is withdrawing, the crowds that were following him continue to follow. Instead of turning them away, this morning’s devotion shows us that Jesus had compassion on the crowd and healed those that were sick. Christ’s heart reveals that compassion is not based on our emotional capacity but that it was within His character and attributes to show love even when it might’ve not been always convenient. A powerful display of God’s unconditional love for the people.
Jesus teaches us that true compassion and love is not reactive but should be rooted in our identity. When our hearts are shaped by the gospel, love becomes less about how we feel and more about who we are becoming in Christ. Yes there will be moments when we are tried, grieving, or simply overwhelmed. Yet in these moments are the times when God may still place someone in need before us, sometimes the ones that we are not paying attention to in the first place. Life goes on they say, but our response to those interruptions is what we must rely and depend on the Lord to shape us by the gospel. Do we let our circumstances determine our love for others or do we allow the character of God to shape it? We must pray for a heart that reflects His unconditional love even when we are tired.
As the evening approached, the disciples began to urge Jesus that He should send the crowd away. It was a practical concern that the disciples had as supper was approaching and the only food that they had was five loaves and two fishes. It wasn’t enough to feed the crowd. Jesus’ response to the lack of resources is simple yet powerful. He calls upon the disciples the bring the five loaves and two fishes. Jesus blessed the food, broke bread, and gave. A miraculous display of His power was shown as all the people were fed and satisfied in their stomach. Not only were the five thousand fed (the figure might’ve been more if you include women and children) but twelve baskets were left over. God’s provision is not barely sufficient but it overflows.
The reality of this miracle seen is the fact that the whole miracle began with surrendering the five loaves and two fishes to Jesus. In the beginning, the disciples were concerned and only focused on what they had lacked but Jesus focused on what was available. The reality is that sometimes we may hesitate because we feel inadequate or that we are lacking. Yet Jesus does not ask for what we do not have, He asks for what we have and are willing to place those things in His hands. When we surrender those things, it is as the hymn goes… “Little is much when God is in it.”
Ultimately, the miracle of the feeding of five thousand here in our passage this morning points us to the heart and sufficiency of Christ. It is through God’s love that we see a Savior displaying His heart of compassion. It is through God’s sovereignty that we see a Lord who multiples beyond limitation. This passage reminds us that the Christian life is not about us or our reaction but about surrendering and trusting in God, who is enough for all things. Let us not calculate our options but surrender them to Him.
