“Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five; and two fish.” Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.” Mark 6:36-44
It is interesting to read of the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand in Mark as it has a few more details than how it was described in Matthew; still quite an impressive miracle. In 1998 John Hall asked Pastor Revenel Benoit after seeing 42 listless children in a school at Tarrasse, “How can we help?; the beginning of another miracle. The first Trinity/HOPE feeding began in that school with 42 children and now, 18 years later, there are over 22,500 children being fed in 115 Christian schools throughout Haiti; a miracle that could not have taken place without God’s hand guiding and providing. You can be a miracle to these four children. A dollar is all it takes to provide their lunch today; twenty five dollars would easily cover the entire month for them. I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Stay with us’ that were written by Walter L. Pelz in 1926.
“Stay with us, till night has come; our praise to You this day he sung. Bless our bread, open our eyes; Jesus be our great surprise. Walk with us, our spirits sigh; hear when our weary spirits cry. Feel again our loss, our pain; Jesus take us by Your side. Walk with us, the road will bend; make all or weeping, wailing end. Wipe our tears, forgive our fears; Jesus lift the heavy cross. Talk with us, till we behold a joyful life You will unfold. Heal our eyes to see the prize; Jesus take us to the light. Stay with us, till day is done; no tears, no dark shall dim the sun. Cheer the heart, Your grace impart; Jesus bring eternal life.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay