Running With Mark 45
Day Forty-Five – February 11, 2020
Read:
I have spent many years working in children’s ministry. Music is a great way to teach children the Bible and the faith. The only problem is that those songs get stuck in my head. During VBS week, I will wake up in the middle of the night with that year’s theme song running through my head.
Music has always been a powerful way for me to memorize Scripture. I learned the Books of the Bible by singing a song, so if you ever see me at the front of a sanctuary, turning pages in the big Bible, chances are good I am singing the Books of the Bible song to help me find the right page.
A simple song that I use with preschoolers contains big Biblical truths. You can see the silly pastor singing it here – 2 Fish, 5 Loaves
What did it take to feed 5000? Well, probably many, many more than 5000, since 5000 was the number of males who were fed. With the women and children included the number would have been much, much higher.
It was late and the people were getting hungry. The disciples came to Jesus telling him to send the people back to their homes, but Jesus tells them to give them something to eat. Right away the disciples started listing all the reasons they couldn’t feed them. It would cost so much money Jesus! Jesus says, “How much bread do you have?”. In John’s version of the story John 6:1-15 the disciple Philip says, “Six months wages wouldn’t be enough to feed them.”
Andrew chimes in, “There is a boy who here who has five barley loaves and two fish.” This detail about the kind of bread is very revealing. Barley bread was the bread of the poorest of the poor. 2 Kings 4:42-44 tells the story of a man who brought twenty loaves of barley, as an offering of the first fruit, to the prophet Elisha. Those twenty loaves fed over 100 people and there was food left over. Would the disciples think of this story when the boy gave Andrew his two fish and five loaves of bread?
Jesus tells the people to sit down, and they do in groups of fifties and hundreds. He looks up to heaven, blessed and broke the bread (are you seeing another Bible story here?). The food was passed around and all ate to their fill. There were twelve baskets of food left over.
- If you were the little boy, would you have shared your lunch? Why?
- What is the significance of the boy being poor (as evident in the barley bread)?
- Do you think it is harder for a rich person to give or for a poor person? Why?
Some people are called to work systemically to eliminate poverty, homelessness and hunger. Others are called to provide direct relief by serving meals, working at shelters, etc. Which are you called to do? Why?
Challenge: Consider fasting for one meal, or one day this week. Give the money you would have used on food to an agency that provides hunger relief.
In Minneapolis, please consider giving to the Joyce Uptown Foodshelf.
If you are outstate, check for local agencies that are providing hunger relief.
National and international groups to check out include:
Music:
Prayer Focus:
On the day you choose to fast, when you begin to feel hunger pains, or your stomach growls, turn to God in prayer.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Karen Bruins
