UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, written by Pastor Sam Lee who leads Catalyst Agape Church in Northern New Jersey, was first posted on October 16, 2013.  He is a graduate of University of Wisconsin (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“He is So Unlike the Rest”

Luke 9:10-17

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. 12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” 13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”

How is your spirituality, that is, your walk with the Lord while being stuck at home for weeks on end during the ongoing pandemic?  I, for one, was very encouraged by this passage today because I can relate with the disciples.  Just like them, I also go up and down spiritually. Yet, I see that God does not give up on his disciples, who, by the way, weren’t chosen because of their brilliance in the first place (1 Cor. 1:27-29).  Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus rebuking his men for their lack of faith (Matt. 14:31), dullness of mind (Mk. 7:18) and egotism (Mk. 9:33-37).  In this passage the lack of faith on the part of disciples is highlighted.

Before the great miracle of feeding the five thousand, we see that the disciples were sent out, and they were used to proclaim the good news and heal people everywhere. After this great experience, you would think that the disciples would react with faith when Jesus asked them, “You give them something to eat”; but instead, they respond with unbelief.  Yet, Jesus doesn’t rebuke the disciples here (as he does in other places)—or recruit twelve new disciples to replace them; but He continues to use them in the miracle of feeding the five thousand.  He has them go into the crowd and put everyone in groups of 50, then he gives the five loaves and two fishes to his men to distribute to the people.  What’s so encouraging is this: The disciples showed unbelief, yet Christ still used them to do His ministry.  Yes, Christ is so unlike the rest.

Living a Christian life is not a series of just success after success, but there are also failures. Take heart brothers and sisters! Our God continues to love us in our failures, and He is not finished with us yet. God is with us and He will work in us to completion.  Let me leave you with Philippians 1:6 that says, “[God] who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that my mistakes do not disqualify me from neither Your love nor Your willingness to use me.  Thank You that during this process in which I am bestowed with Your grace in abundance, I will be transformed through the Spirit. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 32