Matt. 15:29-38 – Jesus Feeds 4,000

I’ve been stuck in this place for almost a month. I’ve read and reread these ten verses a dozen or so times but because it’s usually been when I’ve been dashing out the door I haven’t meditated or written my thoughts and thus haven’t moved on. Of course this period happens to coincide with the beginning of the school year as in work at Twain and beginning my doctorate at Pepperdine and something about one last visit from Juls before the end of summer. I’m sure none of this has anything to do with this “stalling out.” One thing is that going without taking consistent opportunities to meditate is not going to be a very good survival technique from yours truly.

So a group of Gentiles come out to listen to this “Messiah of the Jews” and even though his minsitry is first to the lost sheep of Israel (15:24) he heals their sick and ministers to them and when they’ve been with him three days he says that they need to be fed before being sent away.

I know that one probably shouldn’t assume that one incident following another in the narrative is from one day to the next, but it amazes me that when Jesus suggests that the people need to be fed the disciples seem just as clueless this time as they were when he fed the 4,000 a chapter “earlier” (14:13-21). His “solution” the first time was so amazing, I guess I can understand how they didn’t assume anything with his comment that the 5,000 needed to be fed. It’s pure conjecture on my part, but I wonder if they’re inability to anticipate what he was going to do was based on their prejudice that the Messiah of the children of Israel would “bless” these Gentiles just as he had the children of Israel previously. God is always much bigger and capable of so much more love and compassion than we imagine. Those whom we assume to be undeserving of His blessing, compassion and love are loved just as we who call ourselves his children are. After all, we are all adoptive children of the God of the Universe. JBB