The Compassion of Jesus

The Compassion  of Jesus 
Bible Study: Matthew 14: 13 -21

13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. 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 the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

The Compassion of Our Lord

Kung kikilalanin natin ang Panginoon at ilalarawan siya sa gamit ang isang salita lamang, pipiliin ko ang adjective na "mabait" ang Panginoon. Napakabuti ng Panginoon at napakamaawain. This story simply brought out the character of Christ as a compassionate Master. 

His Compassion is Rooted in His Relationship With God 

v. 13 solitary place... He prays to the Father each morning. He went to prayer after hearing the sad news of John's death. 

His character is shaped by his relationshionship with the Father. And that relationship is nurtured by his consistent meeting with God through prayer and worship. 

His Compassion is Ignited by His Love for People

v. 14 he had compassion and healed...Jesus' religion is not just a personal relationship with God, he has strong ties to people.  While strongly connected to God, he is also connected to people.  Particularly the people in need. Makadiyos pero makatao. 

V. 15 -21 Small Amount of Food to Feed Everyone

The disciples were commanded to feed the people. However, the supply is so scarce and the demand for food  is too high. Feeding 5000 plus women and kids is like feeding a whole town! A heavily populated barangay in the Philippines may have 2 k to 4,000 population. 

His Compassion Led Him to Make Miracle Happen

1. Miracle happens when the Food Supply is on the Good Hands

v. 18 Bring them to me...Jesus instructed the disciples that no matter how small the food available is, they should put these in His hands so it will be served to feed the people. The seven number of 5 loaves and 2 fish (5 + 2 = 7) is a sign of an act of God. 

In the Philippines, there is extreme poverty because the food supply is on selfish people's hands.  Nasa kamay na kasi ng mga nagpapayaman. Hindi ito naibibigay sa "kamay ng Diyos" upang maipamigay sa tunay na naglilingkod tungo sa kamay ng mahihirap.

2. Second, miracle happens when there are people who are willing to obey Jesus' instruction of feeding people. 

God is capable of multiplying food. He is our Jehovah-Jireh, a providing God. The food is actually NOT  the problem. The problem arrises when people who are supposed to serve do not serve. Kapag yung dapat sana ay magsilbi ay nagpapayaman. 

What is lacking are people willing to Give and SERVE. 

3. This Miracle Story should be understood as a Sacramental Story. 

The verse 19 states...he took, he look up to heaven, he gave thanks, he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples is a familiar Eucharistic formula. 

a. Sacramental stories are demonstrations of acts of God.  Whenever God works, we may expect miracles to happen. 

b. Sacramental Stories are God's demand on us to serve people. He gave first the food to his disciples. Not to be hoarded but to be given to people. 

Methodist History of Service

The early Methodists followed the ancient practice of fasting. During Wednesdays and Fridays, they skip meals and serve the food to the poor. The Methodists still continue this practice even today. 

Through this simple fasting, and giving food to the poor, we may act on the Sacramental meaning of this text.