I have just been re-reading Philip Yancey’s brilliant book What’s so amazing about grace? In the light of this I was reading the
Feeding of the 5000 in Matthew's' Gospel and realised what a grace filled occasion it was.
The context for this miracle was that Jesus has just been told that John the Baptist, his relative, the forerunner of his ministry, has been beheaded by
Herod. I am sure Jesus was very upset and
the Bible says ‘When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat
privately to a solitary place’ (Matthew 14: 13).
However
Jesus was not going to get any private grieving time or time to process what
had happened or talk to his heavenly Father because the crowd ran round the lake and were waiting for
him. Most of us, I am sure, would not
have been pleased to see them but Jesus full
of grace and truth healed all their sick.
As evening approached, the disciples, full of worldly
wisdom, asked Jesus to send the crowd away to get food and lodging for the
night. Jesus however replied ‘They do not need to go away.
You give them something to eat.’ (Matthew 14: 16).
The
disciples must have been amazed. Most
people hearing this suggestion would have gladly agreed and been happy to get
rid of the crowd of needy people but Jesus not only does not seem to want to
get rid of them but he actually expects the disciples to feed them.
In
Mark’s Gospel the disciples told Jesus that for them to feed the people would
cost half a year’s wage – a lot of money in anyone’s currency – but in the
currency of heaven, all that is needed is 5 loaves and 2 fish.
Grace –
being given something you don’t deserve – does the impossible and feeds a huge
crowd, so that everyone ate and was satisfied. There was no portioning out the
meagre rations. It was eat and be satisfied; have as much as you like. Not only that but there was more food left
over at the end of the meal than they started with.
Grace
is an attitude of life that Jesus exemplified. Jesus never decided if someone
was deserving of a miracle or healing. He just did it. He healed all their
diseases (Matthew 4: 24). Jesus didn’t look at the enormous, hungry crowd and
teach them a lesson in personal responsibility, he graciously fed them.
Of
course there were times when having healed someone, Jesus told them to ‘go and
sin no more.’ However Jesus never waited till someone had got their act
together before healing or providing for them.
When
Mother Teresa spoke to President Clinton and top government officials at a
National Prayer Breakfast, she confronted them about the appallingly high level
of abortion in USA and it is just about as awful in all the Western world. She
told them that if Americans did not want their babies, give them to her and she
would take them and find homes for them. 3000 babies were sent to her. That is
a level of grace and trust in God that falls into the Feeding of the 5000
category.
Mother
Teresa was moved by compassion just as Jesus was. When he saw need, his heart
was touched and he extravagantly met the need.
Grace does not decide the rights and wrongs of a situation; it just
loves to bless.
I am so
thankful for the grace God and many other have shown me. My prayer is that I
grow in grace and compassion every day.
