8/20/2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 2. 5-6)

“Jesus answered, ‘I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except [save by] through Me.’” (John 14.6)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

For the sake of amplification, in Friday’s reflection I amended John 14.6 to read, “I AM the (narrow) way, the (strait) gate and the (only) life. No one comes to the Father except that they do so as I have done.” Jesus no room for doubt as to the truth of gaining one’s eternal life filled with blessing and joy. This would mean that travelling by any other route leads to a different eternal dwelling place. In this matter, Jesus is “strait” shooting. He is also “straight” shooting. He does not aim at anyone nor anywhere else but to the very heart of the matter. With Jesus there was never any round-about way of living life on earth intended to be lived as in Heaven. Without question living on earth with anything other than that which is in Heaven leaves much to be desired. And there is a great deal of truth in that last sentence. Living in this world in a manner other than what God has intended and supplied leaves a person desiring “more.” It is a “more” that the world and anything other than heaven cannot provide nor fulfill. There will always be a hole in that person whose spirit craves that which cannot satisfy. Unrepentant sinners become bottomless pits in the sense that they will never overflow with goodness, mercy and love. But, those who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness will be renewed every morning. The Old Testament story of “Manna in the Wilderness” speaks straight to the heart of this matter.

In Exodus 16, we read of that moment in the journey of the Hebrews from slavery to freedom, from Egypt to Canaan, when hunger set in. They had only been 45 days out from Egypt. In that time, over two million people and their livestock and possessions had experienced the rapid departure with the spoils of Egypt, the thundering threat of Pharaoh’s army and charioteers, the parting and the closure of the Red Sea and the land of their four hundred year sojourn disappearing over the horizon. They now entered into the Wilderness of Sin (the Sinai, as we hear it called) which was along the Red Sea and spread across the eastern horizon. It was a desolate land of craggy mountains, arroyos and wadis as well as dry plains and valleys. It provided little and demanded that those who travelled this route be well-prepared. Since they departed in haste, the preparation had been only what was left of the Passover meal and as much flat bread as they could bake in a short time. It would seem to me that the bakers were then the last to leave Egypt. Their work was truly a “last minute” preparation. I have no doubt, however, that each family gathered all the grain and foodstuffs as they may have stored away in Egypt beyond the watchful eye of their masters. In this regard, I hear a scenario akin to that which may have been true on the hillside across the bay from Capernaum. It was there Jesus fed 20,000 people with five fish and two loaves of bread. I am not discounting the miraculous feed of Jesus; not at all. But, the “Feeding of the Five Thousand” had far more to do with the disciples than it did with the standing room only crowd that day.

You see, the disciples did not prepare for a feeding of more than themselves. They were easily overwhelmed with the gathering crowd as their stomachs rumbled with hunger. They projected their need for eating (in public, mind you, as they certainly were not going to scamper over the hill to grab a snack from their rucksacks) as that which the people must have certainly had. That was their opinion. They said to Jesus, “It’s getting late. We sure that everyone is getting hungry. Let’s call it a day and get something to eat.” Jesus had to know what was the condition of their thinking. He responded, “You are probably right. Why don’t you get them something to eat.” Well, there were the disciples who had been caught between the proverbial rock (Jesus) and a hard place (their lack of faith.) In that moment of doubt and confusion facing a moment of self-revelation, one of the disciples was given a volunteer basket of food. Was it for the disciples? Was it for Jesus? Was it for an inspirational moment of highlighting to everyone there to offer their food for the good of that gathered community? What we do know for certain is that the disciples did not volunteer any of their food, if they had any to begin with. They did give the basket to Jesus. Maybe they thought it would be evidence enough that there was little to offer. With so little, then the people should be sent away without taking a vote as to what they wanted to do. It was, in that moment, a way of skirting the real issue of “We disciples are hungry and it is time to eat. We can hear Jesus talk anytime.” Jesus would have none of it and spoke straight/strait to the heart of the matter. What was the “matter” with the disciples? Hmmm. Dare we say they were hungry? They had a hole in their belly which needed filling and they had little to nothing to fill it? Or was it a matter of how much faith and how faithful would they be to the calling of “being fishers of people.” What the disciples couldn’t see was the harvest of fish and bread just below the surface. But, Jesus saw it. And well, as it is said, the rest is history. More fish than nets could hold and more bread than could be gathered as leftovers in twelve baskets.

Now, looking back into the Wilderness of Sin and a nation of two million people on the move with all their possessions and livestock, we see potential disciples of God who were not nearly as prepared as they thought. Individually, each family may have had some reserve but after a forty-five day march how much was left. First it was babies crying for milk. Well, goats and cows could provide for that as long as they were being fed. Then the children began to call for snacks of bread and fruit. Tidbits here and there would be sufficient as long as there were treats to provide. But, when the adults and the animals began to complain it was obvious they were looking to their own storehouse and themselves without concern for their neighbors. To each their own, as it is said. Finally from the back of the pack to the front, the word was passed to Moses that all was not well. Instead of thanking God for their deliverance, they began to question God’s deliverance. What price their freedom? I am sure that more than one person thought it. Soon the word swelled, “God has brought us into the wilderness to kill us. Pharaoh at least provided some meat and grain for our stewpots. In exchange we gave him hard labor. Now, these Hebrews-once-slaves were free from labor but had no food. If it were me, I would have been careful questioning God or comparing Him to pharaoh. But, then I have not been truly hungry in the middle of the Wilderness of Sin either. God heard their cry for food and a resolution to the discomfort hunger was bringing into their lives. What price indeed for their freedom. Were they will to work for it? Were they willing to prepare for it? Were they willing to trust, obey and believe for it? So, God gave Moses the word of “manna.” Each morning God would provide “manna straight from heaven’s bakery.” Does Heaven have a bakery? It was delivered before anyone was awake. All they had to do was to go and gather enough for their family for one day. God knew exactly how much to provide for the two million plus so that every family would have just enough. I wonder how many days it took for the people to figure that out? What I can say is that by day six they had to figure it out because there was none of the seventh day. So, on Sunday through Thursday, the head of every family went out into the fields of the wilderness and gathered for his family enough for one day. On day six, Friday, they were to gather enough for two days as there was to be no “work” on the Sabbath. If they attempted to harvest more than their fair share on any of those six days there was a problem. Anything more than was needed for each family for one day rotted with meal worms. God had a plan and it worked exactly as God described it. The Hebrews were willing to work for food and God blessed their planting of faith and trust with a harvest of plenty. Trust God and God entrusts you. The evidence was straight to the heart of the matter and plain for all to see. How much thanksgiving do you think there may have been on the seventh day when they had bread and did not have to work?

I wonder how that works for us in today’s world and within the community of faith? How are we preparing for a Sabbath day feast? How are we readying ourselves to feed the others who might be hungry and thereby bring glory to God. Are we willing to “shoot straight” with ourselves, God and others and apply ourselves to walk the “strait and narrow” of faith, hope and love? It is something to consider, to be sure.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD:

Father, You have revealed Yourself to us best in Jesus the Christ. By Him and Him alone shall we gain the eternal life and our place in eternal rest, living for You always. Show us more and by Your Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go, the truth we should reveal and the life we shall live with you forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.