Must it always be bigger? Pastor Paul Leavens
Mark 6 records the feeding 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. Twelve basketfuls of leftovers were collected. But Mark 8 relates an occasion when Jesus fed 4,000 people with seven loaves. This time when all had eaten, only seven basketfuls were left over.
Was Jesus a poor showman? A performer always moves from the lesser to the greater, from the easy to the more difficult. A magician saves his most dramatic and spellbinding trick for the last. A circus entertainer saves the most death defying act for the grand finale. Fireworks always conclude with the loudest and most spectacular display. That’s the way you impress and maintain a crowd.
Why did Jesus follow up the feeding of 5,000 by feeding only 4,000 people a miracle we hardly ever mention? I think the chronology of this event is deliberate and significant. Jesus did not come to be a bread Messiah. He didn’t intend to gather a fickle crowd who followed him for free lunches. He wasn't drawing people to the spectacular. He was calling them to a lifetime of self-denial and service.
Seniors
They deserve honor and respect.
" ... a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor" (1 Chronicles 29:28).
They are eyewitnesses of God's power.
"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, 0 God, till I have declared your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come" (Psalm 71:18).
Seniors are a source of wisdom.
May We Never Forget
Ministry tends to pull us into uncomfortable places. In fact, if we are too comfortable we might want to check or reassess our mission. I think about Mother Theresa, who gave up everything that she had to minister to the unwanted people of Calcutta.
Ministering to the Unwanted
All of Us Have Rocks! -- Communion Meditation Some successful real estate developers gathered to discuss a possible joint venture. To their surprise, the group’s leader began by describing his most embarrassing failure. He explained how his eagerness to make a killing caused him to overlook one important detail. He added, “I’m more careful now to get all the facts before moving out.”