Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 6:1-21 (NLT)

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”

Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

“Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!”  When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.

Jesus Walks on Water

That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!
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Morning Reflection:

“A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went,
because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick.” – John 6:2

Miracles draw crowds. It was true of Jesus, and it’s true today. People are looking for miracles – to heal the sick, to fix what’s broken, and to meet urgent needs.

And so, a huge crowd followed Jesus to a hillside, and ended up hungry with no food in sight. Jesus tasks his closest disciples with feeding them, but the question arises – “With what?” All they can find is a young boy’s lunch. And then Jesus raises the “signs and wonders” bar by turning the boy’s lunch into a banquet for over 5,000 people. People came to see miracles and they weren’t disappointed.

On the miracles:

+ Jesus’ miracles are a response to urgent needs as he sees them – water is turned into wine, a lame man walks, the sick are healed, and the hungry are fed.

+ Jesus’ miracles are a response to seemingly impossible situations that demonstrate his power and authority – the creative power of the Word of God.

On the crowd:

+ The crowds following Jesus were made up of needy people, onlookers, and a few disciples. They are mostly there to see the miracles; the man behind the miracles remains a mystery.

+ The man behind the miracles is slowly being revealed to the disciples. They continue to be amazed – not the least when Jesus comes to them across the water. Remember, they don’t have our advantage of having read John’s Prologue (John 1:1-5).

Questions for your consideration:

• Can you find yourself in the crowd? Are you a needy person, an onlooker, a disciple, or someone else? How would you describe yourself?
• Do you have an urgent need for a miracle? What can you give to Jesus for him to transform into something beautiful?
• How do miracles affect your faith in Jesus? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Lord Jesus: Thank you for attending to our urgent needs. Hear our prayers for your intervention in seemingly impossible situations. We desperately need your help here and now. But our needs are far greater as we face eternity. Give us the faith we need to believe in you whether our immediate needs are met or not, that we might receive the greatest miracle of all – eternal life. We ask this in your name, and for your glory. Amen.
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“Miracles” – Alisa Turner

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen