God of Abundance
One of the many things I miss about being together in-person as a church is the time we used to spend eating and enjoying fellowship with one another. Whether it was lunch in the social hall or another occasion like Funfest or Thanksgiving or Growth Group Kickoff, there was something special about "breaking bread" together or breaking sandwiches, pizza, or curry stew. I miss that shared time which bonded us together as a church family. Just like in our respective homes, sitting down to eat together means more than just physical sustenance, right? It's sharing life together. And this is the way it's always been down throughout church history. Note the first church in the New Testament. Acts 2:46 says "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." Somehow the church has always known the importance of eating together, that this is one of the most important signs of kinship with one another. What a wise God! Even before the book of Acts, Jesus used meals with other people or "table fellowship" as it's called to show His love and acceptance of others.
One of Jesus' most famous miracles is the feeding of the five-thousand. The story is recorded in Matthew 14:13-21. As I read this passage recently, I thought about how gracious and abundant God is, and how this is expressed through food. In the beginning of the passage, Jesus learns of the death of His friend and relative John the Baptist. John was not only a friend, he was the forerunner to Christ sent to preach repentance and prepare people for Jesus' ministry. Upon hearing of John's death, Jesus withdraws by boat and tries to get some time alone to mourn and rest. But His solitude is brief as the crowd spots Him and follows Him on shore. However, instead of trying to dodge the crowd or run away from them like many of us would probably do given the circumstances, Matthew 14:14 says "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." Even in mourning, Jesus' love for the people could not be repressed. He could not help but minister and heal. Then, after a long day of ministry, the disciples asked Jesus to send the crowds away because it was dinner time. But again, Jesus surprises them by telling them "you give them something to eat" which was pretty audacious given that there were over 5,000 people present. This is where Jesus proceeded to take the five loaves and two fish that had been scraped together, give thanks, break it, and multiply it for all to eat. I can just imagine all the people sitting on the grass or the hillside, while the disciples distributed the bread and the fish to everyone. What a potluck! Think of the bonding experience it would've been for people to share in this meal. If it was our church, I'm sure there would've been an unending supply of chicken nuggets and potato salad as well. Not only did Jesus take time to heal the people but out of compassion, He fed them as well. He ate with them. This was table fellowship, symbolizing His love and acceptance of them. And it says in Matthew 14:20, "They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over." Jesus doesn't do the bare minimum or just enough. He gives abundantly and He loves magnanimously.
This is the God we serve! He is wise, compassionate, surprising, powerful, and abundant! He is worthy of our trust and dependence in good times when we're all together around the table and in difficult times when we must remain at home. But no matter where we are, He invites you and me to His table. Revelation 3:20 says "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." Today and everyday, let's open our hearts to Christ and enjoy table fellowship with Him.
Stay safe and healthy.
Pastor Darren
