Contemplative Bible Reading

Mark 8:1-2 (New Living Translation)

Jesus called his disciples and told them, 2 “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat.

Jesus had been speaking to the lost. He spoke, they listened, and many changed their lives. And what does Jesus say to his closest followers?

They have nothing left to eat.

Here we go again. This is another occasion when Jesus doesn’t seem to know how to act. He is delivering a discourse on the grand scheme of salvation and he concludes with … well, let’s eat lunch or something like that. He notices that these folks don’t have any lunch and it is lunch time. How can you have a dinner on the grounds without any food?

Food is necessary for life. God created food and us that way. We burn energy, we need food to replace that. Still, when compared to a lesson on salvation from the Son of God, who can think about food? The Son of God does.

We are physical beings. If we are to love one another as Jesus encouraged us to do, we are to love one another as physical beings. We are to provide food, clothing, and shelter to one another. Basic needs. Basic response. Basic love.

Please God, help me to always pay attention to what Jesus did. Help me to provide basic human needs as a show of Godly love to one another.