As an Episcopalian, with a shaky background on understanding of the Bible, I researched my assigned passage. Jesus had spent the past three days with a large crowd of Gentiles, preaching and likely healing several of his followers. Food was in short supply, and Jesus, filled with compassion, asked his disciples about the available food stores for the crowd before sending them back home. The disciples, realizing that there were only seven loaves and a few small fish available, asked how anyone could get enough food in this remote desert region. Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and broke the loaves to distribute to the crowd of four thousand people. Jesus took the few small fish, gave thanks, and distributed to the people and they were satisfied. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven baskets of broken pieces of bread. Jesus then travelled by boat to a different area, while the Pharisees questioned him and asked for a sign from heaven.
With faith, we all have enough. Jesus, provided both for the spiritual needs of the assembled crowd (teaching and healing) as well as for the physical needs of the people with both loaves and fish. And yet, after feeding the crowd of 4000 with seven loaves, seven baskets of broken pieces of bread remained. There was an abundance of food for his followers.
In the past year, my life (and the lives of my family members) has changed in many ways. Some of the changes have been very difficult, and others, not so much. Yet through all of these changes, I have felt this same grace from God. Even when the baskets seemed empty….there were still more than enough broken pieces to sustain me.
—Heather Smith
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