The

story of Jesus feeding a crowd of thousands of people weaves together

themes from throughout his ministry. These include compassion, power

over creation, the ability to sustain life, and involving others in

responding to human needs. We also see God’s grace and providence

intertwine as Jesus sends the disciples out “to proclaim the

kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

It

is important to realize that the people who heard the gospel and who

were healed and fed were not saved and sanctified saints; they were

not fully committed disciples who were ready to follow Jesus. Yet

when Jesus saw their hurts and needs, he responded with love, knowing

that many of them would abandon and even turn against him later. Even

so, Jesus was moved with compassion, seeing their need. In the same

way, he has compassion today when he sees the hurts and needs of

anyone created in the image of God.

We

have daily opportunities to come alongside the people around us. It

could mean drop­ping by the hospital or the nursing home for a

visit. Perhaps it involves cooking a meal for someone. Maybe it

includes simply listening to another person’s story. When we seek

to provide what Jesus ­offers, we reflect a beautiful picture of

God’s compassion and care for others.