Mark 8:1-10
I’ve got 3 thoughts on this.

Compassion: Jesus has compassion because they’ve been with him for 3 days. If he sends them away for food they will faint on their way home. Jesus is compassionate. He knows our pain, our suffering, and is present with us in the midst of it. He’s also willing to do something about it, in his time and in his way. But he knows and he cares. When you feel disillusioned or lonely, or whatever. God knows and cares and is trying to reach you.

Faith: And the disciples don’t know how they can feed everyone.
Jesus has already fed 5000 (more people) with less bread and fish. We too easily doubt God in the moment, regardless of what God has done for us in the past.
I’d hope to be like, “Sweet. Jesus, we’ve got more bread and more fish. As long as you bless it, we’ve got plenty.”
We’ve got to have faith that God will bring us through this gloriously. Persecution is painful, but… the church always thrives during persecution. I believe we are going to grow through this in awesome ways. We’ll grow as followers of Jesus. We’ll grow as the body of Christ, and we’ll be a stronger church when we’re through this.

Our Life: When Jesus shares the last supper with the disciples we find the same phrasing. He takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it. There is a whole long sermon here, but in a nutshell, this is the same thing Jesus does to us. He takes us, calls us to himself. Blesses us, gives us everything we need. Breaks us, teaches us to rely on him. and Gives us, sends us out in the world to be the Body of Christ, the bread of life, for the world.

Let’s pray:
God, we are so blessed to know that you love us and care for us. Help us to not loose hope and to put our faith in you. Help us to listen to your voice and to follow you. Help us to know that just like the bread, we are in your hands. You have taken us, blessed us, and broken us. Help us to be willing to be given to the world. Right now we know many people who are hurting, full of fear and doubt. God we lift up our health care workers and their families. We lift up the leaders of our world as they make decisions about what is best for all of us. We lift up our world that we can work together, and we pray for the church, that we can share your light and love, your truth and hope with our world.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.