Eighth Sunday after Pentecost; Octoechos Tone 7; Our Venerable Fathers Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus.
Dormition Fast.
1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 14:14-22.
Read Matthew 14:14-22
Life is full of big unknowns, but we launch out into them anyway. Education, work,
relationships, relocation, homeownership, children – these hold out possibilities for us and we are willing to deal with our fears to experience their rewards. But there are always other big unknowns on the horizon, ones that lie further outside our comfort zone. We may wish to not go there; we may decide those things are someone else’s problem.
The disciples saw the “great throng” as Jesus’s problem, a crowd that he should do
something about. Jesus turned the matter back to them: “They need not go away; you
give them something to eat.” This wasn’t Jesus leaving the disciples holding the bag.
Just as he initially “had compassion on them, and healed their sick,” he continued his
care for them after the disciples were gone.
“You give them something to eat,” is intentionally paralleled with, “And they took up
twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.” This is a story, not only of a past
event but of a continuing activity of disciples of Jesus. They – and we – are left with the challenging object lesson of those twelve baskets in our hands. We are to continue to be co-laborers with Christ, caring for the “great throng.”
The crux of the story is that Jesus called the disciples to bring what they had to him for blessing and then give it in service. The actual “throng” that is out there – then and now – is much larger than the crowd Jesus and his disciples ministered to that day. It always is. But Jesus demonstrated that, with his blessing and continuing presence with us, we can overcome our fear of the unknown and effectively care for whatever part of the throng of humanity we find before us.