On Sunday we began a new series entitled: "Learning from the Master" where we will, over the next few weeks, look to learn from Jesus' teachings and experiences as described in the Gospel of Mark. We began with Mark 6:30-44. Although I believe that the story is about a literal feeding of literal bread to a literal crowd, I believe that there are spiritual principles in this story that go beyond us just looking back and appreciating Jesus' miracles. In John's account of this miracle, he includes an explanation by Jesus where He claims to be the true bread of life (John 6:35). Interestingly enough, this bread motif runs from the birth to the death of Jesus. Jesus was born in Bethlehem (house of bread) and the night before His death, He broke the bread and said "This is my body broken for you." As a church, it is our role to get the Bread of Life to those who are spiritual hungry. But for effective sharing to take place, it is not helpful for us to inform people that they are spiritually hungry. We need to find those whom God has awoken to their hunger and share with them Jesus. Of course we often feel inadequate for the task. It feels like trying to feed 5000 people with five loaves and two fish. That is when we need to give the little we have (Bible knowledge, witnessing experience, confidence) and give it to Jesus to infuse with His power. Jesus takes our inadequacy makes it sufficient for the task. The wonderful thing is that Jesus is not just interested in feeding non-Christians. The twelve disciples were left with twelve baskets. Jesus knows that Christians are spiritually hungry, although in a different way than non-Christians. We all need the Bread of Life that is Jesus Christ.
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