Jubilate - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Jubilate 
     Leviticus 8:1-13, 30-36      Luke 9:1-17
  
Jesus withdrew by himself with His disciples, and as often happened, a crowd following Him. Jesus spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healing people. He kept on speaking till the day was ending. Can you imagine listening to someone speaking God’s Word all day, even to the point of skipping meals? There were about five thousand men who did so (and women and children). But at the end of the day, without the apparent means of feeding them, the disciples suggest that Jesus send them away. He says, “You give them something to eat!”

I can only imagine the look of incredulity on their faces as they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” There is no way they can afford to feed them all with what they have – what is more, they could not even afford to purchase enough.

Jesus is not deterred. He tells them, “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.” And He teaches His disciples. Yes, it appears He did a miracle of feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, but that was not the point. He is teaching His disciples – He is teaching you. Yes, it looks like He is feeding five thousand, but what is more important is that He is teaching you.

What is he teaching? Let us look closely. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people. (vs. 16) AND… five thousand were fed with twelve baskets of leftover fragments. Do you see it?

Let me highlight four words from verse sixteen; took, blessed, broke, kept giving (gave).

Do you see it?

Let me show it to you… Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks (blessed), He broke it and gave it to the disciples and…

Do you see it now?

Yes, Jesus is preparing His disciples for the night when He will be betrayed, and the greater meal He will give them… Yes, Jesus was preparing His disciples (you) for the meal He instituted on night when He will be betrayed, the greater meal He gives to you…

Can you imagine the scene on that night He was betrayed? Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

What were the disciples thinking? Do you honestly think it was any different that what many people think when they consider the Sacrament of the Altar? No! They were seated around the table when Jesus instituted this meal, and initially they probably thought, “Did He just say this is His body that we should eat? Isn’t it just bread? What’s He talking… Oh yeah, there was that time when He did the same thing and five thousand were fed, and the time with the four thousand. He spoke and the loaves and fishes that would not have been enough to feed the 12 of us, fed thousands. He made that to happen, this is His body.

But Jesus was not done that night in the upper room. In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

The most important meal was instituted that night. Indeed, the only way that we can believe this is if the Holy Spirit comes and makes of our hearts, believing hearts. However, the preparatory evidence was given in those two miraculous feedings. These two miraculous feeding prepared them – and you – for the greater miracle. That Christ would feed you His flesh and blood for the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation.  Jesus is the bread of life – to feed us in our wilderness wanderings in this mortal coil, strengthening us for life with Him eternally. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.

Let us pray:        Lord God, as you fed the five thousand with only five loaves and two fish, so you use unleavened bread and wine to feed us you holy body pierced for us and you precious blood shed for us that we might be strengthened in body and soul to life everlasting. Grant us Your grace that we see this Holy meal as the precious gift that it is, and come to that table in repentant faith that we might receive the incredible benefits of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.