Three Days

Mark 8:1-10 (ESV) In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, [2] "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. [3] And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away." [4] And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?" [5] And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." [6] And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. [7] And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. [8] And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. [9] And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. [10] And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. They had been with him 3 days, when they ran out of food. I marvel at that somehow. 3 days of listening to Jesus preach. Yes, I’m a bit jealous. And yet I don’t know that I would have been among those who went to hear Jesus. Sure I like to think I would have been. I probably would have been a Pharisee. Who really knows. Maybe I’m in awe, that Jesus could keep their attention for three days. I have a hard time listening to someone for 10 minutes, something I keep in mind when writing a sermon. In any case, Jesus has compassion on them, they have run out of food, and probably did not have much to begin with. He makes bread for them. Funny, the man who refused to feed himself with miraculous powers in the desert, is more than happy to feed others with his miraculous powers. On the third day, he became the bread of life for us.