The more things change, the more He stays the same

 

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.  --Psalm 34:10

I don't have the patience to be a schoolteacher.  It seems like no matter how many times you go over a lesson, some in the class will just not get it.  You can give them the answers over and over again, but the concept eludes them.  Until they understand the concept, students will not be able to apply that knowledge to a similar situation.

I am glad that God is a patient teacher.  Over and over in the Old Testament, His people had to be reminded of God's mercy and provision.  They stood by a pool of bitter water and complained that they had nothing to drink, and God had to remind them that He had delivered them from slavery in Egypt by parting the Red Sea. They stood in a desert and complained that they had no food, and God had to remind them that He had already provided sweet water out of the bitter waters of Marah.  They reached the promised land and complained that it was inhabited by giants who could not be defeated militarily, and God had to remind them that He had provided them manna in the wilderness.

Similarly, the disciples had to be reminded often of the power and provision available through Jesus.  We come to a great example in Mark chapter 8.

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, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing to eat.  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."  And the disciples answered Him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?"  And He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"  They answered, "Seven."  And He directed the crowd to sit 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.  And they had a few small fish.  And having blessed them, He said that these also should be set before them.  And they ate and were satisfied.  And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.  And there were about four thousand people.  And He sent them away.  An immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.  --Mark 8:1-10

I am sure that not much time had elapsed since the feeding of the five thousand that we read about in Mark chapter 6.  As a teacher, I'm sure that Jesus was looking for the disciples to step up and start passing out bread until all were satisfied.  There may have been several reasons that they did not.

First, the multitude that had been fed in Capernaum were Jews; this time they were in the region of the Decapolis, and the people were Gentiles.  The Jewish disciples had been taught from their early childhood to remain separate from Gentiles, not to intermarry with them or do business with them or even eat with them.  Yet they had seen with their own eyes that Jesus was preaching the same Gospel to these Gentiles, healing the same diseases, showing them the same love and compassion.  God's mercy knows no boundaries.

Second, I think that the disciples had been embarrassed in Capernaum, being caught without any provisions for themselves.  You remember that when Jesus took stock then, the only food to be found was a young boy who had packed a lunch with five bread rolls and two small fish.  This time, the disciples were prepared: they had with them seven loaves of bread, plenty enough to feed the twelve of them and Jesus.  Why hadn't these crowds here in the region of the Decapolis come prepared?  If they weren't prepared, why hadn't they turned back before now?  The disciples may have had a hoarding mentality, but Jesus saw a need that could be met if they shared their abundance where there was want.  I believe it is not a sin to be rich, but when there is a need, the "haves" must find a way to share with the "have-nots", not to make them dependent but to meet the needs of the moment.  God's blessings are meant to be shared.

Third, it could have been that the disciples were slow learners.  Maybe they thought that the feeding of the five thousand was a one-off, a singular event meant to show that Jesus was the Son of God.  There was no need to repeat the message--everyone there knew this fact, or else why were they following Him?  Maybe they forgot; in all of the hands-on ministry they had been doing, it slipped their mind.  In any case, Instead of following His lead and stepping up to be merciful to the poor (had they not listened to the Sermon on the Mount?), they instead watched again as He blessed the bread, broke it, and shared it with the people, strangers from a strange land.  In the same way, we believe that the Last Supper was not a one-time event, but that Communion should be done frequently, and should be shared with others who were not present at the original event until Jesus comes again.

Jesus, I think, also saw differences between this group and the Jews He had fed at Capernaum.  First, He recognized that this group of Gentile believers was committed.  "I have compassion on the crowd," He said, "because they have been with Me now for three days."  Unlike the group of Jews He fed before, whom He had characterized as "sheep without a shepherd," these Gentile believers were willing to follow Him wherever He went.  Second, He recognized that they had been fasting, and wanted to give them sustenance before sending them away.  Some had not eaten for three days, and Jesus knew, "if I send them away hungry (or fasting--it is the same word in the Greek), they will faint on the way."  There is nothing wrong with fasting in order to draw closer to Jesus, but the lesson here, I think, is that we must eat and drink before trying to minister to others or else we will be ineffective in our ministry.  He did not want them to be weak with hunger as they went home with His message of hope.  Third, Jesus recognized that some had already made great sacrifice to be near Him.  "Some had come from far away," so to send them away empty handed would have been cruel.

We should not be weary in well doing, even to those not like us.  Americans, do not hold back Christian ministry to foreigners.  Republicans, be kind to Democrats in Jesus' Name.  Those who still have an income should be generous for Jesus' sake to those who have lost their jobs.  Be in the world but not of the world, but be present to make a difference in the Name of Jesus.

Psalm 103:2 says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."  Remember His mercy, and be merciful; remember His grace, and be gracious.  Apply the lessons He has showed you in the situations He has placed you, because the more things change, the more He stays the same.