My dearest nephew,
I must tell you what has happened. I’ve just returned from the most remarkable experience. I was listening to this rabbi while surrounded by thousands of people. A few I knew, but most were total strangers. We were sitting on a large hill that gently sloped down to the sea. I was there because some neighbors ran into our small town and frenetically urged us all to follow them. As we walked and ran, my next-door neighbor told me that he had heard about this man, and if half of what he heard was true, then we were in for a once-in-a-lifetime event!
We arrive as he began teaching. He taught us for three days, but to me, it felt like three minutes. There were so many things he was saying. Oh, I wish I could remember them all, but it was too much. I felt as if my body was going to burst. He was strange, in a good way. As He spoke, oh how his words pierced my very soul (Hebrews 4:12); others felt the same. His words filled us (Psalms 107:9) while they fought against many things we’ve been taught. And then there were the miracles.
No one would believe me, would they? Will you? Men and women who were crippled suddenly began walking; people who could not speak were shouting praises to God and the blind people. How is it possible? When he touched blind people, their eyes were healed, and they instantly saw! (John 9:32) So much was happening, things that the prophets of old wrote about, but no one ever expected their prophecies to come true; and certainly not in our lifetime! (Luke 24:44)
I didn’t want it to end. It felt like God, Himself, kept washing over me, like waves of the sea. Then I noticed that he was preparing to leave. He told a man in his entourage to do something, but there was a moment of confusion. Then he said we should sit down. It is a strange feeling when thousands of standing people all sit down at once! He then began doing something which a priest would do. He gave thanks for the food.
In this next part, you will not believe me. It wasn’t possible.
The man took those few fish and a bit of bread and suddenly filled up a basket with fish and bread! Then he did another basket full of food, and another, and another. It didn’t stop! The men that were with him couldn’t keep up. I’m writing this to you, but I still can’t believe it.
The men brought a basket to where I was sitting. I took some fish and bread. I didn’t realize how hungry I’d become. I passed the basket to the people next to me, and they took some. No one was left hungry. After we ate, I saw the same men gathering up the leftovers. I think they had seven baskets full of food!
Finally, the rabbi dismissed us. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted more, but the crowd was leaving, so I thought it best to follow them. Oh, how my heart burned when he taught (Luke 24:32). He is truly a man of God!
I wonder if he is our promised Messiah. How could the Messiah do more than he (John 7:32)? I said this to one of my fellow travelers, and he rebuked me. He said, “That rabbi is from Nazareth. How could anything good come from there? (John 1:46)” Nevertheless, I urge you, dear nephew, to find this man and listen to his words. His name is Jesus, and His words are life (John 14:6)!
Love,
Your favorite uncle. 😉
Jesus feeds the 4,000
Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.
Matthew 15:29-39 NLT
Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”
The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”
Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”
They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”
So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.
They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.
Photo by Natalia Y on Unsplash
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