This is How Jesus Loves You. Monday 18th Week Ordinary Time

Breakfast With the Word Monday 18th Week Ordinary Time of the Year B

Matthew 14:13-21.

 

 

 

 

Many of us believe that God does not love them. Some people have this belief that no matter what and how they pray, God pays deaf ears to us. This makes them count themselves as unlucky. Today’s Holy Gospel is an example of how Jesus loves you. In this gospel, we will definitely see how Jesus loves you.

 

Many of us believe that because their prayer was not answered the way they want, that such could be their portion as a child of God. For Jesus to come and suffer for you and me is a sign of God’s love for us.

 

So, do not feel abandoned. Today’s readings will show you how Jesus loves you. He loves you. In fact, Jesus cannot but love you. He loves us even though we are sinners (Romans 5:8). In His love, God allows His rain and sun to fall for the good and bad, for the righteous and sinners (Matthew 5:45). 

 

So, in today’s holy gospel, our focus is on how caring, and compassionate Jesus is. Here, we see someone always ready to help and relieve our burdens. He is always eager to give us the strength to undergo our difficult moments. 

 

Today’s gospel is how Jesus feeds the five thousand. We have come across the feeding of the five thousand several times and have made several and different reflections on it. So, still, on the same feeding of the five thousand, let us unravel through this gospel how Jesus loves you.  

 

 

Read More

 

This Is What God Desires From Us

 

When We become Like Herod

 

What Happens When We lack Faith in God

 

 

 

 

Jesus sacrifices His Rest.

 

 

 

The gospel says that immediately Jesus receives the news of the death of John the Baptist, He withdraws by boat and goes to a lonely place to have a rest. When the people hear of that, they go after Him. 

 

 

Jesus withdraws to a lonely place because of the shocking news He received about the death of John Baptist. Such bad news would have taken a ton of His emotions as a man. He must have been so devastated that He needed a moment of recollections and quietness. 

 

 

Because of this, He even leaves His disciples to stay alone. From this attitude of Jesus, we learn what to do whenever we encounter depressing news or worrying conditions.

 

When you encounter such, take your time and leave the scene. Take time and think about what happened to you and think about how to correct them and make amends. Then, instead of allowing the challenges to cause you to lose faith, use that time to tell God about whatever happened to you. Then come out energised again. Never allow challenges to keep you to the ground that you cannot rise again.

 

 

So, here one expects Jesus to remain alone without disturbance from anyone. He would have told His disciples that He needs a rest, which makes the disciples not accompany Him. 

 

 

Despite this, the gospel says that crowds are still coming to Him. So as He steps forward, Jesus sees the large crowd and pities them. Not only that, He proceeds to heal many sick people among them.  

One expects Jesus to send the crowd away because He needs a quiet time. He would have told them to come another day. But Jesus does not do that. 

Rather, He welcomes them. This is the first example in this gospel that reveals How God loves you.

 In that crowd, we have both the saints and sinners. We have the rich and the poor, we have the jews and gentiles etc. Yet Jesus does not segregate. He welcomes all. 

Therefore, do not think that your condition is different or that God hates you. God does not hate. We are the people who have refused to come to Him or believe in Him. 

He says in John 6:37, that He can never send away anyone who comes to Him. Do you see how Jesus loves you? He makes Himself available to you. He is always ready to welcome you again and again. God is not wicked. Therefore, Let us strengthen this loving relationship.

 

 

One thing About Jesus.

 

Immediately Jesus sees the crowd approaching Him today, the gospel says that He pitied them. Out of His compassion, Jesus proceeds to heal the sick among them. 

The jews at this time were under oppressive rule by the Romans. So, because of this, there is increased suffering, hunger and difficulties in the land. The people look downtrodden and without hope.

So, they see Jesus as the one who is going to alleviate their plight. Many see Him as the political messiah that is going to save them from the oppressive rule of the Romans. 

So, when Jesus sees them today, He already knows their plight and their condition. He already knows they are hungry and without food. Jesus has mercy on them and first of all, heals the sick among them. What a loving Jesus? 

What we owe Jesus is nothing but to come to HIm always. He knows how to heal our infirmities. One thing about Jesus is that He is full of mercy. 

Whenever we approach Him in humility, we will encounter His compassion. The heart of Jesus shows how Jesus loves you. He cannot hate you. Do not think twice to go in His presence. 

Hebrew 4: 16 says “Let us always approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. ( Heb 4:16).

 

 

Give Them Something to Eat.

 

 

 

 When evening came, the crowd refuses to leave. Jesus would have sent them away, but He did not. The disciples also came to Him and reminded Him of the danger of keeping the people with them because they are in a lonely place, and something can happen to them. 

Yet, Jesus does not send them away. He asks the apostles to give them something to eat. You see how Jesus loves you. He could not abandon the crowd to go at the lonely time of the day. He could not abandon them now He knows that they need Him more than ever. This is Jesus for you. He does not leave you. Jesus wants to be with you. He wants us to repent and change our lives. 

Therefore, by telling His apostles to give the people something to eat, He is also telling us to do the same to others. 

As Christians, we rise by helping others. We live by extending a helping hand to people in need. Always give people something to eat.

Let us share our gifts, talents and resources. Share those clothes wasting in your house. Share that food you are wasting. We grow by giving. 

Jesus does this for us every day at the eucharistic table. He makes Himself food to nourish us daily. The eucharist is also a sign of how Jesus loves you. In the same way, let us be a blessing to others. 

 

 

 

Despite How Little.

 

 

The disciples tell Jesus that what they have is only five loaves and two fish, which is not enough.

They may expect Jesus to tell them to forget about it. But Jesus tells them to bring the little they have to Him.First of all this shows how Jesus is willing to share what He has with us. He does not withhold His gifts from us. Jesus does not withhold His salvation from us. He is willing to offer even the smallest of them to anyone who comes to Him. This is how Jesus loves you.

 

2. Also, He teaches us to do the same to others. Therefore even not enough is enough. So, we must not have much before we give. 

When you want to work, work as if it is God you are working for. When you are serving others, serve as if you are doing it for God. 

Bring them to Him. When you do them for God, it means also that you are bringing them to Him. He can multiply them. You will not know the number of people that will benefit from that.

 

Bring that little talent to Jesus. What Jesus needs is to bring that little gift to Him. He knows how to multiply that little you have. He knows how to make the small you give touch thousands of souls. Bring the little to Him. This is how Jesus loves you. He is ready to multiply your gifts.

Hence despite the little that you have, be ready to give. A small act of kindness can save a lot of souls. 

 

 

 

Sharing What You Have.

 

 

For the bread to reach thousands of people, Jesus has to break the bread for the disciples to share among the people. Also, for the bread to reach thousands of people, they have to work and share the bread with the people. 

Therefore for your gifts to blossom, bring it to Jesus to bless them first for you and be ready to share your gift. The more you share the little you have with many people, the more what you share grows. 

Therefore, to grow what you have, be ready to share. So, this gospel in simple terms is telling us that even the small is enough. But be ready to share the small. Do not hide what you have or what you can give. 

 

 

Serve to Touch Lives.

 

 

Finally, Jesus gives this bread today to save lives and save the needy. Therefore, whatever you do for God, let it be motivated with the intention to save lives. Jesus is the great multiplier. He knows how to multiply them to save thousands of souls. 

Therefore, cease thinking that God has forsaken you, rise to your feet and work. Rise to your feet and share the little you have with the world. 

Jesus knows how to use what you can do to make you great, for the fact you want to save lives through it. He is always ready to help. He is ready to give you the grace that will lead you through. This is how Jesus loves you.

 

 

May God have mercy on us and give us the grace to love Him. May His love always be with us. Amen