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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ezekiel 43-48

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 6:37-40
Jesus: Why don’t you give them something to eat?
Disciples (looking at Him): What? It would cost a fortune to buy bread for these people!
Jesus: Does anyone have any bread? Go and see.
Disciples (returning from the crowd): There are five pieces of flatbread and two fish, if that makes any difference.
Jesus: Listen, tell them to gather in smaller groups and sit on that green patch of grass.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The three synoptic gospels all tell this story, but once again there are some subtle differences in the details each one gives. We might assume Matthew was present as an eye witness to the event as one of the twelve Apostles. We’re not so sure about Mark and Luke. Luke tells us he researched his letters, both his gospel and his history of the beginnings of the church, Acts, from eye witnesses. We can assume Mark was either present at the feeding of this host of people or also spoke to eye witnesses since his telling of the event is so similar, but not exactly like that of Matthew and Luke.

We know about the crowd that followed Jesus to hear Him speak. We know they are some distance from any town of any size that could provide enough food for the number of people gathered there. We know no one really expected to stay as long as they did or more people would have brought food with them. We know it is late enough in the day people are starting to get hungry. We know the disciples want to send them away because they are afraid of what hungry people might do to them.

Jesus asks the disciples that obvious question, “Does anyone have any bread?” Duh! Before you send everyone home, see if there is enough food that we might share. Maybe these folks didn’t come unprepared. Perhaps they heard about His ministries in other places and knew He would stick around as long as people came to Him and that could be a while. Maybe a bunch of people brought a picnic lunch or supper in a basket and had enough to share. “Just go look and see.”

They came up with five small flatbread and two fish, if that makes any difference. That much could start a riot among hungry mouths, but not much more. Five tortillas and two sardines would give each person just enough to know they had a crumb of something in their hand if they spread it around, but they probably wouldn’t be able to recognize what it was. The morsel would be two small to tell whether it was meat or bread or potato or dried grass or a grain of sand on their palm. Not much to ease any hunger pangs they might have. Nope, the headlines read “Riot on Judean Hillside Over Five Flatbread and Two Fish”.

Here’s what I like about Mark’s version, though. After the disciples brought back the five flatbread and two fish, Jesus had them arrange them in smaller groups and sit on a patch of green grass nearby.

Now why would that interest me? Why would I think that’s important in this story? What would cause me pick out that detail or what would make Mark or the person who might have related this story to him pick out that particular detail to add to the scene as it unfolded?

First, I think it’s important to note that God is a God of order, not chaos. Before Jesus blessed and broke the boys small lunch to feed that crowd, He had the disciples add some order to the assembly. "Gather them into smaller groups. It’s hard to minister to a throng, but not so hard to minister to an organized group. When people are orderly and organized instead of driven into chaos, things just work better.

Second, in smaller groups, people are more apt to talk, discuss, learn from each other and even from an instructor. That’s why Sunday School and small group studies are so important. There is accountability in small groups that doesn’t happen among the masses. Worshiping in a mega-church is fine as long as you also engage in the small group studies and activities the mega-church offers to provide for your spiritual growth. If all you do is attend their worship service, not enough, sorry. But the same is true if you attend a small church. The worship service alone is not enough to help you grow. We all need those small group settings for accountability and to push us toward deeper understanding of God and His will.

Third, God cares about our needs and our comforts also. Jesus met the people’s need by feeding them. But He also cared about their comfort and instead of having them sit where they were, He told His disciples to move them to a grassy place nearby. He moved His pulpit to a more comfortable place for dinner. He cared about both their needs and their wants. He cares about the same for us. He didn’t provide couches and sofas, so He didn’t get extravagant with them, but He did give them grass to sit on.

One small detail in a story focused on the incredible miracle of Jesus multiplying a small boy’s lunch to feed thousands. But that detail tells us a lot about who God is and how He cares for you and me. Think about that today as you look at the grass outside your window.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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