“Food for the body as well as for the soul”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Luke 9:1-17 (Forward, p. 75) CEV p. 1070
It is sometimes said of certain overtly ‘religious’ folk that they are ‘so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good’, but this certainly could never be said of Jesus. Here, in today’s passage, we read of His concern for both the body and the soul. He and His disciples had certainly preached about the good news of the kingdom, but they had also healed numerous people and cast out demons. Furthermore, after a long day of ministry—when people were getting tired and famished for lack of food—He fed them to their heart’s content—albeit with singularly meagre resources, only five small loaves of bread and two fish.
This merely emphasizes and underlines the fact that Jesus is interested in our entire beings, and not just some part of us labeled ‘spiritual’. He is concerned about our well-being, our wholeness, whether that be with our bodies, our psyches, or relationships or our souls. And, if He is so interested, so concerned, that certainly we, His friends and disciples, should show a similar passion and concern.
And, so it is right and proper for churches to have Soup Kitchens as well as worship services, and to have fellowship times as well as Bible studies. As Jesus cared for, and ministered to, the whole person, so too should we. Amen.
Forward notes: “And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was leftover was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces” (verses 16-17).
“This miracle of Jesus reminds me of the story I used to read to my son when he was young. In the old folktale of Stone Soup, the community comes together to add ingredients to the soup. What starts simply as a stone boiling in water becomes a rich feast for all to share. This tale echoes our Christian duty to share what we can with our community.
“Just as with the tale of Stone Soup, our gifts are not all the same. Some have carrots; others can give seasonings or chicken or beans. Some bring the gift of teaching; others, listening. Some are gifted in hospitality; others have financial resources to support the ministry.
“Jesus calls us to reach out and engage, sharing not only our food but also hospitality, prayers, and other talents and treasures with those we meet.”
Moving Forward: “How does the tale of Stone Soup fit within your understanding of the Christian response? What other folktales resonate with Jesus’s teachings?”