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service and fellowship and sharing the love of Christ with all.

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A Feast of Transformation

Jesus performed a miracle of transformation. He turned five barley loaves and two fish into enough food to satisfy five thousand people and even more. When we contemplate this story of the miracle, we tend to focus on the quantitative change. Yes, it is true that through the hands of Jesus, the five loaves of bread and two fish were turned into enough food to satisfy more than five thousand people, and the fragments gathered filled twelve baskets! However, was that the only change or transformation this story signified?

Actually, Jesus performed a miracle of a 'feast.' It was a feast of compassion, a feast of generosity, and a feast of self-denial. The boy who had the five barley loaves and two fish surrendered all the food he had. We don't know if the food was only for himself or his family, but it's clear he didn't bring it to feed the crowd. The boy had a choice; he could have refused to share his food, as no one would have forced him to do so. But for some reason, he surrendered his food for others, and Jesus multiplied it enough to feed more than five thousand people. I wonder how other people felt when they saw the boy's act of generosity. Did they feel nothing, or did they feel something? We shouldn’t overlook that, in this story of a miracle, a feast, and transformation, the boy played an important role. What do we feel when we see this boy in the crowd, dedicating his food to create a feast of transformation and compassion? Don’t we consider that we could be the ones to surrender our possessions, our belongings, or even our sense of ownership to the hands of Jesus, who can create a feast of transformation and compassion?

John 6:1-2

July 28, 2024

Pastor Jinyong

Join us in-person every Sunday at 9:30 for Worship service or online recording.