Matthew 14:13-21; Romans 9:1-5
In Romans 9:1–5, the Apostle Paul expresses a profound anguish for his fellow Jews that he even wishes himself cut off from Christ if it would save them. If you sometime had that kind of anguish for those around you, who don’t know Christ yet, I have a few questions for you to ponder today.
1: In an era where our lives are largely comfortable and secure, what would it cost us to care about the spiritual life and destiny of our families and friends the way Paul did?
2: If your loved ones were facing physical danger, I’m sure that you would drop everything to save and help them. By the same token, when you look at their spiritual lives, does your level of prayer and concern match that same urgency?
3. Paul was willing to be cut off from Christ to see his follow people come to Christ. In our daily routines, what are we genuinely willing to inconvenience—let alone sacrifice—so that those we love might know the grace of God?”
Reflecting on today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, we see the same profound heart of compassion and sacrifice that we witnessed in the Apostle Paul. To truly grasp the message of this story, we first need to look at the real-life context surrounding Jesus at that moment.
In the gospel reading from Matthews today, I view Jesus in the same way that I just shared in the stories of Paul apostle. To understand the message of the Gospel story more specifically, we might as well begin with the actual context happening around him at that time.
Matthew 14:1 reads, “At that time Herod heard the reports about Jesus, and e said, “I think this is John the Baptist; we killed him but he has risen from the dead! That is why such miraculous powers are at work in him.” Herod really believed that John came back to life.
Anyway, when Jesus heard the tragic news about His cousin John, He longed for some quiet time to mourn. Stepping into a boat, He withdrew to a remote and quiet place to grieve and process His sorrow.
Yet, His retreat was soon interrupted. The crowds tracked Him down on foot. Navigating the tough roads around the Sea of Galilee was no small act; it demanded immense physical effort and time. They did not pursue Him out of casual curiosity. They searched him because Jesus offered something irreplaceable: healing, grace, and the life-giving words of truth and hope.
When Jesus saw the exhausted crowds pouring into the wilderness, He did not view them as an intrusion on His quiet retreat. Instead, His heart was moved with profound compassion. Setting aside His own need for rest, He immediately turned to care for them, healing their sick and teaching them extensively.
As evening fell, the disciples urged Jesus to send the large crowd away to buy food. Instead, Jesus told the disciples to feed the people themselves.
After having the crowd sit on the grass, Jesus blessed the food, broke it, and gave it to the disciples to distribute. Miraculously, everyone ate until they were full—a crowd of about five thousand— with twelve full baskets of leftovers.
Jesus was physically and emotionally depleted after losing his own loved one. Any human standard would justify locking the doors, grieving the loss, or turning the crowds away. Instead, Jesus let His heart of compassion override His personal needs.
The modern church must never allow institutional self-preservation, comfort, or programs to eclipse (cover, dominate) genuine pastoral empathy. A flourishing church is not built on convenience or financial stability, but on a relentless, Christ-like burden for the hurting and lost. Likewise, a flourishing Christian life is not built on success or financial stability, but on a constant walk and effort to become like Christ in all their relationships wherever they are.
In today’s story from Matthew, the crowds kept following Jesus across rough ground. The Roman government and the religious leaders gave them heavy burdens, but Jesus offered healing and spiritual hope. First and foremost, Jesus fed their souls with God’s truth, which they had never tasted before.
In an age flooded with entertainment, consumerism, and superficial messaging, the church must return to the bedrock of uncompromising biblical fundamental truth: The church must care for people; the church must provide healing for their brokenness; And the church must have the real truth of God’s Word available to them.
Many modern churches focus too much on good branding, perfect locations, stable finance, and making things easy. However, today’s passage reminds us of something else. If a church truly shows the presence of Jesus—full of truth, grace, and healing—people will gladly overcome obstacles, travel far, and push through hard times just to be part of a community where God is truly working.
Gungahlin Uniting Church is blessed in many ways. We enjoy a great, accessible location in a growing community and a wonderfully diverse congregation of all ages and cultures. Still, we must not forget to ask ourselves.
Are we truly following the example of Jesus shown in today’s Gospel story, where He set aside His own needs to care for others? Are we genuinely united as a community, putting the grace and good news of God’s Kingdom above everything else?
When the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Sir, it is already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves,” Jesus replied, “No, you yourselves give them something to eat!”
Gungahlin Uniting Church is truly blessed compared to many other congregations in our Canberra region. We have a minister, a pastor, and an office manager on our team, along with wonderful systems and dedicated volunteers and leaders supporting our mission and ministry. Yet, as time goes on, the main burdens of ministry tend to rest on fewer and fewer shoulders.
So today, I want to urge each and every one of you: when opportunities arise to serve and minister to others, remember that you are all ministers and pastors. The mission begins with you. You are the church.
You yourselves give them something to eat!
