Matthew 15:29-39
29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
Reflection
Following the incident with the Canaanite woman in Matt. 15:21–28, Jesus’ ministry continues to flourish in the largely non-Jewish region near the Sea of Galilee (v. 29). The crowds marvel and give glory to God because of the miraculous healings he performs (vv. 30–31). His compassion overflows in another miraculous feeding, this time to a crowd of 4,000 men, plus women and children (vv. 32–38; cf. 14:13–21).
The inclusive love of Christ has always been God’s plan for his creation (cf. Ps. 22:27–28; 86:9; Isa. 2:2–4). He welcomes all who are willing to receive his abundant and free grace.
Romans 13:8-14
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Reflection
These verses conclude Paul’s call for proactive love that began back in Romans 12:9. The call requires that believers should not be in debt for back taxes or other forms of social irresponsibility. Our only debt to society is the duty of love, which is what God’s law ultimately aimed to produce (vv. 8–10). Christians love. That is what we do. That is the summary of our entire lifestyle. Yet, we do not love others in order to earn God’s love, but because we are comforted and motivated by his love for us (see 1 John 4:19).
In Romans 13:11–14, Paul changes the subject from love to hope. The nearness of Christ’s return to earth calls for transformed living (v. 11). We must “cast off” evil behaviors and arm ourselves with the goodness and guidance of Jesus (v. 12). The overarching antidote to sinful behavior is to unite ourselves with Christ, who will satisfy the soul and strengthen us to resist our desires for evil (v. 14).
Psalm 79:8
8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.
The Good Shepherd feels the same compassion for people today as he felt for the crowds who were in need of food (Matt. 15:32). Is there anyone in your life from whom you have been withholding Christlike compassion? Pray for them now and ask God to give you his heart for them.