Week 22 Daily Dose
of Love
#148 (5/28)
Jesus
Goes to a Deserted Place
Matthew 14:13-14
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted
place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great
crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
Mark 6:30-34
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all
that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves
and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they
went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and
they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great
crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
Luke 9:10-11
On
their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida.
When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of
God, and healed those who needed to be cured.
There are times when it feels like Jesus has deserted us. We feel
unloved and unloving, alone, lost, out of touch. Jesus is always ready to teach and heal us but there are
times we need to search deeper into our hearts to find him. Our hearts adapt to dry periods like flowers and trees whose roots reach deeper into
the earth to seek moisture, giving them a stronger grip on the earth while enhancing their ability to absorb nourishment. Our faith and ability to love deepens and strengthens every time we search deserted places
in our hearts for Jesus.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we find Jesus when it seems that he has gone to a deserted place?
Principles of Love:
Commitment; Compassion; Nature
Pray Through the Day:
Help us to love
When our will is weak
#149 (5/29)
Five Thousand are Fed
Matthew 14:15-20a
When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late;
send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said
to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have
nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.”
Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven,
and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And
all ate and were filled;
Mark 6:35-42
When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and
the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something
for themselves to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They
said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?”
And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five,
and two fish.” Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass.
So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish,
he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he
divided the two fish among them all.
Luke 9:12-17
The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said,
“Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions;
for we are here in a deserted place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”
For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about
fifty each.” They did so and made them all sit down. 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.
John 6:1-11
After
this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him,
because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.
Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming
toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said
this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’
wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew,
Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two
fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus
took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as
they wanted.
There are times when we just don’t seem to have enough to accomplish what needs to be
done. What effect can our feeble attempts to love have on a world that seems to be dominated by self-interest
and appears to be heading for destruction in so many ways?
It is a simple fact that we never have enough when left to our own resources.
Our personal gifts are minuscule compared to the challenges we face. Five barley loaves and two
fish are not enough to give even a single crumb to each person in a crowd of five thousand. But when we
bring our meager gifts to Jesus, when we open our broken and weakened hearts to the source of love, he blesses them and it
is sufficient. Jesus could have created a scrumptious meal out of thin air but his purpose is not to simply satisfy
hungry stomachs. He relies on us to discover opportunities to bring love to our world, and then he blesses
them and makes it enough. If we don’t bring him our few loaves and fish, he has nothing to bless,
nothing to multiply, and we all go hungry. Reflection/Discussion:
How can we remember to bring our gifts to Jesus?
Principles of Love:
Nature; Unity
Pray Through the Day:
We were created
from God’s love
#150 (5/30)
Gather the Fragments
Matthew 14:20b-21
And they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate
were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Mark 6:43-44
And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces
and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
Luke 9:17b
And all ate and were filled. What was
left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
John 6:12-15
When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather
up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the
fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the
people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain
by himself.
Each
fragment of bread and fish left over after the meal would be insignificant if seen in isolation. Left alone
they would dry out, decay, and at best, become a snack for birds and worms. But Jesus asked that they be
gathered, “so that nothing may be lost.” Together they filled twelve baskets, a symbol for
the twelve tribes of Israel - enough to feed a nation. The
Greek term used in John’s gospel that is translated as “gather up” has the same root as the term used to
describe the gathering rite of early Christians. Each of us has a fragment of God’s love in our hearts.
It is when we gather together with Jesus that our full potential can be realized. We cannot
love in isolation. But we can come together in Jesus’ name to effectively respond to a world that
is starving for love.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we “gather up the fragments” so none of the love God gives to us is lost?
Principles of Love:
Unity; Nature
Pray Through the Day:
Bring us together
In your love
#151
(5/31)
Walking on Water
Matthew 14:22-23
Immediately
he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And
after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.
And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But
immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He
said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But
when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly
you are the Son of God.”
Mark 6:45-52
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead
to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up
on the mountain to pray.
When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was
alone on the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards
them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking
on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to
them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them
and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were
hardened.
John 6:16-21
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to
Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind
was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming
near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then
they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
There are times
when the wind and waves are rougher and stronger than our ability to cope. This passage reminds us that
Jesus’ love is even more powerful than the laws of nature. We can come up with what seem to be good,
logical reasons why a relationship won’t work or a conflict can’t be resolved, but everything changes when we
invite Jesus into our boat. He can help us realize that love is bigger than any storm or conflict.
His love quiets our minds and stills our nerves as it brings us together in peace and harmony.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we remember to remember the power
of Jesus in the midst of a storm?
Principles of Love:
Opening
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#152 (6/1)
The Sick are Brought to Jesus
Matthew 14:34-36
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to
him, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Mark 6:53-56
When
they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat,
people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard
he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that
they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
The sick people whom Jesus healed were too
weak to come to him on their own. They were brought to him, even carried on mats, by people who loved them.
It was love that brought them to Jesus and love that healed them. Love is stronger than any illness, injury, or disease. We can’t physically transport people
to Jesus like the people at Gennesaret, but we can carry them to him in our hearts. We can allow his love
to flow through us to ease their pain and calm their fears.
Reflection/Discussion:
What are some ways we can bring someone
who is sick or hurting to Jesus?
Principles of Love:
Compassion
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your creation
#153 (6/2)
The Work of God
John 6:22-29
The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that
his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten
the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were
there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
When
they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus
answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your
fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then
they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This
is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
God’s work is to love. To believe in Jesus is to believe in
love. Jesus loves us and shows us how to love each other. Love is the only thing that
never perishes, the only thing that leads to eternal life. Everything we have worked for, saved for, and looked forward to can be eliminated by
one storm, earthquake, or death. The only thing that lasts is love. Love lasts because it comes
from God. It is not something we can acquire, store, or save. Once love is planted,
it grows and deepens to the extent we tend to it. Love transcends all that we know. It
is the big picture, the whole shebang. It is the work of God. Reflection/Discussion:
How do we believe with our hearts?
Principles of Love:
Commitment; Opening; Decision
Pray Through the Day:
Help us to love
When our will is weak
#154 (6/3)
The Bread of Life
John 6:30-40
So they said to him, “What sign are you going to
give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the
manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Then
Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father
who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and
gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever
believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything
that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven,
not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me that I
should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will
of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”
God sent manna from
heaven to nourish and sustain lives. He sent his son to nourish and sustain our love. Belief in Jesus is
much more than a simple intellectual agreement. In the culture of the time, to believe in someone involved
commitment, loyalty, and solidarity. If we are to believe in Jesus, we must commit to living
through his love. Love is the “true bread from heaven”
that comes from the source of all love. Our will can become easily distorted by self-centered needs and
desires, but the will of our Father is always true. When we are in solidarity with Jesus, we transcend our own will to be
nourished by his love to do the will of our Father.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we deepen our commitment to love
over time?
Principles of Love:
Commitment; Nature
Principles of Love:
Commitment; Nature
Pray Through the Day:
Help us to love
When our will is weak
