Kids here

Our kids from Mexico are here this week and next. Not only that, but we have other beloved family members coming in to see them. It's "happy chaos" to use Gwynne McQueen's term. I feel blessed and am thankful not to be distracted with lesson plans and essay feedback this summer. Yea! Heat so far has been intermittent and rain abundant. Greens are up in the garden and we're getting a weekly allotment from a "share" we purchased of a local farm. I've been going through fresh produce at an amazing rate, encouraged by the example of Ellen's midwife in January.

Water II

~John 7.37-39 On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)

Overflowing water--a beautiful picture. If you're thirsty, go for the water.

Water

~Mark 9.41 If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.

The Message version says: Why, anyone by just giving you a cup of water in my name is on our side. Count on it that God will notice.

Water: drink it; give it freely.

Yeast

~Matthew 16.5-12 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread.
"Be careful, Jesus said to them. Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
They discussed this among themselves and said, It is because we didn't bring any bread.
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Bread is good; yeast is fine; but be careful of bad teaching because it is easily spread. Listen carefully to what God says to you so that you don't misinterpret it.

Seven baskets leftover the second time. Hmmm.

~Mark 8.1-10 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied.
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present.

Jesus is concerned that people get enough to eat--not a big problem in our community today, although it is in some parts of the world--and he is willing and able to make ample provision for that. Again the staples are bread and fish.

About the baskets leftover
1) My first thought was, "ah, he's getting more accurate!"
2) One commentary says that of course he made exactly the right amount, but some chose not to eat, so there were leftovers.
3) Other commentaries say the 12 and 7 baskets point to God's abundant provision for both the Jews (12 tribes, etc.) and the gentiles (70 nations listed in Genesis 10).

Scraps to the dog

~Matthew 15.25-28 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Preceding this, verse 21 says that Jesus withdrew. Apparently he had decided a break from the ever-present crowds was in order. But, alas, he was found by another needy person. Maybe Jesus is testing her as he did in telling the crowd they were to drink his blood. But this woman is not to be put off, even by insult. The Lord rewards her persistent faith by granting her request.

The food point to note here is that the table scraps go to the pet!

Ham

~Mark 7.18b-19 “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

One more thought before I leave this passage. The really big news here to the followers of Jesus must have been the idea that they no longer had to worry about whether a food was defined as "clean" or "unclean" according to Jewish law. This was radical. Now Jesus has okay'd ham sandwiches.