Ron Aulbach

This is about feeding the poor.

This is about communion. The Lord’s Supper. The Eucharist.

This is about using #hashtags

In Luke 9 a mob begins to follow Jesus as he is preaching and teaching about the kingdom of heaven. Actually, the mob forms because the text says “he healed those who needed healing” (Luke 9:11). Healing, of any sort will draw a crowd of very needy people.  Lets say that Jesus strolls into town and the night before you got into an argument with your spouse.  Jesus offers you relational healing. Or, the boss called you into his office at 1pm yesterday and you were downsized. Jesus gives you emotional healing. The doctor had the lab run a second set of tests and the results are positive. Jesus provides physical healing. It must have been an exhausting day for Jesus. But work runs right into dinner time and the disciples let Jesus in on some bad news. No food. A day full of preaching and healing is about to be dismantled.

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” Luke 9:16-17

Read that again and notice the pattern. Jesus takes the bread and fish in his hands, looks up to heaven and offers a blessing over the food. Then he breaks them into smaller pieces and has the disciples give them to the people. He takes, blesses, breaks and gives. These are action words. Verbs. Things that Jesus does to model what is possible for the person following Him.

That wasn’t the only time Jesus would take, bless, break and give.

In Luke 24 Jesus meets a couple on the road traveling from Jerusalem. Jesus has just risen from the dead. He’s walking, but he’s not walking dead, he’s alive. The tomb is empty because he is resurrected. But, the couple he’s walking with is wallowing in grief. They witnessed the events of Good Friday.  They were heartbroken so Jesus invited them to the table.

“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him…” Luke 24:30-31

Jesus takes, blesses, breaks and gives. He does this in feeding and healing broken lives. He modeled this with his own life from the cross to the grave. He wants to do this with your life too.

It would be good to spend some time thinking about what this actually looks like for you.  Jesus wants to take your life but you have to start by surrendering it to him.  Jesus wants to bless you so that you can be a blessing to others.  Like a strong willed child, he desires to break you of the hurts, habits and hang ups that chain you to the past.  Finally he wants you to give your life away and invest it in others.