Thought for the Day - God Feeds Us, God Frees Us, God Saves Us

Lambert Lombard - The Miracle of Loaves and Fishes

A Thought for the Day given at a lunchtime service of Holy Communion at St Giles-in-the-Fields at 1pm on Wednesday 4th December 2024 based on readings from Isaiah 25.6-10a and Matthew 15.29-37.

Isaiah’s prophecy offers an image of a sumptuous mountaintop feast of fine wines and rich meats. This is no ordinary picnic - but a celebratory meal - prepared by God himself for all people to share. It sounds like quite the party.

It follows a period of painful, damning judgement, during which the wine turned sour and the city fell silent, its people boarded up behind closed doors because of their failure to believe and trust in God.

During this mile high meal, God rewards those who survived that dreadful episode with the greatest gift of all.  Life eternal. Victory over death. 

He wipes away the tears from their eyes. He enlightens people of every nation by casting the dark veil of shame, disgrace and dishonour from them. His people are free from sin and death.

It is in that celebratory meal and that freedom - that victory over death, that God is revealed to his people. “This is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us.” they declare. 

God feeds us.
God frees us.
God saves us. 

Also set at high altitude, today’s gospel reading reveals the fulfilment of that prophecy hundreds of years later, in the person of Jesus. The feeding of the multitude physically and spiritually. The life changing freedom that his healing touch brings. 

In just a few moments we will be fed with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ whose death has freed the world from sin.  

As we taste this bread and wine may we become living reminders that;

God feeds us.
God frees us.
God saves us. 

Image : Lambert Lombard - The Miracle of Loaves and Fishes