Mexico Devotional | Day 01

SCRIPTURE

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough 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 for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”

Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then 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. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

John 6: 1-14

DEVOTIONAL

The Gospel of John recounts a curious story for us: Jesus, confronted with a large crowd who were growing hungry, tasks his disciples with solving the problem of feeding the crowd: over five thousand men (a number which doesn’t include the women and children). Philip calculates that two hundreds’ days worth of wages wouldn’t be enough to feed the crowd.

In fact, the only resource they have on hand is a boy’s lunch: five loaves and two fish.

It doesn’t seem like much,

But in the hands of Jesus,

It is more than enough.

So much more, in fact, that they pick up twelve basketfuls of leftovers after everyone’s had their fill. And all from the simple offering of a boy’s lunch—a lunch that probably would have been inadequate to satisfy an adult, let alone thousands of people! As much as we center in on and highlight the miracle of Jesus, we must also pay attention to the incredible bravery of the boy, who gives what little he has for the sake of those in need around him. And it is that simple act of generosity, combined with the love of Jesus, that blooms into a feast for everyone there.

As we enter into our first day of the build, what do you find yourself carrying with you to this trip? Perhaps you brought hope: that God will meet you in the midst of the building. Some of us bring sorrows, tragedies, or frustrations that can seem overwhelming in the face of our circumstances. Others will bring praise and joy with a desire to love on those we build with and for. And many of us come with no idea of what to expect, only a desire to see God move.

No matter what you find in your hands as we prepare to depart today, the promise and the hope of Jesus is that he can take it and transform it into something beyond our imagination—he can turn even our mourning into joy, our ashes into a meal that can sustain those in need.

He simply asks whether we are willing to share.

No matter how inadequate we think it is,

No matter how small,

No matter how difficult.

Jesus has a way of making things new.

Take a few minutes to honestly and vulnerable share with God what you’re bringing to the build today:

All of your hopes,

All of your grievances,

All of your disappointments,

All of your victories.

And offer those things within yourselves unto God as a living sacrifice.

ENDING PRAYER

Merciful God,
I present to you my body, a living sacrifice.

God,
my body,
a living sacrifice.

God,
My body.
Amen.