John 6,1-14 - What may I do for you Lord

"What may I do for you?"

Reading: John 6:1-14

The Story is a familiar one - Jesus' feeding of the five thousand. I invite you for a moment to imagine yourself as the child who gave his lunch. Try to place yourself in the actual scene and experience the commotion and excitement of the day. Try to use all of your senses as you reflect on the story. First of all, see the story - the grass, the hills, the faces of the people. Then try to hear the story - the sound of the water splashing up against the lake shore, the noise of the children playing, and the voice of the Master speaking about the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness. Also, try to feel the story - the texture of your clothing, the hardness of the ground, the coarseness of your hands. Finally, try to feel with your emotions - hesitancy at bringing your lunch - all that you have, astonishment at the miracle of multiplied food, joy at the gracious provision of God.

Then, in your imagination, watch the crowd leave and Jesus go up on the hills. You are left alone. You sit on a rock overlooking the water and re-experiencing the events of the day. You become quiet, and after a little while, Jesus returns and sits on a nearby rock. For a time you are both silent, looking out over the water perhaps and enjoying one another's presence. After a bit, the Lord turns to you and asks this question, "What may I do for you?" Then you tell him what is on your heart - your needs, your fears, your hopes and dreams.

When you have said what is on your heart, you become quiet for a little while. Then you turn to the Lord and ask, “What may I do for you, Lord?” And you listen with the heart, quietly, prayerfully. No instruction needs to come for you are just glad to be in Christ’s presence. When a word does come to you, you take it with utmost seriousness. And more often than not, it will be some very practical instruction about something seemingly insignificant, because God wants us to live out our faith in the ordinary events of our days.

Let us pray