Daily Readings - Fri Apr 24 2020
Acts
34Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;35And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.36For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.37After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.38And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:39But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.40And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.41And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.42And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
John
1After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.2And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.3And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.4And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.5When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?6And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.7Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,9There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?10And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.11And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.12When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.13Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.14Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.15When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of faith and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Acts describes a pivotal moment in the early Christian Church. Gamaliel, a respected Pharisee, advises the council to refrain from persecuting the apostles, suggesting that if their work is of God, it cannot be stopped. His words of caution and discernment lead the council to release the apostles, who then continue their mission with renewed vigor, undeterred by the warnings they received. This passage reminds us of the importance of discernment and trust in God’s plan, even in the face of uncertainty or opposition.
The Gospel reading from John presents the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus, seeing the vast crowd following him, tests Philip by asking how they might feed so many people. Despite the seeming impossibility of the situation, a young boy offers his five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus takes this small offering, gives thanks, and multiplies it to feed the entire crowd. This miracle is not just about the provision of food; it is a revelation of Jesus’ divine nature and his ability to take our small, insignificant offerings and turn them into something extraordinary. It invites us to trust in God’s abundance and to step out in faith, even when our resources seem inadequate.
Both readings call us to trust in God’s plan and providence. In Acts, we see the apostles rejoicing in their suffering because they trusted that God was at work. In John’s Gospel, we see Jesus taking a small offering and using it to accomplish something far beyond human expectation. These stories encourage us to approach life with faith, knowing that God can take our limited efforts and turn them into something greater. Let us, like the apostles and the boy with the loaves, offer what little we have to God, trusting that he will use it to accomplish his will. In doing so, we may find that even in the face of challenges, we can rejoice in the knowledge that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.