Bless This Meal: A Biblical Perspective

By Ali Corona

He may have felt insignificant -- a young boy walking home with a basket of lunch for his family -- five small loaves and two fish.

Andrew, Jesus’ disciple, looked at the meager meal and questioned, “But what are they among so many people?” (John 6:9, NRSV).  I can imagine the boy wondered, “How can I make a difference?”

Then the Savior steps into the scene.

And He said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 

And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.

And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children (Matthew 14:18-21, NRSV).

With a glance toward heaven and a heartfelt prayer, Jesus multiplied a few parcels into a lavish feast for a crowd that was hungry for spiritual and physical nourishment.

All four gospels recount this important moment in history. The sight of the unseen Kingdom colliding with the world must have made a deep impression on each of their hearts and minds. 

Jesus blessed the meal and a miracle unfolded.

Today, an estimated 795 million people around the world are undernourished. In Texas, 1 in 6 families are unable to put meals on their tables everyday. Hunger, both physical and spiritual, is devastating.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to care about people who are marginalized, hungry, and stuck in the cycle of poverty.

1 John 3:17-18 (NRSV) states:

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

Jesus used a need and turned it into an opportunity.  We have the opportunity to join together to fight hunger through the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering. The Hunger Offering feeds people in crisis and assists families as they break the cycle of poverty in Texas and abroad all in the name of Jesus.

In the same way Jesus took one boy’s meager meal and made a feast, we each can offer our bread and fish to serve our neighbors. Let’s look at every need as a divine opportunity. May we ask Him to bless this meal -- and thousands more -- so all may be filled not only with physical food but also with the deep spiritual food of God’s love.

Mother's Day and 5th Sundays are two ways churches highlight hunger and poverty needs and collect funds for the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering. April 29 is the next 5th Sunday, and Mother's Day is May 13. The Hunger Offering web page has information to help promote the offering -- HungerOffering.org.