Lunchtime!

At last, it is time to stop work for a break. A break but it involves preparation even for eating. Have you made that sandwich before setting off to work - even if it is only in the conservatory for me? Preparation for making lunch may involve shopping several days before.

So it is for writing an essay; previous preparation is vital before just diving into the essay. We have looked at the study skills for working on a plan, from spidergrams to structuring an answer, to formatting and time management! So it's time for a break. Sit down. Catch up with yourself. Don't keep looking at that screen for new emails or even Facebook and Instagram chats... Avoid the screen. It is so tempting to keep it going BUT it is Lent. Some give social media up for Lent.

A break can involve listening to others, and even taking a moment to pray and listen to God. That's not so easy unless you have a mountain to retreat to, following the lad with the fish sandwiches as we see in all four gospels (Matthew 14: 13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-16; John 6). something about that occasion made the gospel writers all include that miracle of feeding 5000 people. Now we have the internet we could record a service and upload it to YouTube and some may get 5000 people and families listening at one time. More screen time! But for that boy sharing his lunch with Jesus was quite an occasion. Was it his memory that prompted Mark and Luke to write the story? After all Luke did a fair bit of research (Lk.1:1-4) before he wrote his history of Jesus' ministry and that of the Early Church (Acts). Then each gospel writer inserted it slightly differently for their own perspective on matters, all equally inspired by the Holy Spirit. That lends itself to a discussion of Form Criticism, but I will not be diverted again from 'Lunchtime'.

So back to the boy's lunch.

Two fish and five loaves. Not a lot for 5000. Some guess that it encouraged everyone else to share their picnics but that is not the account. Jesus himself took the small amount and multiplied it; it was a creative miracle. That is what hit the writers to include such a massive miracle, and there was another miracle of food production for 4000 people (NB Men counted so we can multiply to women and children included in both events). John's gospel goes on to provide a long discourse on what it all meant. The amazed followers were not to get distracted into thinking of free bread every day from this man if they made him King; Jesus disappeared at that point. Rather, Jesus was the bread of life, come from heavenly places (6:35ff) to become the bread providing resurrection life (6:44). Jesus becomes our present provision, but also our future hope. So is lunchtime an opportunity to 'eat' more of Jesus, every day, not just at Lent?

That food will sustain us as the heavenly provision to Elijah sustained him (See the last blog on Breakfast). That food will provide us with the means of sharing Jesus the hope of the world, the bread of life. After all, is that not the purpose of studying theology?