Matthew 15:32-33

“Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

Are you kidding me? Not only had Jesus been healing people left and right that day, but you only have to go back one chapter to find the Disciples in the exact same situation: too many people, not enough food. One would like to think they would have remembered the incredible miracle that had recently taken place with the feeding of the five thousand, but noooooooo: they act as if that had never happened.

Do you ever forget what the Lord has done in your life? I do.

I’m sure I would have been berating the disciples for their sheer ignorance, but alas…that’s not what Jesus did. “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. He never ceases to amaze me. What patience! What restraint! What love! Instead of verbally dissecting His disciples, He simply and lovingly takes them down the exact same road again and in the process…another huge crowd gets to eat. Jesus is ALWAYS about His Father’s business.

The take away for us is simple: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). The fruit of the Spirit always seems challenging, especially in the face of disappointing circumstances:

Hate…or love.
Complain…or be joyful.
Fly off the handle…or show patience.
Hard heartedness…or kindness.
Ill-intentioned…or goodness.
Fear and panic…or faithfulness.
Harshness…or gentleness.
Indulgent…or self-controlled.

We know what Jesus did. What will we do?