Bloghardt's Reflector

No, He had compassion on them. He stops what He is doing and helps them. Their needs before His need to be alone. What was important to them before what was important to Him.

He had compassion on the crowd despite the fact that what happened to John the Baptist would happen to Him. He would die – the terrible death of a Cross.

Jesus had compassion on them knowing that these same people who beg Him to heal people in our lesson today would yell for Him to be crucified on Good Friday.

That's the Gospel. Always more. Never running out. And always always free.

Yes, Jesus' compassion is free - it's undeserved. He gives of Himself and desires nothing in return.

The way of the Law, the way we do things, is full of limits. We limit, we count, we balance, we determine what's fair.

What I mean is: How often do we do nice things for people expecting something in return? We did A, we should get A back from them. I buy you dinner, you catch me next time. I help you out, so you can help yourself out later.

And worse…how often do we withhold compassion and mercy because we don't know if someone really, truly deserves it. No, I can't do that, if I show mercy on her, she might take advantage of me?

Putting a stop on how much, or how little, that's what we do. Then, with every little bit we give, we expect more. Or worse, demand more. That's life under the Law.

We do this because we think ourselves to be more important than someone else. We do this because whether we will confess it or not, in our own minds we are just a little better than every one else is.

But, His compassion, the Lord's Compassion is free and endless. It's plentiful.

His compassion sacrifices everything – even His own life – and expects nothing in return. There is always more compassion, always more serving others, and it never ever runs out – even when it kills Him on Good Friday.

So, without expecting anything from the crowd in return, Jesus heals their sick. And when the apostles tell Him that He needs to send them home so they can pick up year-32AD-version-of-McDonalds on the way home, He shows them a foretaste of how much compassion He truly has.

“They don't have to go home to eat, boys. What food do you have? Five loaves and two fish? That's all? Bring them to me.”

So, He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

Here's a free fish sandwich for you. Free fish poboys for you too. More fish sandwiches than from the drive-through. More than money could buy!

And everyone was satisfied. Every last one of them. All of them with a church-full of leftovers. They were satisfied for free by the always more of Jesus'-giving-all-that-He-has-Gospel. It was like the Old Testament, when the Lord allowed them to buy wine and milk without money and without price!

By the way, did you catch the verbs? He gave thanks. He took bread. He broke it. He gave it to them.

Sound familiar? Sounds like…On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to His Disciples. “Take eat My Body given for you. Take drink my blood of the new testament shed for you for the remission of sins.”

As the Catechism says, “The forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are given to us through these words in the sacrament. Because, where sins are forgiven, there is life and salvation as well.”

Here is forgiveness. Here is eternal life. Here is salvation. Here is food that never perishes and never runs out.

Forgiveness won by the holy life of the Son of God lived out in your place. Salvation earned by His bitter suffering and death. Never running out, never a limit. Always more forgiveness for each and every time you fail and blunder.

So, turn from your sins today. Turn from the way you deal with people. The way you think of yourself before them. The way you determine what is fair and put it on others. The way you blame them for what is really your problem. Repent.

Jesus says to you today, “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”

Take eat His body today, given for you. Take drink His Blood, shed for you for the remission of sins. Come, eat, the compassion and mercy of God in Jesus Christ.

For the Gospel is always more. More compassion than you could possibly need, more forgiveness than you have sins, and life, life that never ever ever ever ends.

More. More. More. The Gospel is always more. Food for five thousand. His Supper for you and me.

So “Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray That we may feast on You today. Beneath these forms of bread and wine. Enrich us with your grace divine.” (LSB 623)

Grace, that is gift, that never ends. In the name of Jesus. Amen.