2nd August 2026 Pentecost 10 Matthew 14:13-21

The Matthew reading is the well-known story of the feeding of the 5,000 men plus women and children.  There is likely to have been between 10,000 and 15,000 present.  What amazes me about this reading is that the disciples cleaned up what was left over.  Image a crowd of 15,000 and the mess that would have been left afterwards.  The disciples cleaned up the mess and the leftover food leaving the area where they had been clean and tidy and maybe very little indication that they had been there at all.  This event left to the memories of the Jesus, the Disciples and the people present and no photos to help the memory remain

There are times that we celebrate a special event maybe with hundreds of other people.  One such event for me recently was a sunset concert the Queensland Opera Company performed at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs.  I have photos and memories that will stay with me of the singing and the sunset behind them.  There are times when God gives us memories that will stay with us for many years.  Perhaps one of the things that we can do with these memories is to share them with others – just as the disciples and the people present at the feeding of the 5,000 did.