Luke 9:10-17: It’s great when a plan comes together – but whose plan? (please click for todays passage)

I am reminded of a sermon I heard a few years ago. One of our members at ‘King’s’ spoke about the challenge in this story of Jesus’ openness to interruption. It wasn’t like He and the disciples hadn’t been busy. He and they were ready for a spiritual retreat. I’m sure it’s legitimate to say that they needed this quieter period together. But a greater need took precedence, and Jesus was willing to give way to it (11b). I found this thought challenging when listening to the excellent talk way back when, and it has hit me with fresh force in my recent reading of this great story. How open am I to divinely arranged interruptions to my life and work today?

Here’s another challenge (and although it’s such a familiar story I feel like I’m seeing this for the first time). Faced with a huge problem (and opportunity) the disciples did have a plan to feed the crowd (12). It was a logical plan. Naturally speaking it made sense. You might even be correct in saying it was a good plan. But it wasn’t Jesus’ plan. The disciples had a plan to provide the crowd with a meal, but it wasn’t the Jesus way. Jesus’ plan meant that the glory and power of God were revealed in the provision. As David Pawson has said, this was a miracle of creation. Interestingly, it is the only miracle to be recorded in all four gospels. I doubt that it would be if the disciples had got their way with their plan to feed the people.

When you become a Christian you do not become unthinking. God has given you a mind and He wants you to use it. But realise that we have the ability to come up with plans to do God’s work our way. So let’s keep our eyes and ears fixed on Jesus, remaining prayerful (Jeremiah 33:3).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, when the disciples listened to you they got to be ‘middle men’ in a miracle. I want to be with them, discovering your plans, and then passing on to others what I receive from you.