Have you ever let someone represent something for you? For example, the Republican Party and Democratic Party both have faces. Do those people fully and truly represent every aspect of that party's beliefs? No. Sometimes we let doctors or nurses shape our view of a hospital or medical practice. However, it’s one person representing a larger organization. And I’ve known a few people who let other people represent Christ in their lives from time-to-time. Whether we have a good or bad experience with someone who calls themselves a Christian, gives us a certain feeling towards the church, Christianity, or even God.
Here’s the Truth though: No one can fully represent God. At the end of the day, we are who we are: sinners in need of a Savior. And at the end of each day, God is who He is.
The disciples, Jesus’ closest friends, couldn’t even represent Him fully. They saw Him perform miracles, healings, and wondrous signs, yet even still, they lacked the faith, empathy, and compassion that Jesus had. On two occasions in Matthew 14 and 15, we can see Jesus’ overflow of compassion.
In Matthew 14:15, we read, “When evening came, the disciples approached Him [Jesus] and said, ‘This place is wilderness, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Out of compassion, the disciples wanted to give these people a chance and time to eat. However, Jesus interjected, “They don’t need to go away… You give them something to eat. He then ‘...took five loaves [of bread] and two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets full of leftover pieces” (Matthew 14:18-20).
In Matthew 15:32, we see a similar situation. “Jesus summoned His disciples and said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry; otherwise they might collapse on the way.” The disciples questioned how they could feed that many people even though they had already seen Him feed a crowd of thousands before. Again, we see Jesus, take “...seven loaves and the fish, and He gave thanks, broke them, and kept on giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were filled. They collected the leftover pieces – seven large baskets full” (Matthew 15:35-37).
In both instances, the disciples, though thoughtful and compassionate, didn’t fully embody Jesus' compassion. Jesus’ compassion spilt over. He didn’t give the crowds just enough. He filled everyone and had an abundance leftover. The disciples had good intentions, but they didn't have the overflow that Jesus did. In the same, even the best people we know cannot fully represent and embody the person who Jesus was.
Friends, God always offers an abundance in His provisions for us. It may not look like the picturesque version of life that we would choose, but there is always more than enough. Psalm 23 says that our cup overflows with our Shepherd. If your cup is feeling dry or empty, lean into the abundance we are offered from our Father in Heaven. Read Psalm 23 this week and meditate on the overflow that only God can bring.
"A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance."
-Jesus
John 10:10
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