Lent Day 32 [4.10.2025] / Faithful Foundations

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21 / 마태복음 14:13-21

Deuteronomy 14:22 - Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.

Overview:

News of John the Baptist’s death had reached Jesus, who had withdrawn by boat to a solitary place upon hearing what had happened. Despite this, a large crowd of over ten thousand people (five thousand men) followed Him on foot. Looking over the crowd, Jesus had compassion on them and continued to heal their sick. As evening approached, Jesus’ disciples advised Him to send the people away before the markets closed to give the people an opportunity to buy themselves some food on the way home; however, instead of sending them away, Jesus looks at His disciples and commands them to give the people something to eat. The empty-handed disciples stood perplexed at Jesus’ words and began to search for a way to provide food for the great number of people in the crowd. Despite their search, they could only find a little boy with five loaves of bread and two fish, a quantity meant only for a small family. Jesus tells the disciples to bring the food to Him and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave the disciples the broken pieces of bread and the divided pieces of fish and the disciples began to give them to the people. As they were distributing the bread and fish, the food began to miraculously multiply until everyone was fully satisfied and 12 basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish remained. Often, we find ourselves in situations that make us wonder if God really will provide or pull through. This story is a great reminder that God faithfully provides for us in abundance and all we need to do is trust in Him. There are two important ways we to are build faithful foundations that give way to God’s ceaseless and overflowing blessings in our lives.

Faithful Offering:

There are many times when we declare our trust in God but are immensely stingy with the resources He has already given us. Not only is God the true owner of all that we “possess”, but God never asks for that which He will not use to bless us or return to us with manifold blessings. Yet, in our finances, our time, our efforts, and our resources, we are often unwilling to give even a portion of such things to God in faith knowing that He does not ask for such things to control us, but to bless us abundantly in our lives. Without this offering, our words may say we desire God to work through and in us, but practically there is no room in our bank accounts, our schedules, and our motivations for God to anchor His work upon. The miracle of feeding the five thousand begins with the generosity of a little boy. This boy would have packed this food for himself and his own family, and upon being asked to share, could have told the disciples that it was not his fault that nobody else came prepared, and that such a small portion could not feed such a large crowd. Yet, the boy faithfully presents this small offering to Jesus and through this sacrifice, Jesus feeds not just the boy and his family, but the entire multitude of people. We often take this story for granted in believing that Jesus will multiply His provision in our lives without realizing that the miracle of this story begins with the offering of a little boy.

Faithful Giving:

After Jesus had broken the bread and divided the fish, He gave them to His disciples to distribute to the people. At the beginning, the disciples began with just the broken pieces of bread and fish that amounted to the original amount. With every bread and fish that was given, surely their basket would have quickly been emptied, but with every faithful reach into the basket, there would be just enough for the next person. This process would happen for over ten thousand people and by the end, when they collected all the food that had remained, it amounted to twelve basketfuls of bread and fish. Not only are we to provide a portion to anchor the blessings of God, but when we distribute these blessings according to the compassion of Jesus, we can actively experience His miraculous multiplication and provision in our lives.

Conclusion:

So many believers promise to practice faithful offering and faithful giving when we become successful and rich. However, Jesus reminds us that those who are faithful with little will be given much, but whoever is dishonest with little will also be dishonest with much (Luke 16:10). If we are unwilling to give proportionally now, we are suffocating the work of God in and through us. Uncertainty of God’s provision and direction comes from our unwillingness to surrender our time, resources, and finances through which God faithfully multiplies and provides not just for ourselves, but for all those around us.

Reflection:

1. Is there room for God in your schedule, bank account, and thoughts?

2. How can I give faithfully and proportionally to experience God’s abundant provision in my life?

   
   

Prayer:

1. God, thank you for teaching me about your heart as a Father who desires to give good gifts.

2. Jesus, help me to be faithful in my offering like the little boy who gave such a small portion that you used to feed the multitudes.

3. Holy Spirit, help me to be faithful in my giving to experience your active multiplication and provision in my life.

   
   

개요:

세례 요한의 죽음 소식을 들은 예수님은 배를 타고 외딴 곳으로 물러가셨습니다. 그러나 그 소식을 들은 많은 무리(남자만 오천 명이 넘는 수)들이 걸어서 예수님을 따라갔습니다. 예수님은 무리를 보시고 불쌍히 여기셔서 병든 자들을 고쳐주셨습니다. 저녁이 가까워지자 제자들은 사람들이 시장이 닫히기 전에 음식을 사 먹을 수 있도록 무리를 해산시키자고 했습니다. 그러나 예수님은 그들을 보내지 않고 제자들에게 “너희가 먹을 것을 주라”고 말씀하셨습니다. 이에 당황한 제자들은 무리를 먹일 방법을 찾기 시작했고, 결국 한 소년이 가져온 보리떡 다섯 개와 물고기 두 마리밖에 찾지 못했습니다. 이는 한 가족이 먹을 만한 양에 불과했습니다. 예수님은 그 음식을 가져오게 하시고, 하늘을 우러러 감사 기도를 드리신 후 떡을 떼셨습니다. 제자들에게 떼어진 떡과 나눠진 물고기를 주시자, 제자들은 그것을 무리에게 나누어주기 시작했습니다. 나눠주는 동안 음식은 기적적으로 불어나서 모든 사람이 배불리 먹었고, 열두 바구니 가득 남게 되었습니다.우리는 종종 하나님이 정말로 우리를 위해 공급해주실지 의심하게 되는 상황에 놓입니다. 그러나 이 이야기는 하나님께서 우리에게 넘치도록 신실하게 공급하신다는 것을 알려줍니다. 하나님의 끊임없고 풍성한 축복을 우리 삶에 허락하시기 위해 우리가 세울 수 있는 두 가지 신실한 기초가 있습니다.

신실한 드림 (Faithful Offering):

우리는 종종 하나님을 신뢰한다고 말하면서도, 하나님께서 이미 우리에게 주신 자원에는 인색한 모습을 보입니다. 사실 우리가 ‘소유’하고 있는 모든 것은 하나님의 것이며, 하나님은 우리를 복주시고 더 큰 축복을 주시기 위해 요구하시는 것이지 우리를 억누르기 위해 그러시는 것이 아닙니다. 그럼에도 우리는 우리의 재정, 시간, 노력, 자원 중 어떤 것도 하나님께 드리기를 꺼려합니다. 이렇게 되면 말로는 하나님께서 우리 삶에서 일하시길 원한다고 하지만, 정작 우리의 계좌, 일정, 동기에는 하나님께서 역사하실 여지가 없는 셈입니다.오천 명을 먹이신 기적은 한 소년의 관대함에서 시작됩니다. 이 소년은 자신과 가족을 위해 음식을 챙겼을 텐데, 그것을 나누자고 할 때 “다른 사람들이 준비를 안 한 건 내 탓이 아니고, 이 정도 양으로는 아무도 못 먹어요”라고 말할 수도 있었습니다. 하지만 이 소년은 신실하게 예수님께 작은 것을 드렸고, 그 헌신을 통해 예수님은 온 무리를 먹이셨습니다. 우리는 종종 이 이야기를 당연하게 여기며 예수님이 그냥 기적을 행하셨다고만 생각하지만, 이 기적은 한 소년의 헌신된 드림에서 시작된다는 점을 기억해야 합니다.

신실한 나눔 (Faithful Giving):

예수님은 떡을 떼시고 물고기를 나누신 후 그것을 제자들에게 주셔서 사람들에게 나눠주게 하셨습니다. 처음에는 제자들도 손에 들린 양이 처음 받은 그대로였기에, 얼마 가지 않아 바구니가 비게 될 거라 생각했을 것입니다. 그러나 그들은 매번 바구니에 손을 넣을 때마다 또 한 사람을 위한 양이 거기에 있었고, 이 과정은 만 명이 넘는 사람에게 일어났습니다. 결국 남은 조각을 모았을 때, 열두 바구니가 가득 찼습니다.우리가 하나님께 일부를 드려 하나님의 축복이 머물 자리를 마련할 뿐만 아니라, 예수님의 긍휼하심을 따라 그 축복을 나눌 때, 우리는 하나님의 기적적인 공급과 증식을 실시간으로 경험하게 됩니다.

결론:

많은 신자들이 자신이 성공하고 부유해지면 신실한 드림과 나눔을 실천하겠다고 말합니다. 하지만 예수님은 "지극히 작은 것에 충성된 자는 큰 것에도 충성되고, 작은 것에 불의한 자는 큰 것에도 불의하다" (누가복음 16:10)고 말씀하십니다. 우리가 지금 비례적으로 드릴 수 없다면, 하나님께서 우리를 통해 일하시는 것을 스스로 막고 있는 셈입니다. 하나님의 공급과 인도에 대한 불확실함은 우리 시간, 자원, 재정을 온전히 하나님께 조금이라도 맡기지 않기 때문입니다. 하나님은 우리가 드린 그것을 통해 우리 자신뿐 아니라 우리 주변의 모든 이들을 채우시고 복 주십니다.

묵상:

1. 당신의 일정, 계좌, 생각 속에 하나님을 위한 자리가 있나요?

2. 어떻게 하면 신실하고 비례적으로 드림으로써 하나님의 풍성한 공급을 경험할 수 있을까요?

   
   

기도:

1. 하나님 아버지, 좋은 것을 주기 원하시는 당신의 마음을 알게 해주셔서 감사합니다.

2. 예수님, 작은 것을 드린 소년처럼 저도 신실하게 드릴 수 있도록 도와주세요.

3. 성령님, 제가 신실하게 나누며 하나님의 살아 있는 증식과 공급을 제 삶에서 경험하게 도와주세요.