Post-bereavement decision

There’s something which happens to every person in this world – but it’s something that none of us like very much at all. We call it bereavement.

The closer the relationship, the less we like it.

In the first-century biography of Jesus written by one of Jesus’ closest followers named Matthew, Jesus suffered bereavement. See bold above. In his case it was a cousin – a cousin who was slightly older than he – around 30 years old.

Matthew records that when Jesus heard the news he withdrew from everybody around him, went off in a boat and headed for an uninhabited place alone.

Is that what you do when that happens to you? We’re all different aren’t we? But Jesus had an extra reason to be alone. John the Baptist, apart from being his cousin, was preparing the way for Jesus. He was calling people to turn with sorrow from their self-orientation and guilt and to find forgiveness and new life in Jesus.

Now he had suffered capital punishment with the connivance of the highest authorities in the country at that time. No wonder Jesus wanted to be alone.

Like so many of today’s migrants seeking a safer life outside the murderous regimes in which they find themselves, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Jesus had fled the country for ever.

But no. He went away alone in a boat towards an uninhabited place on the shores of the Lake of Galilee. What do you think he found when he arrived at this wilderness place?

It was crowded. Where Jesus had come by boat, the crowds had followed, rather more painfully, on foot. The uninhabitable place was crowded.

Look again at Matthew’s words. He wrote in Greek – here is the English translation. “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is an uninhabitable place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

Jesus said, “They need not go away. You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have five loaves and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to me.” Here in the wilderness. Here in this inhospitable place is where the people are in great need. I will feed them here. I will not leave them to go it alone in this wilderness world. I am the bread of life – in this place of bereavement.

It was Jesus’ disciples who distributed the bread and fish. Later they distributed the bread of life. They’re still doing both today.