Day 94 – January 2, 2024: Isaiah 48-51 and Matthew 14-15

The Isaiah Scripture does speak of a restoration of Israel but not until after the total destruction of her enemies. There isn’t a sense of reconciliation of the people of God with their neighbors, but there is definitely a sense of reconciliation between the people of God and God. God had turned His back on them and did all the things to them that he promised that he would do to them. This sense that we have from Jesus that we are to love God and love our neighbor is not really super strong here. Love God, yes, but when your neighbor is looking to wipe you from the face of the earth then it is hard to love them. At least that is the vibe we get from the Old Testament. Thank God that we have Jesus, literally, who tells us to live in a different way otherwise we would all be blind and toothless.

Strangely enough in Matthew we have the feeding of the crowds twice. Once it is five thousand and another time it is the feeding of the four thousand. Each time Jesus uses what is at hand and give it to the people and there is more left over for everyone. The abundance of God in His generosity is seen time after time. This also strikes me when he heals, even though he says that he has not come to heal those outside of the house of the Lord, the gentiles, he still heals the woman’s daughter and proclaims her as having a faith not seen elsewhere. There is the presence of the Lord in places that we would not expect.