A Wedding Banquet for All Nations

We praise you, Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. We look forward to the marriage banquet of the Lamb as your Bride! Your glory will light the way for the nations to enter into your presence, you will bring to the wedding the glory and the honor of the nations. Those who are written in the Lamb's book of life will enter your presence! And all will worship you -

Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure...

As we read the story of how in your compassion you fed the nations, may we worship you in anticipation of the wedding feast. Amen. 
(John 1:29, Revelation 19, 21)

  Scripture Reading - Mark 8:1-10 (ESV)
Note: This second miracle of feeding a crowd took place in the region of Decapolis which was located on the east side of the Sea of Galilee where the Gentiles lived. Whereas the feeding of the 5,000 mentioned earlier in the book took place on the west side of the sea where the Jews resided.

     In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” 
     And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 
     And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” 
     They said, “Seven.” 
     And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

Father in Heaven, we confess that you are the LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. We see your Son filled with compassion, doing your will, feeding people in a desolate place. As your holy and beloved chosen ones, you call us to clothe ourselves with compassionate hearts. May we see the nations as you see them, harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Exodus 34, Colossians 3, Matthew 9:36)

Jesus, we do not always live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Forgive us for when we have tried to live on bread alone which leads to death. You are the everlasting manna from heaven - The Bread of life. If we eat of this bread we will live forever! (Matthew 4:4, John 6)

We have tasted the goodness of the word of God and are satisfied! Thank you, Father, for nurturing us, helping us to grow up into our salvation. Help us to grow evermore in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (I Peter 2:2-3, 2 Peter 3:18)

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.