Last week, I began this blog by discussing what it means to preach the gospel. I argue that the gospel is always what God does: for us, in us, through us for the sake of the world. Only when people know that God is for us, with us, working through us, saving us, loving us, can we freely give our lives for others. So, how would you preach the gospel this week? The Revised Common Lectionary uses the story of the feeding of 5,000 (actually, more like 10,000, but more on that later) from Matthew. Where is the gospel here? I am struck by two things: Jesus compassion for the crowds, and Christ’s ability to take the little the disciples had to offer and make it enough for the need of all. Jesus has just learned of the death of John the Baptist. He no doubt is grieving the death of this man of God, and perhaps his disciples too are shaken to know that John was beheaded by Herod. (According to the gospel of John, some of the disciples originally were followers of John. But even for those w