Discipleship

The Case for Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

Loves and Fishes

Does it feel like you (parent, disciple, teacher, preacher) must reintroduce, repeat, reemphasize “the basics” over and over and over again? Take heart.

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matt 14:15-21)

In the very Next CHAPTER…

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” (Matt 15:32-33)

Hearts are often slow to soften, slow to believe, slow to apply (Luke 24:25).

Take heart (parent, disciple, teacher, preacher). “With complete patience” (2 Tim 4:2), keep pointing hearts toward the One who multiples the meager, “knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58).

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