Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Matthew 15:32-39
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
Leadership is a funny thing. On one hand, there is enormous pressure to keep moving, to innovate, and to become an agent of change. Investors, corporate boards, parishioners, and teams often expect it.
Progress. Results. Returns.
God has wired me in such a way that those messages go straight to my brain stem. They work on me, and as a result, I hustle.
The problem with hustle is that you can reach the top of whatever hill you have been charging up, look back, and realize that the people you were supposed to be leading are a long way behind.
That is not really leadership—or at least, it is not the full picture of leadership.
In this passage, Jesus demonstrates the other half of faithful leadership. He looks around at the people he is leading and notices that they are tired, hungry, and in need of rest. Jesus has compassion on them, and that compassion moves him to ask his disciples to feed them.
This passage is often remembered as the feeding of the 5,000. In my own leadership journey, I am beginning to see that it could also be called the story of the compassionate leader.
Many of you are leading in all kinds of places. I believe this passage invites us to slow down enough to notice and respond to the needs of the people in our care.
Do they need vacation time?
Do they need clarity?
Do they need a meal with you?
All of these things may slow the pace of progress, but the old adage is true: if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Jesus understands that. And for the sake of your ministry, your leadership, and the people entrusted to your care, it may be a lesson worth internalizing.
– Pr. Jason
Jesus, help me to trust that communities move at the speed of compassion. Teach me to stay connected to my neighbor and grounded in you as I lead where you have planted me. Amen.
