Byzantine mosaic
Matt 14 13-21
Introduction
Jesus was grieving over the death of his cousin John and the wickedness of mankind. John had been brutally murdered in prison at the order of King Herod and at the request of Herodias his wife. John’s head had been brought to Herodias on a platter. Then John’s disciples came and took his body for burial and went to tell Jesus the news. Jesus left Capernaum and went by boat to a private place, further round the lake. He needed to be alone to pray and to grieve.
But crowds of people followed Jesus everywhere. They came on foot around the shore of the lake and were waiting for him when he alighted from the boat.
Although he was worn, tired and grieving he saw the people, had compassion on them and healed those who were sick. Then, as evening approached, the disciples said, “What are we going to do with his vast crowd? This is a remote place and it’s already getting late. Send the crowd away so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” (v 15)
It was then that Jesus performed his great miracle of feeding the five thousand.
Let’s look at this incident through the eyes of various people who were there. Let’s try and put ourselves into their shoes.
A woman in the crowd
My name is Miriam. I was one of those following Jesus on that day. My 11 year-old daughter Sarah was with me. We wanted to hear Jesus’ teaching. So when we heard that Jesus had got into a boat we walked all the way round by the shore to meet him when he disembarked. We were really that eager to see and hear him!
Well, it was an amazing day - we heard wonderful things. We were all engrossed in what we heard and saw. Then we realized it was getting late and we were in the middle of nowhere. Most of us had come without much food – it had been an impulse decision to follow Jesus round the lake. There was talk of sending us all away to buy food. But then, apparently, there was a change of plan. Disciples came out to us in the crowd and started organizing us into groups of 50 of so men (along with their families). We were all directed to sit down on the ground. I remember. thinking, “This is a strange kind of picnic. Where are they going to get enough food for this vast crowd?”
My daughter and I were near he edge of the crowd – we couldn’t really see what was happening. But we did see Jesus hold some portions of bread and fish in his hands and offer the prayer of thanks to God.
Then he handed it to his disciples. And that was it! I could see baskets of food going round, and people being handed fish and bread. When it came round to us, the baskets looked pretty full. We just took as much as we needed. I didn’t understand where it was all coming from. I know now that it was a miracle, but then it just seemed so normal. Anyway, we all ate until we were full, and there was plenty left over.
One of the food-distributors
I am Joseph, a follower of Jesus. I was in the crowd on that day. I recall the dilemma about the food shortage: should the people be sent away to get food? I remember being asked to sit down on the grass in groups of about 50 men. Then one of the Apostles said to me, “You can help with the distribution. Take the food to this group of 50”. He then handed me the basket. It didn’t feel all that heavy. There hardly seemed to be enough for 50 men with their womenfolk and children. But we did feed them all from it and it never seemed to get lighter. What’s more, afterwards we gathered up 12 baskets of fragments! It was amazing – a miracle, that’s what it was! Everyone had enough and there was lots left over. I felt very privileged to have been used by God int the working of a miracle.
One of the Apostles: Andrew
I am Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Jesus had asked Philip, “Where shall we buy bread to feed all these people?”
“Eight months’ wages would not buy bread enough to give each one a bite,” said Philip.
But Jesus knew what he was going to do. I sensed that a miracle was about to happen. It was just like at that wedding in Cana when he turned water into wine. There was the same sense of expectation in the air.
I saw a young lad who had five small barley loaves and two small fish in his bag. He was willing to give his food, for Jesus to share it with the crowd. What childlike naivety! That boy really must have been a bit simple. But then, I must have been a bit simple too, because I found myself saying, “Here is a boy with five loaves and two fishes.” For a moment I really thought Jesus could do something with them. But then common sense cut in – “but how far will they go among so many?”
I should have remembered the miracle of the water turning into wine. I should have realized that sometimes gut feeling is truer than common senses. I should have known that divine arithmetic is very different from human.
Five loaves divided between over 5000 people – that allows each person less than one thousandth part of loaf!
Two fishes - that allows less than two five thousandths of a fish to each person!
How ridiculous!
But on that day we all had more than we wanted – and 12 baskets were left over!
It is a very strange thing: there were only five loaves and two fishes before Jesus blessed them and broke them. After he did that there was a whole basket full. And when we divide that up into other baskets, each one of these was full. There must have been about 100 baskets. None of them was all that large and yet each basket fed at last 50 people! I still can’t get my head around it, even though I saw it with my own eyes.
Our reaction
Well what do you make of this miracle? It’s wonderful, isn’t it? And it was witnessed by over 5000 people. In our modern scientific desire to make everything comprehensible we try to explain away such miracles as these. But I think it’s better just to say we can’t understand it, and then ask ourselves: what does this miracle say to us?
1) Divine power
Like the turning of water into wine, or the calming of the storm, the miracle demonstrates the power of this man Jesus. It hints that he is far more than just a man. Jesus is performing the works of his Father. The Heavenly Father provide food for us by the natural processes of growth and reproduction - the multiplying of grain and fishes by natural means over a period of months or years, with the changing seasons. But Jesus does the same thing instantly! Five barley loaves multiply, in a matter of minutes, to become enough to feed 5000.
At the very least it shows us that Jesus is a man with divine power. To the eye of faith it indicates that he is the Son of God.
2) Taking our offering and multiplying it
It all came about through a boy offering his lunch. It was really a miniscule amount of food for such a crowd, but the Lord took it and multiplied it. He can take what we offer him – however small and mean it may seem to be to us. And he can use it in the work of his Kingdom. So don’t say: “I’ve got nothing to offer. I’ve got no wealth, no talents, no abilities.” Jesus can use what you have.
3) Jesus completely satisfies
He fed their bodies on that day by the lakeside, but he also had been feeding their souls and spirits with his words and miracles of healing. If we come to Jesus he will satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. He will fill that God-shaped gap in our lives.
4) Jesus is economical
There is a story about a new convert who, seeing sign saying Jesus Saves, thought, “Yes, that’s a point. Perhaps I ought to be more careful with my money too” !
But Jesus was economical. With such abundant provision you might think he could afford to leave the fragments lying there for the birds. After all, he could easily do another miracle to provide bread if they needed more. But Jesus says, “Gather the fragments that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” There is a challenge here to us with our Western wasteful lifestyles.
So they collected 12 baskets of leftovers to feed them in the morning – if anyone was hungry again. Jesus wasn’t going to do another miracle for the next meal. Nor was he going to feed them on a daily basis. No, he expected them to go home and work for their bread.
So we see that God is economical with his miracles – he never performs a miracle when a prayer can be answered by natural means. Nor does he intend prayer to be the lazy man’s answer to getting what he needs.
Conclusion
As we come to the Lord’s Table we shall partake of a little portion of bread and a sip of wine. Not much. But in the Lord’s Supper it represents the body and blood of Jesus. And feeding spiritually upon him our hearts shall indeed be satisfied.
