1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
My folks did a lot of entertaining while growing up. Mom liked making meals and inviting folks over to dinners on Saturdays and Sundays. Many times, the family had to pitch in to especially clean up the house because company was coming.
Now there were some people we didn’t have to clean up for. Francis, our next-door neighbor, would come over, and she and Mom would visit. We never had to worry what the place looked like for Francis.
If other relatives came over, however, we made things look a little more presentable. But if some church people or the preacher came over there was a lot of extra effort given to make things look nice and for food to be just so. We used our best dishes and silverware and lots of preparation was put into entertaining.
Can you imagine the situation when over 5,000 people unexpectedly showed up to listen to Jesus and he decides to feed them? They came from the other side of town to have him heal the sick and perform some miracles. Jesus tells His apostles to give them something to eat. No wonder panic crept in. Philip, who grew up just a few miles away in the town of Bethsaida, knew the area as well as anyone. “Lord, even if we had McDonalds, Hardees, Culvers, Burger King all next to each other we don’t have the money or the amounts to feed them.”
This story is one of the favorite ones taught in Sunday School not only because of the miracle of Jesus multiplying the food, but because a little lad was willing to give up his lunch and from it the Lord fed 5,000. It’s a neat story. Jesus not only reveals his miraculous powers, but his marvelous teaching methods as he shares with 1,000s.
There are some things Jesus reveals as a miracle worker in His public ministry.
Application: What miracles from our Lord have you seen in your life?
Prayer: Lord, guide us daily, help us to see your miracles working in our lives!
Dale
