“JOHN 6:1-14 FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND
After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”
Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So, the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So, when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore, they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
The disciples are sweating bullets! 5,000 men plus as many as 5,000 women and children, have followed Jesus to a place where there is a natural amphitheater. 10,000 people have been listening to Jesus and watching him heal the sick and deliver others from demons. Now the crowd have used up all the food they have brought, and one of the biggest noises being heard is the growling of hungry stomachs.
Jesus uses Philip as his straight man. “He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” Jesus is quietly smiling.
Now Andrew softly observes, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” Notice Andrew is the one with enough faith to canvas the crowd for resources while all the other disciples are standing looking helpless. Jesus grins at Andrew and Andrew grins back, knowing Jesus is about to do something marvelous.
“Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So, the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” When Jesus does a miracle, he does it completely. Philip has been wringing his hands, worried that it would take the equivalent of 200 days’ wages to buy sufficient bread just to give each man a small piece. Now Jesus has multiplied five loaves and two small fish to satisfy the hunger of approximately 10,000 people. But wait, there’s more.
“So, when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore, they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Not only has Jesus fed all these people but there’s even a basket of bread for each of the disciples! You can practically hear Jesus chuckling as the disciples gather up all that bread.
What can we learn from this story? The Bible assures us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Neither the disciples nor the crowds have done anything wrong. Jesus meets these people at their point of need and helps them. When we are following Jesus, we too can confidently ask Him to help us. But we need to be prepared for answers to come in ways we cannot anticipate.
THE KFC MIRACLE: Years ago, I had friends who had taken a step of faith, giving up a luxurious lifestyle so that the father/husband could pursue advanced training in pediatric surgery. Now the family was crowded into a small house in a Detroit suburb, living on a very limited budget. Despite these restrictions, my friends had invited me to stay with them overnight; meanwhile, the wife’s father was also visiting that night. My friend M. and I stopped at a fast-food restaurant to buy supper. As M.’s wife and I set out the food that night, I realized there was no way we could possibly feed four adults and two ravenously hungry teenagers with the amount of food we had. But M. prayed over the food and we began distributing it. But even though everyone ate to their satisfaction, the level of the food never reduced below half in each of the containers. At the end of the meal, we put away leftovers.
My friends did not beg God to multiply the food, only to bless it. My friends were trusting God to lead them and to provide for them. That night, my friends had to face a grilling by a father who thought they were crazy for having taken this radical decision. As the meeting was ongoing, I was doing intercessory prayer in their basement. The meeting was successful, and M.’s father changed his mind, giving his blessing to their decision. The following day, I left Detroit, traveling to Indianapolis for an interview. I have since lost touch with my friends; however, I will never forget the KFC miracle.
As I am writing this, I have just gotten word that a childhood friend who has generously supported the hospital for more than twenty years has died. Our hospital needs more donors, particularly donors from within the country. We must trust that God who moved my friend to help us can move in the hearts of many others to multiply their assistance.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us need miracles of multiplication. Your hand is not shortened. You are the God of heaven and earth and nothing is too difficult for You. Lord, please hear the cries of Your children! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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