135. What's For Lunch?

Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-15

Key Verse: "You give them something to eat."

Matthew 14:16B, Mark 6:37A, Luke 9:13A

This is the one event, besides the crucifixion and resurrection, of course, that is recorded in all four gospels. Some of the details vary. We can choose to spend the day picking the story apart to find the points at which the four accounts differ, but I believe that our time would be better spent acknowledging the ways in which they are the same.

The disciples had just been through an emotional experience; either John the Baptist's death, or returning from their first evangelistic excursion. To recover, Jesus recommended what always worked for Him at such times, withdrawal to a remote, solitary place to unwind and relax and, perhaps pray. The crowds discovered their whereabouts and intruded. Yet, Jesus had compassion on them and began to minister to them.

Near evening, the disciples grew concerned about meeting the needs of so many and suggested that Jesus end the day. Jesus counters with a suggestion of His own.  “You feed them. Meet their need." We are told that it would have taken about eight months' wages to even distribute a little to each person. All accounts record that there were only five loaves, or actually rolls, for bread and two fish. Jesus blesses what is offered, 5,000 people are fed and there are twelve baskets of left overs. It's an amazing story.

Many people who relate this story like to focus on the boy in John's version of this event, how he gave sacrificially and the Lord was able to multiply his offering to meet the needs of many. That is a good and true lesson. I often wonder how much more would be done for the kingdom if we would stop holding back what we have, preventing the Lord from blessing it and distributing it beyond our wildest imaginings.

I, however, would rather focus on the disciples. Mark and Luke's versions of the story have it that they had just returned from an amazing experience. Jesus had sent them out to be His hands and feet in the villages and they returned with amazing stories of their success. So now, they are faced with another large group of people for which Jesus has compassion. They see the need and Jesus says, "Meet it." Where was their faith? Why did they fall back on the familiar, "Lord, we could never afford that much food by worldly standards!" They had been the hands and feet of Jesus, yet, in a new situation, they had forgotten, already, what they had learned about walking by faith and returned to the familiar way of doubt, focusing on what they had, not what was possible.

How often do we do the same? God provides and blesses in one situation, yet when faced with another, instead of trusting, we begin the cycle of panic and worry all over again. "Well, yah, God worked that time, but this is different!" The situations may be different, but our God is not. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Our circumstances may be different, but He is not. Growing in Him means taking our daily experiences in Him and applying them to our lives. Jesus encourages us to turn our eyes away from life the way the world sees things and into life the way Christ calls us to. He had said earlier, "Do not worry." He had sent them out with nothing and they came back in triumph. The God who can meet the needs in one situation can do it in all situations as He demonstrated with the multitude.

Hymn: "Break Thou the Bread of Life"