The story of the feeding of the 5000 is the only miracle which is recorded in all four gospels. It is a great story because everyone can understand the miracle of feeding so many with so little with so much left over. But there are so many applications that are only apparent as we read and reread the account. I have read the accounts many times in my personal Bible reading, I've blogged on this story, and listened to many sermons about this miracle, but new impressions continue to come.
I love the humanness of the disciples. They give me a sense of hope that as messed up as I am, I can still be used effectively by God. When they saw the unplanned crowd of folks, they saw a logistical nightmare. Their plans for a spiritual and physical retreat alone with Jesus had been tossed out of the window, and I'm sure they were aggravated. They saw the people as an imposition; Jesus saw them with compassion. They accurately assessed that there was not enough money in the account to give everybody even a bite, but Jesus told them to give the crowd something to eat. They realized that what they had in inventory couldn't do it. They said, "Send them away", but Jesus said, "Have them set down".
Jesus knew all along who had the food, how much it was, how many people were in the crowd, and what the outcome would be. The disciples had to uncover that information bit by bit. The disciples thought they were trying to protect Jesus' reputation, but Jesus was just using this opportunity to build His team. They didn't realize the full implication of the miracle even after it happened.
The disciples didn't plan a miracle crusade. But a miracle crusade occurred because it was in Jesus' plan. It was God's will, so it was God's bill. He paid it in full with twelve baskets of leftovers.
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