In Matthew 14, Jesus had spent the entire day teaching and healing folks out in the country, far from any town. The disciples were probably weary. They had risen early and spent the morning rowing on the lake, and then spent the rest of the day running crowd control as they sought to bring order to those wanting to be healed, and after that; listening to Jesus teach. Have you ever had a long day and just longed for it to be over and to go home? I’m guessing that is how Jesus’ disciples were feeling. But how to tell Jesus… “Enough already, Jesus!?”
They came up with a rather crafty plan… “Let’s tell Jesus to dismiss the crowd because it is late in the day and everyone is hungry.” “Good plan…” they all agreed. I wonder how they determined who was going to tell Jesus though? “You tell him, John… no way… you tell him… Peter…” Thomas refused because what good would it do anyway? Finally, Philip agreed (John 6:7). Well, they carried out their plan… and boy did it backfire! Jesus said, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
Matthew tells us that the crowd contained 5000 men plus a bunch of women and children too. How big was that crowd? 10… 15… 25,000? Jesus disciples were stunned. “Jesus!” they said, “Even if we bought out an entire Aldi store it wouldn’t be enough food to feed this crowd!’ Or something like that.
So Jesus told them to see how much food they could quickly scrounge up and somehow Andrew conned a small boy out of his sack lunch (John 6:8) of five little loaves of bread and two dried fish. But, of course, for the Manna producing God — it was enough. Everyone ate until they were full; and then the disciples gathered up 12 baskets of leftovers to take to the local soup kitchen.
A remarkable story for certain. Jesus’ feeding of the 5000+ is recorded in all four gospels. And if you were present for it… well, I think it is safe to say that you would never forget it, right?
One chapter later in Matthew 15 Jesus is again surrounded by a great crowd of 4000+. This time he spent three days with them and healed many lame, blind and crippled as he taught them about the kingdom of God — now it was late in the day and time to go home. Jesus turned to his followers and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry.” (Matthew 15:32)
Now someone please tell me — please — how long of a pause was there between Jesus’ words and the disciples response? “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” Smh You have got to be kidding me?
Now… here is what I want to know. Was this ACTUALLY a serious response to Jesus? You see, we get the words, but not the emotion and expression. Were the disciples REALLY this dumb? I’m inclined to give the disciples the benefit of the doubt and in my mind’s eye I picture Peter, with a big smile on his face because he KNEW what Jesus was going to do, say, “I don’t know Jesus, where in the world could we get enough food to feed this crowd?”
Jesus’ response was immediate: “How many loaves do you have?” And in my imagination I see Peter’s smile get even bigger, because Jesus was about to do something really cool… “Seven and a few fish.”
You see, if Jesus did it before, why doubt that he could do it again? Read that last sentence again. If Jesus did it before, why doubt that he could do it again? Have you ever been faced with a life-circumstance that casts doubt on Jesus’ ability — or perhaps willingness — to meet that need in your life? I’m just spit-balling here… but I’ll bet Jesus’ disciples would say, “DON’T!”
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