Grace And Groceries The Miracle Of Feeding 5,000
Preaching
Preaching the Miracles
Cycle A
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. 15When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 16Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." 17They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." "And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass: and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up 12 baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21And those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.
A little lad was asked which was his favorite parable. He replied, "I like the one about the loafs and fishing." The kid may be confused whether the story of Jesus' feeding the 5,000 is a parable or a miracle. However, the miracle of multiplying is also a favorite of the gospel writers. This miracle of Jesus is the only one recorded by the four evangelists. In addition, there are two accounts of feeding the 4,000 which New Testament scholars consider to be different versions of the same event. In the three-year Common Lectionary cycle, the miracle occurs twice: Cycle A - Matthew 14:13-2 1 and Cycle B - John 6:1-15.
When it comes to food, the world is in a dilemma. We have either too little or too much food. Some Americans have too much food. It is estimated that over 40 million Americans are overweight. Obesity is a common and serious health problem. Not only are they eating too much food but the wrong kind of food. The Surgeon General of the U.S. recently reported that poor food habits contributed to 2.1 million deaths annually: heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, diabetes and some cancers. Consequently, nine-and-one-half million Americans are enrolled in a diet program.
They spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on pills, books and programs to get thin.
On the other hand, there is a lack of food in many countries. In 1990 it was reported by the media that in Ethiopia alone four million people were hungry. Every day, it is said, 40,000 children die from malnutrition. In recent years churches in America raised millions of dollars to send food to peoples in the third world countries. Even in America the poor are hungry and manage to exist on food stamps, soup kitchens and surplus food distributed by the federal government.
The subject of food is not a take-it-or-leave-it matter. Bread is the basic need for life. We must eat to live. Hunger leads to malnutrition, and malnutrition leads to ill health and eventual death. Lack of food results in stunted bodies and arrested minds.
The solution is not to have too much or too little food. "So give me only as much food as I need. If I have more, I might say I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God (Proverbs 30:8-9)."
In today's miracle, Jesus responds to the need of physical bread. Some of us may not need this miracle because we have enough food, but we can and should have a part in the miracle by sharing and distributing the food God gives us. Perhaps, like the little lad, this miracle may be our favorite one.
Acclimation
The Situation
When Jesus heard that Herod had John the Baptist's head cut off, he was so shaken up that he wanted to get away from everything and everybody to meditate and think through the tragedy. So he got in a boat to go to a lonely place. Somehow the people learned of his retreat and by foot they found him. When Jesus saw the large crowd, he felt sorry for them and began to heal their sick ones.
When evening came, the disciples suggested to Jesus that he dismiss the crowd to enable them to go to villages to buy food. But Jesus said, "There is no need for them to leave. You give them something to eat." They protested, "But we have only five loaves and two fish." Jesus asked them to bring the food to him. He had the people to sit on the grass. Then he took the food, and looking up to heaven, he thanked God for it. He handed the food to the disciples who, in turn, distributed it to the people. After every one could eat no more, they picked up the leftovers which filled 12 baskets. Five thousand men were miraculously fed. The number of women and children who also ate is not known.
The Setting
1. The Occasion. What was the reason for Jesus' going to a lonely place in a desert to be alone? The gospels give different answers. According to Matthew, Jesus heard of John the Baptist's murder by Herod and wanted to get away to be alone to consider the tragedy. Mark and Luke report that the disciples returned from their preaching-healing mission upon which Jesus had sent them. To get rest Jesus leads his men to a lonely place. Luke says it was to a small town, Bethsaida. John has a different story. A large crowd gathered while he sat with his disciples on a hill.
2. Parallel Accounts (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15). The various accounts differ in details:
Matthew: Jesus goes to a desert place in response to the news of John's murder.
Mark: Jesus feels sorry for the people, for they are like sheep without a shepherd. Before the food is passed, the people are seated in groups of 50 and 100 in rows.
Luke: Jesus takes his disciples to Bethsaida for rest and solitude. The people are seated in groups of 50.
John: A crowd follows Jesus across the Galilean Sea. No mention is made of Jesus' compassion for the hungry crowd. He asks Philip where food can be bought. Andrew tells of a boy with five loaves and two fish. Jesus, not the disciples, distributes the food to the people. The crowd responds to the miracle by planning to take Jesus by force and crown him king.
Consensus of the accounts:
1. There was a hungry crowd where food was not available.
2. Jesus has compassion for the hungry people.
3. A tiny amount of food was found.
4. The helplessness of the disciples to meet the need of the day.
5. Jesus offered thanks and blessed the food.
6. Jesus used the disciples to distribute the food.
7. There was a surplus of 12 baskets of food.
Related Passages
Exodus 16:4-5 - Food (manna) rains down from heaven.
Deuteronomy 14:29 - The Israelites are instructed to provide food for the needy.
2 Kings 4:42-44 - Elisha feeds 100 men with 20 loaves of bread.
Isaiah 55:1-2 - God's food is free.
Jeremiah 31:14 - The Lord promises to fill the needs of the people.
Luke 22:28-30 - Jesus promises a messianic banquet.
John 6:35-40 - Jesus is the Bread of Life.
The Lectionary (Pentecost 11, Proper 13)
Lesson 1 (Exodus 12:1-14). Yahweh prescribes the Passover. The Passover is an annual feast to celebrate Israel's deliverance from Egyptian slavery. A year-old spotless male sheep or goat is to be killed, some of the blood is to be put on the door posts, and the meat is to be roasted and eaten with unleavened bread. The angel of death will "pass over" the homes marked with blood. By keeping the annual observance, the people are never to forget God's liberation of his people.
Lesson 2 (Romans 8:31-39). Nothing can separate us from God's love. Certainly God is for us. Proof of this is God's sacrifice of his Son for us, done out of love for us sinners. Christ was the lamb sacrificed for the sin of the world. This love of God is more powerful than any worldly enemy. Therefore, nothing can separate us from God's love demonstrated on the cross.
Gospel (Matthew 14:13-21). Jesus feeds 5,000 men with bread and fish. This miracle of the multiplication of food shows us the grace and power of God in Christ. Because of his grace, Jesus felt sorry for the hungry and was not perturbed by the people's interruption of his retreat. Because of his divine power, he was able to take a minimum amount of food and satisfy a maximum number of people.
Psalm of the Day (Psalm 143:1-10). The Psalm deals with a person pursued by enemies. He feels his life is crushed to the ground. Then he remembers what Yahweh did for the Israelites when they were in Egyptian captivity. As they were delivered, so he prays that he, too, may be delivered from the bondage of his enemies.
Prayer of the Day: With the feeding of the 5,000 in mind, we recall that Jesus, the Bread of Life, came to be the true bread. So we pray: "Give us this bread, that he may live in us and we in him."
Hymn of the Day: "Prayer And Thanksgiving"
"Father providing food for your children, By your wise guiding teach us to share One with another, so that rejoicing With us, all others may know your care."
Explanation
This (v. 13). "When Jesus heard this ..." To what does "this" refer? What did Jesus hear that caused him to go to a lonely place to be alone? It must have been terrible news. And it was! His cousin, the one who baptized him, the prophet whom he hailed as the greatest, was murdered by Herod's men in order to please his wife, Herodias, who hated John the Baptist for opposing her second marriage to Herod. Jesus needed a time and place to rest, to have some quiet in order to adjust to the bad news.
Compassion (v. 14). When Jesus looked upon the crowd that followed him to a lonely place, he had pity on them. He saw that they were sheep without a shepherd. Among the many were people in need of healing. Grace came in terms of compassion. He was not put out or irritated that they interrupted his need to meditate and pray, unlike one pastor who was asked to conduct a funeral for the mother of a member and said he could not do it because it was his day off. Nor like the pastor who was asked to call upon a dying man in a hospital. He refused to go because it was after working hours. Unlike these hirelings, Jesus was a true shepherd who loved and cared for his people.
Eat (v. 16). Jesus told the disciples, "You give them something to eat." It was something they could give, because the people needed physical food. If it were spiritual food, of course only Jesus could give it. This shows that Jesus realized that people need physical food for their well-being. The miracle is not to be allegorized as "bread from heaven" or the Eucharist. Nor is this miracle a reference to the messianic banquet. It is plain, ordinary physical food that is needed. It is bread and fish that can be eaten.
Loaves and fish (v. 17). The disciples reported to Jesus that they had five loaves and two fish. In that day the loaves were small buns. In John's account they were barley loaves. Barley loaves were the cheapest bread, food for the poorest of the poor. The fish were as small as sardines to be eaten with the buns. Probably the bread and fish constituted a boy's lunch. The paucity of food magnifies the greatness of the miracle: so little to feed so many. It reminds us of the truth that Christ can do wonders with our little selves and the little we can offer to him for serving others.
Bring (v. 18). Jesus ordered his men to bring the food to him. Where did they get the loaves and fish? John tells us that there was a lad there with his lunch. If it were not for John, the source of food would be a mystery. It is interesting to speculate whether there would have been a miracle if food had not been found.
Me (v. 18). The food was to be brought to Jesus. Why to him? He did not indicate that he was hungry as once he was thirsty and asked a Samaritan woman for a drink. Why not give the food directly to the hungry people? It was essential that the food should first come to Jesus. He alone as God's Son has the power as well as the grace to multiply the loaves and fish. His grace produced groceries! When we have a problem and a need, the first person to go to is Jesus. He is sufficient for all our needs because he alone can supply those needs.
Blessed (v. 19). Jesus took the bread. He looked to heaven to express thanks. Then he blessed the food. In his day, the customary Jewish blessing was: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, our God, King of the world, who causest bread to grow from the earth." To this day Christians say a blessing before meals. Or do we?
Baskets (v. 20). The baskets were small wicker containers. A basket was carried as a part of a Jew's daily attire. Today we carry instead a purse or bag. Since there were 12 disciples, 12 baskets, one for each disciple, were filled with the fragments.
Satisfied (v. 20). The people were content with the food served. They had both quantity and quality of sustenance. Jesus serves us nothing but the best. Because of his generosity, he gives more than we need. This is shown by the fact that there were 12 baskets full of leftovers. Jesus does more and gives more than is necessary. Yet, though he is more than generous, he would not waste food. "Waste not, want not." Many Americans have not yet learned this lesson, for we are the world's worst wasters of natural resources.
Women and children (v. 21). It is reported that 5,000 men were fed. In addition there were women and children, but they were not counted! Is this a case of male chauvinism? No, the custom of the day was that Jews did not eat in public with women and children. Consequently, the men were seated by themselves. If the women and children were included, the number may have been 10,000 or 15,000 people fed with small buns and tiny fish. What a miracle!
Application
Relevance Of Revelation
1. Today's miracle of feeding the 5,000 is not a one-time challenge. When preparing a sermon on this gospel lesson, a preacher needs to be aware that the same miracle occurs next year also on Pentecost 10 - B. This pericope is the first of a series of five lessons from John 6, the Bread of Life chapter. This gives a preacher six opportunities to deal with bread over a two-year period.
2. Food is one of the world's most relevant problems. Hunger is a problem for millions, both in America and in many other countries. Innocent children are perhaps the greatest victims of malnutrition, disease and death. It is a challenge to those who have food to share. Consequently, the food situation applies to all of us. We either have none or we have food to share.
3. This miracle is subject to several interpretations. First, there is the view that the miracle was a literal multiplication of bread and fish in order to feed a multitude. Second, the miracle is seen as a Eucharist in which each person had a small bite of food. Another position holds that most of the people had their lunches with them. When they saw Jesus sharing the bread and fish, they did likewise by sharing with their neighbors. In this way the crowd was fed. If the feeding of 5,000 is to be considered a miracle, the latter two positions could not be held.
4. Today's miracle deals with the need of physical food. It is a mistake to deal with it allegorically as spiritual food. The need for spiritual bread is handled in John 6, series B. There Jesus is presented as the Bread of Life who grants the believer eternal life. The focus is on the church's soup kitchen in the fellowship hall rather than on the Eucharist in the church's nave.
Sermon Suggestions
1. Two Kinds of Bread. It is true that "One does not live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4)," but one cannot live without bread (food). Jesus has us pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." There is a bread we live by - physical food, and there is a bread we live on - spiritual food. To live an abundant life we must have both breads. In the miracle of feeding 5,000 the emphasis is upon physical food. For the church physical food is as important as spiritual food, for it is unacceptable to those with empty stomachs.
2. The Human Factor. The disciples did not receive but served bread. There is a human factor in the performance of this miracle. Jesus did not do it alone. There was the basic food of five loaves and two fish. In addition, the disciples distributed the food. In this case the disciples were waiters. They waited upon the need of the people. They were servants. It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to feed the hungry - "You give them something to eat (v. 16)." In recent years churches have had "Hunger Appeals" to feed the world's starving. Since hunger is still a problem, we who have food are called to share and distribute it as long as the need exists.
3. It takes only a little! The miracle shows us that Christ can maximize the minimum. The loaves were little buns and the fish were tiny as sardines, just enough for a boy's lunch. Yet, Christ takes the least and makes the most of it. This applies also to our lives. If we commit our little lives or our minimal resources to Christ, there is no telling what miracle will result.
4. Not by bread alone. The people who were fed did not come to Jesus for that reason. They were primarily interested to hear him and to have him heal. They were really hungry for the bread of the Word which he taught and preached. On foot a crowd went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and found him in a lonely place. They were hungry for good preaching that they might know God's truth. And they stayed and stayed. They could not get enough of his teaching. They were aware that night was approaching and there was no place to get dinner. Apparently, physical food was not that important to them. It is not so today. Usually people will come for a good meal but are not interested in a worship service. And if they do come, they want it over in an hour!
5. The Generosity of God. It is amazing that at least 5,000 were fed from a boy's lunch, hardly enough for one person. It is also amazing that 12 baskets were filled with leftovers. This is what you would call "divine measure." God gives abundantly, always more than necessary. God is one who does not merely add but multiplies! That generosity is the result of love, for love gives all.
6. Roots of Hunger. The 5,000 were fed but in due time they were hungry again and needed food. It is not enough to provide food to satisfy temporary hunger. We need to get to the roots of hunger. Why is there not enough food? Christians need to do more than share their food, but to help people to help themselves in getting adequate food. This means we must attack the causes of poverty and unemployment. It calls for the conservation of forests, animals and resources that result in food. One of our problems causing hunger is too many mouths to feed because of over-population. China, for instance, has over one billion people. Rightly the Chinese are limiting families to two children. Moreover, we can conquer hunger by cutting down waste. Think of how much food is wasted by leaving food on plates to be thrown into the garbage disposal in the kitchen. It would help, also, if we got our priorities straight. Which is more important: a television in the den, a car in the yard, or food on the table?
7. Mercy and Munificence. The miracle tells us of grace and groceries, of mercy and munificence. We see the power and the grace of God at work in Jesus. Out of compassion he wants the people to be fed. Though willing, what if he had not the ability to provide the food? He is both willing and able even to feed 5,000 with a child's lunch. There is nothing too hard for God. There is no end to his compassion. Not only does he care when we hurt, but he is able to remove the hurt.
8. Running on Empty. By the end of the day, the people gathered to hear Jesus in the desert were running on empty. Their stomachs were empty. They were hungry. There are people today who are running their lives on empty just as some may be driving their car when the gas gauge says "empty." In the poor family, the cupboard may be bare and the refrigerator empty. The result is that they will soon be running out of gas. This means malnutrition, illness and death. Also, we can be running on empty so far as our souls are concerned. We may be running on empty souls indicated by our worry, fear and stress. The solution is to go to church or the Bible as a filling station to get filled with the Spirit of God.
Sermon Structures
1. Jesus' most Popular Miracle (14:13-21). The miracle of feeding the 5,000 men is recorded six times in the gospels, more than any other of his 37 miracles. Each evangelist gives the account and two of them repeat the miracle with slight changes. Why this popularity?
A. Jesus is concerned for the people's physical welfare - v. 14
B. Jesus has the ability to meet the people's need - vv. 18-20
C. Jesus makes much of the little we give him - vv. 17, 20
2. It Can Happen Again (14:13-21). In Jesus' day 5,000 men were hungry. Today more than five million are in need of food. Could Jesus feed this number today? If so, how?
A. He would have us share what we have - vv. 17-18
B. He would have us distribute the food - v. 19
C. He would have us seek food by conservation - v. 16
3. Minimum to Maximum (14:13-21). Jesus took a boy's meager lunch of five buns and a couple of tiny fish to feed more than 5,000. The miracle shows what he can do with the little we contribute.
A. Christ needs your little - v. 18
B. Christ blesses your little - v. 19
C. Christ multiplies your little - v. 20 - "Love is like the five loaves and two fish. It doesn't start to multiply until you give it away."
4. When You Face an Impossible Task (14:13-21). At times problems and needs are beyond our ability to handle. The miracle shows us how to solve these gargantuan problems.
A. The human situation: hunger - v. 15
B. The human helplessness - v. 17
C. The human rescue: Christ - v. 18
D. The human cooperation - v. 19
5. Jesus is the Answer to Your Need (14:13-21). What does Jesus have to do with my problems today? How can he who is in heaven help the needy on earth? This is how -
A. Jesus knows your need - vv. 15-16
B. Jesus cares about your need - v. 14
C. Jesus answers your need - v. 19
D. Jesus uses others to fulfill your need - v. 19
6. The Meaning of Food (14:13-21). From this miracle we can learn vital lessons for life. What we can learn -
A. We are dependent on food - helpless, needy, starving - v. 15
B. We experience the compassion of Christ - v. 14
C. We receive life: to eat is to live - v. 20
7. Pick up the Pieces! (14:20). "And they took up 12 baskets of broken pieces left over." Life is largely a matter of picking up the pieces of broken lives -
A. After a natural catastrophe: hurricane, earthquake, tornado
B. After a personal tragedy: accident, divorce, bereavement, failure
C. After sin: restoration of life through repentance and forgiveness
8. The Compassionate Christ. This is not the only time Jesus expressed compassion. It was an essential ingredient of his life. He shows compassion:
A. When people are leaderless - Mark 6:34
B. When people are handicapped - Matthew 20:34
C. When people are bereaved - Luke 7:13
D. When people are hungry - Matthew 14:14
Illustration
The Significance of Being Fed. A few years ago there was a Broadway play, Driving Miss Daisy, and more recently it was made into a movie which was perhaps the most popular movie of the year. There were only three characters: Daisy, her son and a black chauffeur named Hoke. When Daisy became 70 years of age, her son hired, against her will, a chauffeur because of his fears she would have an accident. Daisy put up with Hoke and treated him very coldly and formally. After several years a friendship developed. Then Daisy had to go to a nursing home and Hoke was no longer employed. Nevertheless occasionally he went to see her. One day the son, realizing his mother was coming to the end of her life, asked Hoke to go with him to visit her perhaps for the last time. Soon after their arrival Daisy's meal was brought. Daisy asked her son to leave the room and entertain the nurses. Then she asked Hoke to feed her. With this scene the play and movie closes. In the sharing of a meal there was expressed acceptance and love.
Bread the Source of Life. Harry Golden, a Jewish writer in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the author of best-selling books. He tells of the time when he was a child that the family was having dinner. Accidentally he dropped a piece of bread which fell under the table. His mother asked him what fell. He told her. She ordered him to get down under the table and retrieve it. While there he was admonished to thank God for it. And then she made him eat it. She insisted that he do so because she said that bread was a gift of life. One has to eat to live.
Need of Distribution. The problem of world hunger is not in having the resources but of distribution of the food to the hungry. In 1990 Russia reported a banner harvest. However, the people are hungry because the stores are empty. There was a problem of getting to the fields to gather the harvest. In the same year China had a similar problem of distribution. China also had a bumper harvest but nowhere to store it for later distribution. Inadequate space and poor government control caused mountains of rotting food while millions were hungry.
Bread that Lasts. U.S. Army cooks have a new bread that has a three-year shelf life containing sucrose ester and glycerin. This new bread is now standard fare for soldiers in the field. It comes in an airtight pouch and has a pleasant homemade taste.
More Than Bread.
In the heart of London City, 'Mid the dwellings of the poor, These bright, golden words were uttered, "I have Christ! What want I more?" Spoken by a lonely woman, Dying on a garret floor, Having not one earthly comfort - "I have Christ! What want I more?" - Anonymous
Grace And Groceries
A little lad was asked which was his favorite parable. He replied, "I like the one about the loafs and fishing." The kid may be confused whether the story of Jesus' feeding the 5,000 is a parable or a miracle. However, the miracle of multiplying is also a favorite of the gospel writers. This miracle of Jesus is the only one recorded by the four evangelists. In addition, there are two accounts of feeding the 4,000 which New Testament scholars consider to be different versions of the same event. In the three-year Common Lectionary cycle, the miracle occurs twice: Cycle A - Matthew 14:13-2 1 and Cycle B - John 6:1-15.
When it comes to food, the world is in a dilemma. We have either too little or too much food. Some Americans have too much food. It is estimated that over 40 million Americans are overweight. Obesity is a common and serious health problem. Not only are they eating too much food but the wrong kind of food. The Surgeon General of the U.S. recently reported that poor food habits contributed to 2.1 million deaths annually: heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, diabetes and some cancers. Consequently, nine-and-one-half million Americans are enrolled in a diet program.
They spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on pills, books and programs to get thin.
On the other hand, there is a lack of food in many countries. In 1990 it was reported by the media that in Ethiopia alone four million people were hungry. Every day, it is said, 40,000 children die from malnutrition. In recent years churches in America raised millions of dollars to send food to peoples in the third world countries. Even in America the poor are hungry and manage to exist on food stamps, soup kitchens and surplus food distributed by the federal government.
The subject of food is not a take-it-or-leave-it matter. Bread is the basic need for life. We must eat to live. Hunger leads to malnutrition, and malnutrition leads to ill health and eventual death. Lack of food results in stunted bodies and arrested minds.
The solution is not to have too much or too little food. "So give me only as much food as I need. If I have more, I might say I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God (Proverbs 30:8-9)."
In today's miracle, Jesus responds to the need of physical bread. Some of us may not need this miracle because we have enough food, but we can and should have a part in the miracle by sharing and distributing the food God gives us. Perhaps, like the little lad, this miracle may be our favorite one.
Acclimation
The Situation
When Jesus heard that Herod had John the Baptist's head cut off, he was so shaken up that he wanted to get away from everything and everybody to meditate and think through the tragedy. So he got in a boat to go to a lonely place. Somehow the people learned of his retreat and by foot they found him. When Jesus saw the large crowd, he felt sorry for them and began to heal their sick ones.
When evening came, the disciples suggested to Jesus that he dismiss the crowd to enable them to go to villages to buy food. But Jesus said, "There is no need for them to leave. You give them something to eat." They protested, "But we have only five loaves and two fish." Jesus asked them to bring the food to him. He had the people to sit on the grass. Then he took the food, and looking up to heaven, he thanked God for it. He handed the food to the disciples who, in turn, distributed it to the people. After every one could eat no more, they picked up the leftovers which filled 12 baskets. Five thousand men were miraculously fed. The number of women and children who also ate is not known.
The Setting
1. The Occasion. What was the reason for Jesus' going to a lonely place in a desert to be alone? The gospels give different answers. According to Matthew, Jesus heard of John the Baptist's murder by Herod and wanted to get away to be alone to consider the tragedy. Mark and Luke report that the disciples returned from their preaching-healing mission upon which Jesus had sent them. To get rest Jesus leads his men to a lonely place. Luke says it was to a small town, Bethsaida. John has a different story. A large crowd gathered while he sat with his disciples on a hill.
2. Parallel Accounts (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15). The various accounts differ in details:
Matthew: Jesus goes to a desert place in response to the news of John's murder.
Mark: Jesus feels sorry for the people, for they are like sheep without a shepherd. Before the food is passed, the people are seated in groups of 50 and 100 in rows.
Luke: Jesus takes his disciples to Bethsaida for rest and solitude. The people are seated in groups of 50.
John: A crowd follows Jesus across the Galilean Sea. No mention is made of Jesus' compassion for the hungry crowd. He asks Philip where food can be bought. Andrew tells of a boy with five loaves and two fish. Jesus, not the disciples, distributes the food to the people. The crowd responds to the miracle by planning to take Jesus by force and crown him king.
Consensus of the accounts:
1. There was a hungry crowd where food was not available.
2. Jesus has compassion for the hungry people.
3. A tiny amount of food was found.
4. The helplessness of the disciples to meet the need of the day.
5. Jesus offered thanks and blessed the food.
6. Jesus used the disciples to distribute the food.
7. There was a surplus of 12 baskets of food.
Related Passages
Exodus 16:4-5 - Food (manna) rains down from heaven.
Deuteronomy 14:29 - The Israelites are instructed to provide food for the needy.
2 Kings 4:42-44 - Elisha feeds 100 men with 20 loaves of bread.
Isaiah 55:1-2 - God's food is free.
Jeremiah 31:14 - The Lord promises to fill the needs of the people.
Luke 22:28-30 - Jesus promises a messianic banquet.
John 6:35-40 - Jesus is the Bread of Life.
The Lectionary (Pentecost 11, Proper 13)
Lesson 1 (Exodus 12:1-14). Yahweh prescribes the Passover. The Passover is an annual feast to celebrate Israel's deliverance from Egyptian slavery. A year-old spotless male sheep or goat is to be killed, some of the blood is to be put on the door posts, and the meat is to be roasted and eaten with unleavened bread. The angel of death will "pass over" the homes marked with blood. By keeping the annual observance, the people are never to forget God's liberation of his people.
Lesson 2 (Romans 8:31-39). Nothing can separate us from God's love. Certainly God is for us. Proof of this is God's sacrifice of his Son for us, done out of love for us sinners. Christ was the lamb sacrificed for the sin of the world. This love of God is more powerful than any worldly enemy. Therefore, nothing can separate us from God's love demonstrated on the cross.
Gospel (Matthew 14:13-21). Jesus feeds 5,000 men with bread and fish. This miracle of the multiplication of food shows us the grace and power of God in Christ. Because of his grace, Jesus felt sorry for the hungry and was not perturbed by the people's interruption of his retreat. Because of his divine power, he was able to take a minimum amount of food and satisfy a maximum number of people.
Psalm of the Day (Psalm 143:1-10). The Psalm deals with a person pursued by enemies. He feels his life is crushed to the ground. Then he remembers what Yahweh did for the Israelites when they were in Egyptian captivity. As they were delivered, so he prays that he, too, may be delivered from the bondage of his enemies.
Prayer of the Day: With the feeding of the 5,000 in mind, we recall that Jesus, the Bread of Life, came to be the true bread. So we pray: "Give us this bread, that he may live in us and we in him."
Hymn of the Day: "Prayer And Thanksgiving"
"Father providing food for your children, By your wise guiding teach us to share One with another, so that rejoicing With us, all others may know your care."
Explanation
This (v. 13). "When Jesus heard this ..." To what does "this" refer? What did Jesus hear that caused him to go to a lonely place to be alone? It must have been terrible news. And it was! His cousin, the one who baptized him, the prophet whom he hailed as the greatest, was murdered by Herod's men in order to please his wife, Herodias, who hated John the Baptist for opposing her second marriage to Herod. Jesus needed a time and place to rest, to have some quiet in order to adjust to the bad news.
Compassion (v. 14). When Jesus looked upon the crowd that followed him to a lonely place, he had pity on them. He saw that they were sheep without a shepherd. Among the many were people in need of healing. Grace came in terms of compassion. He was not put out or irritated that they interrupted his need to meditate and pray, unlike one pastor who was asked to conduct a funeral for the mother of a member and said he could not do it because it was his day off. Nor like the pastor who was asked to call upon a dying man in a hospital. He refused to go because it was after working hours. Unlike these hirelings, Jesus was a true shepherd who loved and cared for his people.
Eat (v. 16). Jesus told the disciples, "You give them something to eat." It was something they could give, because the people needed physical food. If it were spiritual food, of course only Jesus could give it. This shows that Jesus realized that people need physical food for their well-being. The miracle is not to be allegorized as "bread from heaven" or the Eucharist. Nor is this miracle a reference to the messianic banquet. It is plain, ordinary physical food that is needed. It is bread and fish that can be eaten.
Loaves and fish (v. 17). The disciples reported to Jesus that they had five loaves and two fish. In that day the loaves were small buns. In John's account they were barley loaves. Barley loaves were the cheapest bread, food for the poorest of the poor. The fish were as small as sardines to be eaten with the buns. Probably the bread and fish constituted a boy's lunch. The paucity of food magnifies the greatness of the miracle: so little to feed so many. It reminds us of the truth that Christ can do wonders with our little selves and the little we can offer to him for serving others.
Bring (v. 18). Jesus ordered his men to bring the food to him. Where did they get the loaves and fish? John tells us that there was a lad there with his lunch. If it were not for John, the source of food would be a mystery. It is interesting to speculate whether there would have been a miracle if food had not been found.
Me (v. 18). The food was to be brought to Jesus. Why to him? He did not indicate that he was hungry as once he was thirsty and asked a Samaritan woman for a drink. Why not give the food directly to the hungry people? It was essential that the food should first come to Jesus. He alone as God's Son has the power as well as the grace to multiply the loaves and fish. His grace produced groceries! When we have a problem and a need, the first person to go to is Jesus. He is sufficient for all our needs because he alone can supply those needs.
Blessed (v. 19). Jesus took the bread. He looked to heaven to express thanks. Then he blessed the food. In his day, the customary Jewish blessing was: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, our God, King of the world, who causest bread to grow from the earth." To this day Christians say a blessing before meals. Or do we?
Baskets (v. 20). The baskets were small wicker containers. A basket was carried as a part of a Jew's daily attire. Today we carry instead a purse or bag. Since there were 12 disciples, 12 baskets, one for each disciple, were filled with the fragments.
Satisfied (v. 20). The people were content with the food served. They had both quantity and quality of sustenance. Jesus serves us nothing but the best. Because of his generosity, he gives more than we need. This is shown by the fact that there were 12 baskets full of leftovers. Jesus does more and gives more than is necessary. Yet, though he is more than generous, he would not waste food. "Waste not, want not." Many Americans have not yet learned this lesson, for we are the world's worst wasters of natural resources.
Women and children (v. 21). It is reported that 5,000 men were fed. In addition there were women and children, but they were not counted! Is this a case of male chauvinism? No, the custom of the day was that Jews did not eat in public with women and children. Consequently, the men were seated by themselves. If the women and children were included, the number may have been 10,000 or 15,000 people fed with small buns and tiny fish. What a miracle!
Application
Relevance Of Revelation
1. Today's miracle of feeding the 5,000 is not a one-time challenge. When preparing a sermon on this gospel lesson, a preacher needs to be aware that the same miracle occurs next year also on Pentecost 10 - B. This pericope is the first of a series of five lessons from John 6, the Bread of Life chapter. This gives a preacher six opportunities to deal with bread over a two-year period.
2. Food is one of the world's most relevant problems. Hunger is a problem for millions, both in America and in many other countries. Innocent children are perhaps the greatest victims of malnutrition, disease and death. It is a challenge to those who have food to share. Consequently, the food situation applies to all of us. We either have none or we have food to share.
3. This miracle is subject to several interpretations. First, there is the view that the miracle was a literal multiplication of bread and fish in order to feed a multitude. Second, the miracle is seen as a Eucharist in which each person had a small bite of food. Another position holds that most of the people had their lunches with them. When they saw Jesus sharing the bread and fish, they did likewise by sharing with their neighbors. In this way the crowd was fed. If the feeding of 5,000 is to be considered a miracle, the latter two positions could not be held.
4. Today's miracle deals with the need of physical food. It is a mistake to deal with it allegorically as spiritual food. The need for spiritual bread is handled in John 6, series B. There Jesus is presented as the Bread of Life who grants the believer eternal life. The focus is on the church's soup kitchen in the fellowship hall rather than on the Eucharist in the church's nave.
Sermon Suggestions
1. Two Kinds of Bread. It is true that "One does not live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4)," but one cannot live without bread (food). Jesus has us pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." There is a bread we live by - physical food, and there is a bread we live on - spiritual food. To live an abundant life we must have both breads. In the miracle of feeding 5,000 the emphasis is upon physical food. For the church physical food is as important as spiritual food, for it is unacceptable to those with empty stomachs.
2. The Human Factor. The disciples did not receive but served bread. There is a human factor in the performance of this miracle. Jesus did not do it alone. There was the basic food of five loaves and two fish. In addition, the disciples distributed the food. In this case the disciples were waiters. They waited upon the need of the people. They were servants. It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to feed the hungry - "You give them something to eat (v. 16)." In recent years churches have had "Hunger Appeals" to feed the world's starving. Since hunger is still a problem, we who have food are called to share and distribute it as long as the need exists.
3. It takes only a little! The miracle shows us that Christ can maximize the minimum. The loaves were little buns and the fish were tiny as sardines, just enough for a boy's lunch. Yet, Christ takes the least and makes the most of it. This applies also to our lives. If we commit our little lives or our minimal resources to Christ, there is no telling what miracle will result.
4. Not by bread alone. The people who were fed did not come to Jesus for that reason. They were primarily interested to hear him and to have him heal. They were really hungry for the bread of the Word which he taught and preached. On foot a crowd went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and found him in a lonely place. They were hungry for good preaching that they might know God's truth. And they stayed and stayed. They could not get enough of his teaching. They were aware that night was approaching and there was no place to get dinner. Apparently, physical food was not that important to them. It is not so today. Usually people will come for a good meal but are not interested in a worship service. And if they do come, they want it over in an hour!
5. The Generosity of God. It is amazing that at least 5,000 were fed from a boy's lunch, hardly enough for one person. It is also amazing that 12 baskets were filled with leftovers. This is what you would call "divine measure." God gives abundantly, always more than necessary. God is one who does not merely add but multiplies! That generosity is the result of love, for love gives all.
6. Roots of Hunger. The 5,000 were fed but in due time they were hungry again and needed food. It is not enough to provide food to satisfy temporary hunger. We need to get to the roots of hunger. Why is there not enough food? Christians need to do more than share their food, but to help people to help themselves in getting adequate food. This means we must attack the causes of poverty and unemployment. It calls for the conservation of forests, animals and resources that result in food. One of our problems causing hunger is too many mouths to feed because of over-population. China, for instance, has over one billion people. Rightly the Chinese are limiting families to two children. Moreover, we can conquer hunger by cutting down waste. Think of how much food is wasted by leaving food on plates to be thrown into the garbage disposal in the kitchen. It would help, also, if we got our priorities straight. Which is more important: a television in the den, a car in the yard, or food on the table?
7. Mercy and Munificence. The miracle tells us of grace and groceries, of mercy and munificence. We see the power and the grace of God at work in Jesus. Out of compassion he wants the people to be fed. Though willing, what if he had not the ability to provide the food? He is both willing and able even to feed 5,000 with a child's lunch. There is nothing too hard for God. There is no end to his compassion. Not only does he care when we hurt, but he is able to remove the hurt.
8. Running on Empty. By the end of the day, the people gathered to hear Jesus in the desert were running on empty. Their stomachs were empty. They were hungry. There are people today who are running their lives on empty just as some may be driving their car when the gas gauge says "empty." In the poor family, the cupboard may be bare and the refrigerator empty. The result is that they will soon be running out of gas. This means malnutrition, illness and death. Also, we can be running on empty so far as our souls are concerned. We may be running on empty souls indicated by our worry, fear and stress. The solution is to go to church or the Bible as a filling station to get filled with the Spirit of God.
Sermon Structures
1. Jesus' most Popular Miracle (14:13-21). The miracle of feeding the 5,000 men is recorded six times in the gospels, more than any other of his 37 miracles. Each evangelist gives the account and two of them repeat the miracle with slight changes. Why this popularity?
A. Jesus is concerned for the people's physical welfare - v. 14
B. Jesus has the ability to meet the people's need - vv. 18-20
C. Jesus makes much of the little we give him - vv. 17, 20
2. It Can Happen Again (14:13-21). In Jesus' day 5,000 men were hungry. Today more than five million are in need of food. Could Jesus feed this number today? If so, how?
A. He would have us share what we have - vv. 17-18
B. He would have us distribute the food - v. 19
C. He would have us seek food by conservation - v. 16
3. Minimum to Maximum (14:13-21). Jesus took a boy's meager lunch of five buns and a couple of tiny fish to feed more than 5,000. The miracle shows what he can do with the little we contribute.
A. Christ needs your little - v. 18
B. Christ blesses your little - v. 19
C. Christ multiplies your little - v. 20 - "Love is like the five loaves and two fish. It doesn't start to multiply until you give it away."
4. When You Face an Impossible Task (14:13-21). At times problems and needs are beyond our ability to handle. The miracle shows us how to solve these gargantuan problems.
A. The human situation: hunger - v. 15
B. The human helplessness - v. 17
C. The human rescue: Christ - v. 18
D. The human cooperation - v. 19
5. Jesus is the Answer to Your Need (14:13-21). What does Jesus have to do with my problems today? How can he who is in heaven help the needy on earth? This is how -
A. Jesus knows your need - vv. 15-16
B. Jesus cares about your need - v. 14
C. Jesus answers your need - v. 19
D. Jesus uses others to fulfill your need - v. 19
6. The Meaning of Food (14:13-21). From this miracle we can learn vital lessons for life. What we can learn -
A. We are dependent on food - helpless, needy, starving - v. 15
B. We experience the compassion of Christ - v. 14
C. We receive life: to eat is to live - v. 20
7. Pick up the Pieces! (14:20). "And they took up 12 baskets of broken pieces left over." Life is largely a matter of picking up the pieces of broken lives -
A. After a natural catastrophe: hurricane, earthquake, tornado
B. After a personal tragedy: accident, divorce, bereavement, failure
C. After sin: restoration of life through repentance and forgiveness
8. The Compassionate Christ. This is not the only time Jesus expressed compassion. It was an essential ingredient of his life. He shows compassion:
A. When people are leaderless - Mark 6:34
B. When people are handicapped - Matthew 20:34
C. When people are bereaved - Luke 7:13
D. When people are hungry - Matthew 14:14
Illustration
The Significance of Being Fed. A few years ago there was a Broadway play, Driving Miss Daisy, and more recently it was made into a movie which was perhaps the most popular movie of the year. There were only three characters: Daisy, her son and a black chauffeur named Hoke. When Daisy became 70 years of age, her son hired, against her will, a chauffeur because of his fears she would have an accident. Daisy put up with Hoke and treated him very coldly and formally. After several years a friendship developed. Then Daisy had to go to a nursing home and Hoke was no longer employed. Nevertheless occasionally he went to see her. One day the son, realizing his mother was coming to the end of her life, asked Hoke to go with him to visit her perhaps for the last time. Soon after their arrival Daisy's meal was brought. Daisy asked her son to leave the room and entertain the nurses. Then she asked Hoke to feed her. With this scene the play and movie closes. In the sharing of a meal there was expressed acceptance and love.
Bread the Source of Life. Harry Golden, a Jewish writer in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the author of best-selling books. He tells of the time when he was a child that the family was having dinner. Accidentally he dropped a piece of bread which fell under the table. His mother asked him what fell. He told her. She ordered him to get down under the table and retrieve it. While there he was admonished to thank God for it. And then she made him eat it. She insisted that he do so because she said that bread was a gift of life. One has to eat to live.
Need of Distribution. The problem of world hunger is not in having the resources but of distribution of the food to the hungry. In 1990 Russia reported a banner harvest. However, the people are hungry because the stores are empty. There was a problem of getting to the fields to gather the harvest. In the same year China had a similar problem of distribution. China also had a bumper harvest but nowhere to store it for later distribution. Inadequate space and poor government control caused mountains of rotting food while millions were hungry.
Bread that Lasts. U.S. Army cooks have a new bread that has a three-year shelf life containing sucrose ester and glycerin. This new bread is now standard fare for soldiers in the field. It comes in an airtight pouch and has a pleasant homemade taste.
More Than Bread.
In the heart of London City, 'Mid the dwellings of the poor, These bright, golden words were uttered, "I have Christ! What want I more?" Spoken by a lonely woman, Dying on a garret floor, Having not one earthly comfort - "I have Christ! What want I more?" - Anonymous
Grace And Groceries
