Before we look at Luke 9 and Jesus feeding the multitude, I
again want to ask for your prayers as next week I will be leaving for a Southeast
Asian country with a multitude of people (over 1 billion), that are desperately
hungry for the Word of God and need to be feed! I will be spending time with a
national leader there who works with over 600 plus pastors. It is my goal and
prayer to connect each of these pastors to a prayer partner here in the states
that will take him into their heart and regularly intercede on his behalf.
Would you be willing to join me in this great ministry of
prayer so that the multitudes in this Asian country can be feed the Truth of
God’s Word? Let me know by sending me an email at: pastormike@pmiministries.org
Also if you would like to financially support this great
opportunity, please go to my website: https://www.pmiministries.org/
Under the donate button you will see a place there to do that! Thanks in
advance for all your prayers and support!
Now in Luke 9:11-17, we see that our Lord was not the kind
of person who could teach the Word and then say to hungry people, "Depart
in peace, be ye warm and filled" (James 2:16). The disciples were only
too eager to see the crowd leave (Luke 18:15; see Matt. 15:23). They had not
yet caught the compassion of Christ and the burden He had for the multitudes,
but one day they would.
When you combine all four accounts of this miracle (Matthew
14:16-21; Mark 6:33-44; Luke 9:11-17; John 6:5-14), you find that Jesus first
asked Philip where they could buy enough bread to feed such a great crowd. It
is possible that this crowd was around 15,000 plus people with the women and
children. Jesus was only testing Philip, "for He Himself knew what He
was intending to do" (John 6:6). In the crisis hours of life, when
your resources are low and your responsibilities are great, it is good to
remember that God already has the problem solved.
Jesus started with what they had, a few loaves and fishes
that were generously donated by a lad found by Andrew (John 6:8-9). Did Andrew
know the boy? Or did the boy offer his little lunch without being asked? Before
we ask God to do the impossible, let's start with the possible and give Him
what we have. And while we are at it, let's give thanks for mothers who give
their sons something to give to Jesus.
The Lord looked up to heaven, the source of our daily bread
(Matt. 6:11), gave thanks, and blessed the food; and then He multiplied the few
loaves and fishes. Jesus was the "producer" and His disciples were
the "distributors." The amazing thing is that everybody was served
and satisfied, and there were twelve baskets of leftovers, one for each of the
disciples. Jesus takes good care of His servants.
This miracle was more than an act of mercy for hungry
people, though that was important. It was also a sign of our Lord's messiahship
and an illustration of God's gracious provision for man's salvation. The next
day, Jesus preached a sermon on "The Bread of Life" and urged
the people to receive Him just as they had received the bread (John 6:22-59).
But the people were more interested in their stomachs than their souls, and
completely missed the spiritual impact of the miracle. Their desire was to make
Jesus King so He could give them bread for the rest of their lives! (John
6:14-15)
After Jesus returned to heaven, the disciples must often
have been encouraged by remembering this miracle. We can learn many lessons
from this miracle ourselves. It teaches us to have compassion, to look on
problems as opportunities for God to work, and to give Him all that we have and
trust Him to meet the needs. If we do all we can, He will step in and do the
rest. Corrie Ten Boom said, "Let God's promises shine on your problems”.
Today, that is good counsel for us too.
God bless!
