Sometimes we’re so slow to believe that God has to repeat his miracle in our lives. That’s what happened with the feeding of the multitude.
As we continue on in our journey through the gospel of Mark, we’re looking at two separate passages today. And if you weren’t paying attention, it may seem like the same story is being repeated. We’re talking about the feeding of the 5,000 in Mark chapter 6 and the feeding of the 4,000 in Mark chapter 8.
Q. If God performed a miracle in your life, would you recognize it?
Seeking Rest
Jesus knew the importance of balancing work and rest. When their rest was interrupted, Jesus responded with compassion. The disciples responded with frustration.
- Mark 6:30-34 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. 32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. 33 But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. 34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
- The disciples had returned from being sent out in pairs, preaching repentance, healing, and casting out demons. No doubt they had stories to share and questions to ask Jesus. They wanted to spend time with him. There was so much demand on their time they hadn’t even been eating. They had been working hard and Jesus knew they needed rest.
- They weren’t just seeking rest, they were seeking silence and solitude from the crowds. Are these spiritual disciplines we’re incorporating in our walk with Jesus?
- When they arrive at their destination, the crowd has already beaten them there. So much for peace and quiet. Jesus’s first response is compassion – not frustration, not anger, not worry. They were like sheep without a shepherd. They were vulnerable to attack. They were likely to wander and get lost. They didn’t know where to find food. All of these different needs and the first thing Jesus does is teach them.
- Mark 6:35-36 Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. 36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.”
- The disciples were expecting rest. That’s what Jesus had told them when they left in the boat. They’ve gotten no rest since arriving to the crowds awaiting them. They see a need. The disciples’ solution to get rid of the need was to get rid of the needy.
Feeding 5000
God has unlimited resources, but he often asks us to bring our meager offerings to the table and then multiplies them. He invites us to be a part of his work and a part of his miracles.
- Mark 6:37-40 But Jesus said, “You feed them.”“With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money[g] to buy food for all these people!”38 “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.”They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.
- We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people. Was this a comment made in unbelief? Was it made in anger or resentment against the neediness of the crowd? We can’t say for sure and we need to be careful of speculation, but it seems at the least they were frustrated with Jesus’ response.
- Steps of obedience were taken leading up to the miracle: They went and found out how much bread they had. They sat in groups of 50 and 100.
- From John’s gospel, we know that the five loaves and small fish were from a boy in the crowd. These weren’t from the disciples’ own supplies. We also know they were “barley” loaves. Poor man’s bread. This was Great Value not Wonder Bread.
- Jesus has a track record of creating something out of nothing. That’s how he created the world. He didn’t need the young boy’s loaves and fishes, yet he invited him in to be a part of the miracle. Imagine the impact this had on the young boy, knowing that Jesus used his meager offering to bless so many. That’s the same encouragement you and I receive when we bring to God our time, talents, and treasures and he uses those to work miracles in the lives of others.
- Connection to our invitation to be part of miracles through the Syracuse project
- Ephesians 3:20-21 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
- This miracle is going to be another opportunity to glorify Jesus and provide evidence that he is the Son of God. We so often approach problems and needs with an attitude of scarcity. God can accomplish more than we even can think of asking. Why do we focus on our resources, or lack thereof, instead of going to the God with unlimited resources?
- Mark 6:41-44 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. 42 They all ate as much as they wanted, 43 and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. 44 A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed.[h]
- He involved the disciples in the distribution – another example of inviting us in to be a part of the miracle. He didn’t have to do it that way. Everyone ate as much as they wanted. Jesus wasn’t stingy. They didn’t have to ration the food. They ate as much as they wanted and there were twelve baskets of leftovers. Jesus wasn’t wasteful. He had the disciples pick up the leftovers. Importance of stewardship.
- If you didn’t get enough to eat it was your own fault. The food was there. The same is true of spiritual food. If you’re not getting enough to eat; it’s your own fault. Reading the Word, praying, listening to sermons, worship, small groups, mentoring relationships.
Play It Again
- Mark 8:1-9 About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, 2 “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.”4 His disciples replied, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?”5 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”“Seven loaves,” they replied.6 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. 7 A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.8 They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 9 There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten.
- Mark uses the word “again”. In other words, we’ve been down this road before. And yet, the disciples seem to have completely forgotten the feeding of the 5,000.
- We see Jesus is moved by compassion again. This is a theme we see throughout the gospels. He again invites the disciples to participate in the miracle. They seem to be the source of the bread this time. They again are involved in distributing the bread. The crowd ate as much as they wanted. Jesus was extravagant in the amount of food that was offered.
- It’s easy to criticize the disciples, but how quickly do we forget God’s faithfulness? We see him come through in tough situations and as soon as the next one comes up, we panic.
- Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus
- A God who has met our greatest need – gospel – can be trusted to meet all of our needs.
Q. If God performed a miracle in your life, would you recognize it?
