When Jesus was on earth, in three years of His ministry He performed many miracles. Many of them were more than just miracles in a physical world - most of these stories are also symbols or signs, that you can study and apply in the modern world. This is exactly what I want to do today: take a well-know Bible story and look at it from a different angle, remind something to myself and to you and learn something from it.
I have to say that I did not come up with this thought all by myself and I am pretty sure I am not the first one to write about it. But God uses the same Book to speak again and again to people (including me), and sometimes He even uses the same exact words. So I’m sure these things do not lose their relevance.
The Bible Passage
“Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” And they did so, and had them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.”
Luke 9:12-17
An amazing story that shows God’s omnipotence, Jesus Christ’s divinity, God’s provision for His people and so much more.
The Context
Before all of this happened, people were practically following Jesus Christ who was actually planning to spend some alone time with His disciples. Jesus did not reject the people but had mercy on them and was teaching and healing them all day long. By the time evening came all the people were probably hungry so the disciples suggested that people would go and take care of themselves, which sounded pretty reasonable. But Jesus had a different plan, and this is when He made a well-known miracle of the multiplication of bread and fish.
But let us look at this story from a different angle. Of course, God cares about our physical bodies and food. But first He wants to feed us spiritually since each person is primarily a spirit. This is why this parable can be a symbolic illustration of spiritual food. There are so many symbols in this story!
The Symbols
The people were hungry and they were in a desolate place. Many people on earth need the Lord, their souls long for a full meal. But they might feel like they are in a desert. Even though there is a lot of teachings in the world, nothing can fill them up. We all know that a hungry person is not likely to be happy!
The disciples saw that but their decision was simple - to let people go so that they could find food for themselves in the surrounding towns. Unfortunately, many Christians nowadays do the same thing. We see that people around us desperately need Jesus, that their souls are hungry for the truth. But we think that all we need to do is to send a person to church (give him a flyer or send him an online invitation), so he can find a way to church and the food there. Yes, this might work, and I know people who became Christians this way and stayed at the Source.
But Jesus had (and has!) a different plan. He told His disciples, “you give them something to eat.” The same way Jesus tells us - you see the people, who need spiritual food. Become an answer to their need! Share the truth that you know with them, help them find Jesus.
Sometimes we answer Him in the same way the disciples did, ”We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” We think that it is pastors’ and preachers’ job to teach people (and evangelists’ job to preach the gospel). What is our job then? To sit around in church? We might say, “okay, Lord, if you really want me to serve, I will go to a Bible school or get a degree, “buy some food”, and maybe then I will be able to feed someone”.
To be honest, the reaction of the disciples is understandable. It was definitely a “mission impossible”, in the same way as no one will let us become pastors as soon as we start going to church. But Jesus solved this problem with a few words. ”There were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” And they did so, and had them all sit down.”
Big and difficult goals are better achieved when you break them down into small but realistic ones. Jesus is not asking you to gather thousands in a stadium and preach about the blood of Jesus, He is not even calling everyone to preach in their church and “feed five thousand”. He asks you to invite your friend to church. To join a discussion about faith in your workplace (or maybe even start it) and “feed” three of your colleagues. Or maybe to tell people in your study group about Jesus. This is easier to accomplish, right?
"And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd".
When we are too shy to serve, when we do not want to serve others because we feel like we do not have anything, Jesus shows us what we need to do. First of all, to look up to heaven. We can never become successful in our ministry relying on our own efforts and resources. This is why we need to always look at the Lord, seek His will and His guidance. This is the only way to efficiently use what we already have.
Secondly, Jesus said a blessing over the food, and He also blesses us to serve. He called everyone to preach the gospel, He called many to serve in the church. He blesses everything that you try to do for the Lord, even if it feels like “two small fishes”. And I am pretty sure He is very happy about it!
And finally, He broke the loaves. In ministry, I often see that God often “breaks” our character, our ideas, and our worldviews to make us better. This is why I want to be like clay so that God could mold me into the kind of vessel that He needs for His purpose. I do not want to be painfully broken.
Everyone knows how this story ends: “And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.” When the disciples trusted Jesus with everything they owned, He made a miracle, and many people became satisfied with something that they needed so much. God can use the little that you have to do great things if you trust Him. His power will be more than enough, and the fruit will exceed all our expectations!
I think everyone should make their own conclusion from this story. What is God calling you to do? Do you think that you don’t have enough to do it? Do you think that you are too young, too weak, too dumb, or just not ready? Give your “five loaves and two fish” in the hands of Jesus. Maybe He will have to change you or even break you, but He will definitely bless you, and your ministry will bring fruit. Do not be afraid to be a doer! People around you desperately need someone to feed them, and we have all that they need. Become an answer to someone’s need.
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