I had an interesting dream where I was working at some sort of camp, or gathering where there were about 100 kids. We were out in the open and camping. We had several campfires going and we were letting the kids take care of cooking their own food. I was trying to help them, but it was clear most of them had no clue what to do, or how to do it. In one group the kids had thrown ice on the fire to cool it down, as it was too hot. In another they had dropped the meat right into the fire, another group had just wandered away, being distracted by something else and the fire had pretty much gone out. I looked around and there were coolers stacked with food, untouched and just sitting there needing to be cooked. It was getting close to bed-time and many of them hadn't eaten, so I was trying to marshal the kids around and show them what to do. I started by instructing them how to build a cooking fire, and that was much more difficult than it should have been! I was looking at their hungry faces wondering how I would ever feed them all, as it would take a couple of hours and a much better setup than I had to successfully make enough food to feed them all. That is where I woke up.
As soon as I woke up I was reminded of Jesus feeding the multitudes, and specifically the time recounted in Luke 9:10-17 NIV:
[10] "When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, [11] but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
[12] Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
[13] He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish---unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” [14] (About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” [15] The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. [16] Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. [17] They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over."
This morning I am thinking about the absolute logistical nightmare it would have been to try and feed that crowd (5000 men)! I have fed about 350 at one time, and we planned for a few days ahead of time and worked most of the day to have the food cooked and ready to eat at the correct time. I had a crew of probably 10 to manage it all, and semi-commercial kitchen facilities (Steak dinner fund-raiser for our church). While they only had fish (dried or smokes) and bread, neither of which would require much if any preparation, just the coordination and distribution would have taken a massive effort.
I think this is the first time Jesus worked this miracle, based on the initial ask of the apostles. I can just imagine them getting more and more worried as Jesus continued to speak, and the crowd continued to grow. That might be why we only have a very brief description of what Jesus was saying as none of them were listening, but instead they were worrying about what they were going to do!
I am reminded of times where someone is speaking and they are going over their allotted time, or I have someplace to be and I will be late, I just stop listening and start thinking about my escape plan, how I am going to communicate my lateness, etc. If I am sitting with my honey, we start working things out and become completely distracted. I think that is what was likely happening with the apostles. They were probably gathering in the back, asking each other's opinions of what they thought, trying to catch Jesus' eye, signally that he need to wrap things up, etc. They were concerned for sure and finally, when Jesus took a breath (late in the afternoon) and they all came up to Him and suggested He send the crowd away to fend for themselves!
It was the best idea they could come up with, thinking in natural terms, from a natural perspective. If the number is accurate there was no way a crowd that size was going to find food and lodging anywhere near-by, but at least it wouldn't be the apostle's responsibility any more! That is definitely the way I think...most of the time.
Jesus, however, was in-tune with the Father and had a completely different perspective, and also knew exactly what they were thinking, so He says, "You give them something to eat."
I can just imagine there was a bit of a pause between Jesus' suggestion and the apostle's response, as I don't think they were really prepared for that statement from Jesus. They must have made a quick survey of their vast food holdings (just kidding) and saw they only had 2 fish and 5 loaves, which wasn't enough to even feed themselves, let alone the masses. I think they had already made up their minds there was absolutely nothing they could do for such a vast crowd.
Jesus, rather than criticize them, just gives them simple directions to have the crowd sit down in groups of 50 or so, which meant there were 100 plus groups of people, and Jesus demonstrates the fact that it was the Father in heaven who was going to feed the people. He is the only one capable!
The apostles didn't have the faith to approach Him, let alone the faith to even imagine this solution. They were looking at the situation from a natural logistics perspective. They knew how much food it would take to feed that many people, and I can assure you 12 people couldn't have carried that much food back from town! The crowd was tired and hungry, and while some would suggest there was no miracle, it was really just people sharing their own provisions with everyone else once they sat down, that doesn't explain the 12 baskets of left-over food, nor the fact that Jesus did this enough that people followed Him just so He would feed them (See John 6:26).
Going back to my dream, there is a need for people to be taught how to feed themselves on the Word of God! We don't just know how to do this, we get distracted, we get uncomfortable with the fire of conviction, we don't rightly understand what we read and the potential help just turns to ash. We are hungry and tired and don't know what we need!
We don't realize that the Word of God is essential for our lives! I am reminded of Jesus' words concerning this, found in John 6:35-40,44-48 NIV:
[35] "Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. [36] But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. [37] All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. [38] For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. [39] And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. [40] For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
[44] “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. [45] It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. [46] No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. [47] Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. [48] I am the bread of life."
Lord, help us to give to those, who need to be fed, that which we have, namely relationship with You! You are the Bread of Life! Your are our source of eternal life, and we need to learn how to give what we have, that the masses might learn how to feast and feed themselves on Your Word!
Amen and Amen!
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