The feeding of the 5000 is told in all four gospel accounts. Why? What was so significant about this event. Granted, it would have been amazing to witness. But why did Jesus intentionally do this? It’s a scenario he himself provoked.
In this retelling of the event, John adds a unique factor. He says, “The Jewish Passover Feast was near.”
Why did he mention this?
Was it because a lot of pilgrims were starting to make their way to Jerusalem and so that’s the reason for the large numbers? Or that it was because they were having the Messiah in mind as it was Passover which was a foreshadowing of the Messiah that would come? Perhaps all of these.
But Jesus, clearly provoked the issue. The disciples did not come to him. He went to the disciples and challenged them.
They were dumbfounded. Jesus gave them an impossible task. Feed 5000? Plus the women and children?
Sometimes Jesus is like that. He asks us impossible things.
Crazy enough, Andrew brings a boy who has 5 loaves and 2 fishes. The audacity is laughable.
But you know? Jesus takes what is in their hands and does the work.
And at the end, there is a basket of leftovers in each hand of the apostles.
Which is another thing that stood out. In God’s abundance he was extravagant, but not wasteful.
So why this? Why did Jesus provoke this event?
We can never know for certain. But we can assume many things.
1) Jesus cared for the needs of the people. They were hungry and he wanted to make sure they were taken care of. He took on the responsibility when it really wasn’t necessarily his responsibility. But he showed mercy to the people.
2) He was showing himself as deity. His nature was being revealed to all.
3) He was teaching his disciples that he was sufficient. Trusting his sufficiency and provision has always been a challenge for people
On a pastoral level, this event is very touching. Sometimes Jesus will point out people in need. We can dismiss them easily and say it is not our responsibility. But Jesus sees them.
What he does is point out the need to the disciples and challenges them to bring a solution. They are completely incapable. Genuinely. They didn’t have enough time or money to serve the need.
But what Jesus did was be their supply. He didn’t take nothing. He took their little. And he multiplied it.
This is what I think Jesus still is doing today. He will point out a need to his disciples. He will ask them to resolve that need to serve the people. They respond that they do not have the time or money or resources to take on such a huge task.
Jesus asks them to give what they have.
And when they do, in faith, Jesus multiplies the little to complete the task.
WITH LEFTOVERS.
Has God asking you to do something like this?
John 6:1-15
Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.