Tag: feeding of the 5000

II Kings 4:42-44 ” A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. ‘Give it to the people to eat,’ Elisha said. ‘How can I set this before a hundred men?’ his servant asked. But Elisha answered, ‘Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says; They will eat and have some leftover.’ Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the Word of the Lord.”

This story of Elisha is a foreshadowing of Jesus feeding the 5,000 – ( the only story, other than the Resurrection, that is found in all 4 Gospels).  So it must have made quite an impact on the Disciples to witness a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish being multiplied into a huge meal for thousands.  Comparing both stories, we see doubt and skepticism on the part of the faithful…people who had observed many miracles, but couldn’t fathom this one.  We also see confidence and full trust in God that He would bless over and above.  In both cases, there wasn’t just enough, there was plenty to go around…there wasn’t the bare minimum, there was excess to spare.  For God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask, (Ephesians 3:20) and He desires to lavish His blessings on us…to the point of overflowing.

Matthew 14:17 ” We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish, they answered.”

Next to the Resurrection, the feeding of the 5,000, is the only story found in all four Gospels.  Even though they all come from a little different perspective, the miracle was the same, and important enough to be recorded numerous times.  On the disciples part, they’ve been traveling with Jesus and witnessing countless miracles, but when Jesus challenged them to feed the throng of people milling around, they froze.  With a total lack of faith and vision they told Him, “We have only five loaves and two fish. We can’t start to feed this many people!”  But Jesus then takes matters into His own hands, gives thanks for what they already have, and multiplies it.  So what important lesson did the disciples learn that was significant enough to be recorded in all four Gospels?  Jesus took what they already had and increased it a 1000 times over.  He didn’t focus on their lack,  but rather on how it could be multiplied and used for His glory.  When God calls you to something, He’ll use what you already have…and as you move forward in faith and trust in Him, it will be multiplied.