Jesus Feeds 5,000 Series

Today, the average income of an average home in our city is just under $64,000. Think of your home and shelling out more than $30,000 to pay for a meal. It was Andrew that spotted the boy and his sack lunch. They had thought over the problem and they had concluded that nothing could be done. They looked at the sack lunch and 5,000 men, not to mention the women and children – no way! The Disciples think of every available means of taking care of the need, save one… … they never ask Jesus to solve the problem.

2.1 Jesus Works Through His Followers

Take note of this – it is the Twelve Disciples that share the food. It’s His followers that get to share the food. These twelve men get the opportunity to participate in a great miracle. Look at your role for a minute, followers of Christ. Jesus is the One Who provides for our needs, but He allows His followers to pass out the goodies: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21) He multiplies by division and adds by subtraction.

2.1.1 Admit Your Weakness

You’ll never be a channel of His power until you admit your weakness. Philip to say, “I don’t know; we don’t have that kind of money.” They knew they had a problem. There are at least 15,000 people (when you count woman and children). Who do you think they are? Jesus leads His disciples to despair. And He’ll lead you to the point where you’ll cry, “Uncle.” That is God’s rule. Everybody who has ever been in a 12-step program knows what the first step is. What’s the first step? “You are powerless over your problem.” He’ll press you with hard questions: But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” (Luke 9:13) Jesus will poke at you and prod you. He’ll ask you hard questions until you despair.

Personal Story

I’ve gone through this very thing. Years ago, I was struggling with various aspects in ministry. People weren’t changing as fast as I thought they should. I was having conflict with several people in a church. And I was reading a well-known pastor, an experienced pastor, who said something to the effect: “If you’re doing ministry and not desperately asking, ‘How can I do this?’ then you’re not doing real ministry.” “We are the aroma of Christ . . . a fragrance from death to death . . . a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:15–16). I cried, “Uncle.” If you feel you’re competent to run your life, then you haven’t even got to first base. Admit Your Weakness

2.1.2 Place Everything in His Hand

Luke omits the details of exactly where the five loaves and two fish come from but the Gospel of John tells us that an elementary or middle school aged boy brought his lunch. He fed the multitudes with a boy’s sack lunch. Here’s the second key principle – he placed his lunch in Jesus’ hands. God’s design is to showcase God’s power.