FEAST OR FAMINE?
Mark 6:33-44
You have all heard the phrase “feast or famine”. This is a term that speaks of having either too much or too little of something. This expression was originally intended to describe overabundance or a shortage of food. Our selected text records a time in the earthly ministry of Jesus where a great multitude of people were gathered together and they had nothing to eat. Jesus would miraculously provide this multitude with enough food to satisfy their hunger. In the beginning these people were famished; in the end they would be filled. Unfortunately, the majority of them would leave this gathering filled physically but starving spiritually.
Many people today are suffering from this same spiritual hunger. The sad fact is that this does not have to be the case. Jesus said in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” You have the opportunity to experience spiritual fulfillment today. I would like to walk through this passage and preach on the thought “Feast Or Famine?”
If you will turn to Jesus, you will find that He is able to supply you with more than you could ever ask for. Last week we examined a time when Jesus recognized that His Disciples were physically exhausted. They had been out ministering to the people in Galilee. They went on a short term mission preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, casting out demons and even raising the dead. By now they had returned to Jesus and had not been able to rest for their labor. Verse 31 says that so many people were coming and going that the Disciples “did not even have time to eat”.
Jesus instructed the Disciples to get on a boat and go across the Sea of Galilee to a remote place so that they could rest for a little while. Many in the crowd ran to the other side of the lake and were waiting on Jesus and the Disciples when they arrived. Verse 33 tells us that the people were intent on seeing Jesus. Notice:
I. THE CURIOSITY OF THE CROWD
v33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.
In John’s account of this event, he says that they “followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.” (John 6:2) The majority of people in this crowd were there for superficial reasons rather than spiritual ones. Many of them were there hoping that Jesus would perform a miracle in their life. We can safely assume that in this crowd were people who were lame, blind, deaf, mute, and sick. Some were probably lepers and others were possessed by demons. These people knew that Jesus had the power to heal all of these infirmities because they had seen Him do it. They followed Him because they wanted Him to do a great work in their own lives.
It is also likely that some of the people in the crowd were there for the entertainment value. They may not have had a personal need; they just wanted to watch Jesus perform a miracle. They would soon get what they wanted! They were going to see a miracle, and it would be a miracle like nothing they had seen before.
Of all the many miracles that Jesus performed while He was on earth, only two of them were recorded in all four Gospel accounts. One of those miracles is His Resurrection, the other is the feeding of the five thousand. There was certainly some curiosity among the people in this vast multitude, and with good reason. The works of Jesus were no secret by this point in His ministry and it was safe to assume that on this day there would be more of the same.
There are many people who are curious about Jesus today. There may even be some in this assembly. There were some people in that crowd who went looking for a physical miracle but they found something far better. Rather than experiencing a temporary physical healing, they experienced spiritual and eternal transformation. The same opportunity is available to you today.
The day I got saved started out as any other Sunday. I went to church because that is what my family did on Sundays. But before the day was over I found something that I wasn’t looking for. Better yet, someone found me! You may have come to church today out of habit, obligation or a myriad of other reasons, but this could be the day that you find spiritual fulfillment in Jesus Christ!
- Now that we have seen a little bit about the curiosity of the crowd, let us consider:
II. THE DILEMMA OF THE DISCIPLES
With all that was going on around them, the Disciples recognized a major problem. However, there was an even greater issue that they failed to see. Verse 35 & 36 show us that:
A. THERE WAS A DILEMMA CONCERNING THE FOOD - v35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."
Jesus had been teaching and healing for most of the day and it was getting late. The people were gathered in a remote, unpopulated area. The Disciples approached Jesus and said “it is getting late, dismiss the people and send them into the surrounding villages so that they can get some food”. Jesus’ Disciples had a legitimate concern, and it seems that they had compassion on the crowd. Their decision to interrupt Jesus and ask Him to dismiss the people was probably also motivated by their own hunger.
Remember, we saw in verse 31 that there were so many people coming and going that they did not have time to eat. It is safe to say that the Disciples were not expecting Jesus to respond the way He did. He looked at them and said “you give them something to eat”. Jesus had no intention of sending the crowd away; He wanted to see them fed.
- The dilemma that the disciples noticed was one concerning a lack of food, but there was also a major dilemma concerning their lack of faith. Notice that:
B. THERE WAS A DILEMMA CONCERNING THEIR FAITH - v37 But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?" 38 But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."
One of Jesus’ man purposes in performing this miracle was to address the lack of faith among His Disciples. Keep in mind; these are the same Disciples that have just returned from performing many great miracles in the name of Jesus. Even with all that they have seen and done, the Disciples still possessed a lack of faith.
Charles Stanley said “great preachers are not necessarily great Christians.”
We know that the Disciples would be some of the greatest Christians who ever lived, but their faith was a work in progress. They went from no faith, to little faith, to great faith. The same is true for us! Before we came to Jesus we had no faith, When we began walking with Him we had little faith, and as we continue to walk with Him our faith grows stronger and stronger. Our faith grows because of the consistent work that The Sprit does within us. This mighty miracle would serve as a vivid illustration of Jesus’ power, and He would use this miracle to increase their faith. We will find in the latter portion of this chapter that these men still had a long way to go!
When Jesus commanded His Disciples to feed this vast multitude, they said ”Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?" A single denarius was a day’s wage for a common laborer. Two hundred denarii was the equivalent of 8 months wages. This was far more money than the Disciples had in their possession. The obstacle before them seemed impossible to overcome. And humanly speaking they were correct! They did not have the resources to feed upwards of 20,000 people. You see, five thousand is actually a very conservative estimate, the scripture declares that there were 5,000 men present. This doesn’t take into account the women and children. This means that there were likely over 20,000 people in attendance.
In response to the doubt filled reply from His Disciples, Jesus said "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."
John tells us that it was Andrew who found a little boy in the crowd who had packed a small lunch. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" (John 6:8-9) This was not five large loaves of bread and two large Alabama Catfish. It was more like saltine crackers and sardines. But as the old song says “Little Is Much When God Is In It”.
When the Disciples looked at these meager portions compared to the massive crowd they saw an impossible situation. These men had seen numerous miracles at the hands of Jesus. they had seen Him turn water into wine, they had seen Him heal hundreds of sick people and at this point had seen Him raise two people from the dead, they were with Him on the boat when He calmed the storm with three words. But they could not imagine that He could feed so many people with a little boy’s lunch.
Let’s not be too hard on these men, for we often look at situations with the same lack of faith that they possessed. We have the record of many of the same miracles that these men saw with their own eyes. We have testimonies of His great works throughout Church history. And we have countless personal experiences where He has worked miracles in our own lives. Yet, when trouble comes or obstacles stand in our way, we fail to realize that He has the power, ability and desire to move in our lives in a mighty way!
You may be experiencing some major problems in your own life. You may have rebellious children. You may have a marriage that is on the brink of divorce. You may be under extreme financial strain. You may have received a devastating report from your doctor. You may be concerned about your lost loved ones. I could go on and on, there are so many problems that we encounter in this life. The good news is that we can face these problems with faith because we belong to the One who is all powerful! Not only does He possess the power to move in your life, He has the desire to do just that!
This is illustrated in our selected text. Jesus created the universe, supplying lunch for a hungry multitude was no challenge for Him. But His power wouldn’t have mattered one bit if He did not have the desire to move in the lives of these people. This passage makes it clear that Jesus possessed great compassion on the people in this multitude.
- We have seen The Curiosity Of The Crowd and The Dilemma Of The Disciples, now let us examine:
III. THE COMPASSION OF THE CHRIST
To fully grasp Jesus’ compassion we must back up to verse 34; for there we see Him do an even greater work than feeding thousands of people with a small portion of food. (v34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.) As the crowds gathered around Jesus He was “moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.” Jesus responded by “teaching them many things”. Shepherds protected the sheep and provided them with food. Sheep are defenseless, directionless and dumb animals. Without a shepherd, sheep are prone to getting lost. Several times in the Old Testament, the people of Israel are pictured as a flock with no shepherd to guide them.
John MacArthur says that “The metaphor depicted the nation as being spiritually vulnerable to deadly enemies and malnourished, threatened by error and sin, and lacking in faithful caretakers and spiritual protectors.As the Good Shepherd Jesus was willing to feed, cleanse, and protect these lost sheep, and lead them into eternal safety in the fold of salvation. (John MacArthur New Testament Commentary)
Motivated by this desire, Jesus “began to teach them many things”. Luke 9:10 tells us about the content of His message; As was the case on many other occasions, Jesus taught the people about “the Kingdom of God”. Not only did Jesus teach them and feed them, Matthew tells us that He performed many miracles among those in this crowd. (Matthew 14:14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.)
Jesus was concerned about the physical maladies of the people. But even greater was His compassion concerning their spiritual condition. As we have seen many times in the past, Jesus’ miracles were a means to an end.
Though He healed the people physically, one day they would all die. But He had the ability to do a work in them spiritually that would result in eternal life. He still possesses that power, ability and desire today and He because He has compassion on your lost soul, you can receive life eternal when you put your trust in Him for salvation!
Now we arrive at the “big moment” so to speak. Jesus is about to demonstrate His great power in the presence of thousands of people. After His Disciples brought Him the little boys lunch “He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.” (v39-40)
There is a change in the atmosphere at this point. This crowd that had been stirring and pressing toward Jesus to see and receive a miracle were told to sit down in groups of hundreds and fifties. This would cause the people to relax and to be comfortable while they ate. It also served as a way to make it easier to distribute the food. Consequently it also made it easier to count how many were in attendance giving a greater illustration of the magnitude of this miracle. Jesus took the food, blessed in and began to distribute it to the Disciples so that they could give it to the people.
v41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.
This was a lesson in humility for the Disciples. Though they had been working great miracles in the name of Jesus, they were not above serving others. On this occasion, they essentially became waiters who delivered food to the hungry crowd. The One who created the Heavens and the Earth out of nothing, created enough food to feed a multitude from a few pieces of bread and two small fish.
Jesus didn’t just give them enough to sustain them until they could reach the surrounding villages and buy food, Verse 42 tells us that “they all ate and were filled”. This means that they had enough food to completely satisfy their hunger. The word for “filled” in the original language describes the fact that the people ate until they were completely full. Jesus made more than enough to satisfy the starving crowd. No one missed out on this meal and there was even an abundance left over.
After feeding the people, Jesus instructed His Disciples to gather up the leftovers. (v43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.) Someone has said that the reason that there were 12 baskets of leftovers was so that there would be one basket full for each doubting Disciple.
John goes into greater detail concerning how the crowd responded to this amazing miracle. (John 6:14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.") “The Prophet” was an Old Testament reference to the Promised Messiah. It was the intention of the people to take Jesus by force and make Him their King. (John 6:15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.)
They hoped that Jesus would use His power to overthrow Herod and the Romans and they likely hoped that He would usher in the ultimate welfare state. They were right in their assessment that Jesus was the Messiah, but they did not grasp the true purpose of His coming. There is coming a day when Jesus will indeed set up His earthly Kingdom. We long for the day when He rules and reigns over all the earth, but the reason that He came the first time was be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Jesus stated His purpose all throughout the Gospels. (Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.") (Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.") Jesus goal was not to be a political ruler; He came to be our Savior. His power and compassion as seen in this miracle was intended to display His ability to provide spiritual food for those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6) As He stated in John 6:35, that He is the Bread of Life and those who believe in Him will be spiritually and eternally satisfied. (Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.)
After this great miracle you would think that all who ate and were satisfied would turn to Jesus and remain with Him. Unfortunately that was not the case. The very next day the overwhelming majority of the people who were fed turned away from Jesus. They rejected Him and they followed Him no more. (John 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.) Most of these people were following Jesus for what they could get out of Him. When they turned from Him, they demonstrated their hardheartedness and their unbelief. As a result they will be judged and suffer eternal consequences.
Thankfully, not everyone turned away from Him. When the multitudes turned away, Jesus asked those who remained “will you also go away?” In one of his greatest moments, Simon Peter said "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:68-69)
The majority of people who feasted on the food that Jesus provided, spent the rest of their lives enduring spiritual famine. And they will endure eternal consequences as a result of their unbelief. Like the people in that crowd, you must decide whether you will believe in Jesus or reject Him. If you will repent and turn to Him you can feast on Heavenly Manna. If you reject Him, you will suffer spiritual famine throughout eternity. The choice is yours…what will it be, “Feast or Famine?”
