A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS

CC. Feeding Of The Five Thousand: Ministry Training

(Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13)

I. Introduction

A. When Israel’s religious leaders accused Jesus of being demon-possessed (Matthew 12:24) and John the Baptist was executed (Matthew 14:1-12), Christ “no longer pursued a public ministry but rather devoted Himself to teaching the Twelve how to continue the ministry that the Father had entrusted to Him” (J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, 1991, p. 231).

B. Jesus then left Capernaum by boat seeking rest for Him and His disciples (Mark 6:30-31), but large crowds of people followed Him, what led to a great feeding miracle with an important lesson in ministry success.

C. We view this event in Scripture for our insight, application and edification (as follows):

II. Feeding Of The Five Thousand: Ministry Training, Matt. 14:13-21; Mk. 6:30-44; Lk. 9:7-9; Jn. 6:1-13.

A. The circumstances surrounding the feeding of the five thousand were marked by much human weakness:

1. Many people followed Jesus due to His healing miracles, John 6:1-2. Illness must have been a great problem in Israel since Christ’s healings meant so much to so many, revealing that under the Law, many of the people were living in sin and under God’s punishment in the form of illnesses, Deuteronomy 28:15-22.

2. Christ’s healing ministry was affecting so many people that He and His disciples hardly had time to eat, so they needed to rest and recuperate from ministry to so many very needy, motivated people, Mark 6:30-31.

3. When Jesus and His disciples quietly tried to take a boat across the Sea of Galilee to a destitute place to rest, many people saw them go and walked on foot along the shore to meet them, Mark 6:32.

4. Jesus felt compassion for these great crowds, so He taught them many things (Mark 6:34) until it was late in the day and the disciples asked Jesus to send the people away that they might go into the surrounding towns to buy food, Mark 6:35-36.

5. The Lord then asked His disciple Philip where they could buy food for this huge crowd, John 6:5. This was a test, for Jesus knew what He was about to do, John 6:6.

6. Philip replied that “a working man’s wage for eight months was needed to provide” the food (Mark 6:37), Ibid., p. 232. Peter’s brother Andrew said there was a boy present who had two small fishes and five barley loaves, the bread of poor people (Ibid., p. 233), but how could that feed so many people, John 6:8-9.

7. In addition to these physical signs of human weakness, Jesus’ disciples faced spiritual discouragement over the recent charge by Israel’s religious leaders that Christ was demon-possessed (cf. Matthew 12:24) and the recent execution of Israel’s godly, great prophet, John the Baptist (cf. Matthew 14:1-12).

B. Regardless of these weaknesses, Jesus demonstrated that He could empower His disciples to succeed in the ministry not by human might or power, but by God’s power, John 6:10-13:

1. Jesus told His disciples to make the men sit down, and since there was much spring grass there at Passover (John 6:4), they sat down, about five thousand men besides women and children (John 6:10c; Matt. 14:21).

2. Christ then took the loaves and fishes, gave thanks, broke them, and distributed them to the disciples who in turn gave them to the people, giving the people as much as they wanted to eat, John 6:11; Mark 6:41.

3. When the entire crowd had enough to eat, Jesus told His disciples to gather up the pieces of bread and fish that remained that nothing be wasted, and they collected twelve baskets of leftovers, John 6:12-13.

4. This collection of leftover fragments amounted to much more than the initial boy’s lunch with which Jesus began His miracle, for each disciple had a full basket of leftovers to carry around! It served as a testimony to the disciples of Christ’s power to make them succeed in ministry regardless of much human weakness!

Lesson: Amid the human weaknesses of sinful people afflicted with many illnesses, human weariness in Jesus and His disciples, the lack of money to buy food for the crowds, the poor boy’s two small fishes and five barley loaves, the discouragement of Jesus’ being treated as demon-possessed by Israel’s leaders and the recent beheading of John the Baptist, Jesus revealed to His disciples that He was able to use them to feed the needy crowds using the poor boy’s food they had, leaving each of His disciples a full basket of leftovers to encourage them in His might.

Application: (1) May we not let the human weakness of sin in the people to whom we minister, our own meager material resources and ministry discouragement issues keep us from thinking that God cannot greatly use us in ministry. (2) When aware of our human weakness, may we simply commit what we do have to the Lord that He might demonstrate His enormous grace and power regardless of our human weakness (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).