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by Charlie Wolcott

There is one miracle Jesus did that is recorded in all four Gospels: the feeding of the 5000. I will focus on John’s account here. Each biographer emphasized some details over others, but they all emphasized one thing: a massive crowd of 5000+ men, not including women and children, which likely would have made the crowd upwards of 20,000. Jesus taught them, had compassion on them, and fed them. But then John’s account takes it further. The crowd followed Jesus for a large discourse afterward, and Jesus didn’t give them another bite. He instead told them to stop seeking physical food that would make them hungry again but to seek Him for eternal bread, which the manna of the wilderness was a picture of. As a result, the whole crowd quit following Him, and that ended Jesus’ ministry in the upper parts of Galilee. So what is the deal here, and what was Jesus thinking?

If we know our Biblical history, this crowd was already prepared for Jesus because this was the same region where Jesus healed the demoniac who lived among the tombs and then told him to go tell everyone what Jesus did for him. So when Jesus showed up again, word spread very quickly in the whole region, and this massive crowd gathered around Him. Jesus saw all these people, who were like lost sheep with no shepherd, and He longed that they might be saved. After teaching them, it became clear that there was no food, and it was now becoming a distraction from the teachings. So Jesus, in His compassion, fed them. He only had enough to feed a couple of people at best, but it was enough. Jesus multiplied the food that was enough for maybe two people and fed 20,000 people with plenty of leftovers: twelve baskets full, which would have lasted each disciple a good week or more.

I personally have seen a similar miracle take place on more than one occasion, having grown up on the mission field. It’s always awesome to see. One time in March 2010 stands out the most because I recognized it happening while it was happening. We were at a children’s home on the far outskirts of Juarez, Mexico, and we brought a sloppy joe meal for them: 40 people, including kids, staff, and our team. We had the meat mix for 40, 40 buns, 40 apples, canned corn for 40, 40 plates, 40 napkins, 40 forks, and our standard team “snack box.” We didn’t know that during lunchtime, the community around them came by also, especially noticing that Americans were there. We ended up with double the number of people that we had food for. We chose to feed the people full servings, and our team would sacrifice, just eating from our snack box if necessary. But we just kept serving and serving, and I noticed that more people had gone through the lines than we had food for, and we were like, “God’s doing His thing again.” We were about 10+ miles from the nearest store where we could get any food, not to mention that you can’t just buy our sloppy joe mix, as we had it in our pots. No one left to get more. But in the end, we served over 75 people, served them seconds, and had leftovers.

There were other times when the last bite went to the last person. Back when I was too young and unobservant, my mom described this miracle happening with eyeglasses – every person got their exact prescription down to the last box. So yes, these miracles still happen, and no, we know better than to put God to the test. It only happened when we planned properly, and the crowds were still way above what we could expect. God did not let them go hungry.

Jesus filled that crowd till they were full and then dismissed them. However, the crowd noticed this was going on, too, and they chased Jesus so they could get another meal out of Him. But Jesus put His foot down. He didn’t give them another bite. Jesus was not going to be anyone’s welfare system, a genie that makes food appear at convenience. He did have compassion on them, but He was not going to give anyone a free ride. This miraculous feeding had a much bigger purpose: it’s not what Jesus has to offer that sustains us; it is Jesus Himself that sustains us.

Let’s not forget the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus knows our physical needs. He did not at all dismiss them, but He had a priority: to seek the Lord and to see His Kingdom first and foremost. When we do that, all “these things” – food, water, clothing, shelter – will be provided. They may not be in the form we like, but they will be provided. This is what Jesus was seeking to do with this crowd. He didn’t want them dependent upon Him for handouts. He wanted them dependent upon Him for literally everything. To walk as He walked. To talk as He talked. To love as He loved. To hate as He hated. To think as He thought. And to be obedient to the Father as He was obedient. He wanted these people to make Him the very source and sustenance for every aspect of life. And that was too much for them, so they left.

Then Jesus did a strange thing: He turned to His disciples and asked them if they wanted to go, too. Jesus wasn’t looking for fans. He wasn’t looking for popularity. He was only looking for those who would be dedicated through thick and thin. Jesus took solace in the fact that those who would follow Him would be those the Father selected. And while it grieved Him that so many would perish, He did not let His emotions control Him. He let the Father’s will control Him. So must we in our lives.

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