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FIVE THOUSAND




 

Of all the miracles performed by Jesus, only one (other than His own resurrection) is recorded by all four of the Gospel-writers. That miracle has been called “The Feeding of the Five Thousand.”

 

This most-magnificent miracle occurred on a grassy hillside outside a village called “Bethsaida” (Luke 9:10). Jesus had led His disciples away from the busy-ness of business to a “remote place” (Mark 6:32) to get some much-needed rest, but crowds of needy people “ran on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them” (Mark 6:33).

 

When Jesus saw them, He “had compassion on them, and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14) for “they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). Jesus saw their needs. He understood their worries. He recognized their pain.

 

The disciples had a different idea. “Send the crowds away” (Matthew 15:15). “Send them away” (Mark 6:36). “Send the crowd away, so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here” (Luke 9:12).

 

While Jesus cared, Peter and the other disciples said, “get lost … take care of yourselves … buy your own lunch … give us some peace and quiet … don’t bother us!” “Send them away!”

 

“ ‘They don’t need to go away,’ Jesus told them. ‘You give them something to eat’ ” 

(Matthew 14:16).

 

You know the story. Jesus multiplied a little boy’s lunch to miraculously provide for the multitude. When five thousand men and their families were well-fed, the disciples “filled twelve baskets” (John 6:13) of the left-over bread and fish. It’s no wonder that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each recorded the story.

 

Our God rained bread from Heaven in the wilderness and multiplied the bread and fish at Bethsaida! And, our God still sees the sheep without a shepherd and invites us to “give them something to eat.”

 

What’s our response?

 

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).




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