Go Feed Them

What does it take to feed 5,000 people?

Can you imagine being on the hillside and listening to Jesus teaching, and then being witness to the feeding of the 5,000? This moment in Biblical history was certainly a surprise to the disciples and those following Jesus.

“So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so His disciples came to Him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’” (Mark 6:32-37a)

After the instruction from Jesus to His disciples to feed the people that day, the disciples began to complain. “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” (Mark 6:37b) This reaction reminds me of our weakness when we see life through the lens of our human limitations. Jesus was bringing heaven to earth and truly leading His disciples to have faith for the supernatural.

Personally, I have been challenged to accept an attitude of having a forward looking faith for daily circumstances. I landed in Phoenix, Arizona, to host a Laugh All Night comedy event benefiting New Missions that evening at a church in Arizona City. This small church surprised me. Ninety-four people filled the room to enjoy a night of clean comedy and raise funds to help students at New Missions. The miracle for me was seeing people donate generously who I thought might not have much to give. One man came up to the table and told me his story of previously being homeless and getting his life back on track, and wanting to help someone else now. My heart was blown away by how big God was in this man’s life. I struggle with the fight against the realities of life and surrendering to the power of heaven. Yet, I choose faith today and God’s supernatural ability to reshape the fabric of my life and see Him at work.

This miracle of feeding the 5,000 is one of my favorite historical accounts of the life of Jesus from the Bible. I have been up close to people who are hungry both physically and spiritually. Jesus wanted His disciples to go feed them so they could then see God at work with their faithfulness. Recently, I was talking with my friend, Scott Humston, whose dad was also a pastor. We both reflected on our fathers’ lives of serving others. Then Scott told me how his dad would often say, “The miracle of feeding others starts with sharing what we have.” Today, what do you have to share? Can you break off a piece and give it away? Together, may we accept the challenge to go feed them and see God do something supernatural.  ~Tim DeTellis