I've been looking at John's account of feeding the 5000. This is the only miracle that is recorded by all four of the Gospel writers aside from Jesus' resurrection. Why is this miracle worth recording so thoroughly and by four different perspectives? I believe it is because the miracle illustrates God's amazing grace so perfectly.
Previously, in my posts, I looked at the feeding of the 4000 in 10/16/13's "Daily Bread" where I focused on Matthew 15:36 and God's provision. Also, in 12/20/13's "Slow Learners" in which I studied Mark 8:6 and reported about faith - or more accurately, lack of faith. This food stretching miracle is similar but it is not the same event.
Studying similar miracles Biblically recorded a total of 6 times really got me to thinking about God's desire for us to know and understand His message. It got me to digging for answers to my questions. It got me hungry for truth. Let's start with the passage that got my hunger pangs started this time.
"Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish." John 6:11
Just in case you're not familiar with the Bible's recordings of this miracle I'll fill you in.
A large crowd had gathered because "they saw the miraculous signs Jesus had performed on the sick" (John 6:2). It was getting late, they were in a remote place and the disciples wanted to send the people away to find food and shelter for themselves. Jesus had another plan, "he already had in mind what he was going to do." (John 6:6). He told the disciples to feed them. They objected because the task was too great (by human standards). The account is reported as a crowd of 5000, but scholars say that this number records only the men. Matthew's account tells "Besides women and children." (Matt. 14:21) which is believed to bring the actual total to 15,000 to 20,000 people!
The disciples, in obedience to their teacher, searched out "five barley loaves and two fish," (John 6:9) which they borrowed from a boys lunch. Jesus took the bread and the fish, gave thanks for the meal (or said grace), broke the bread, and gave it to His disciples to give to the crowd.
Not only did they have "as much as they wanted" (John 6:11), "they all ate and were satisfied" (Matt. 14:20) there were "twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish" left over (Mark 6:43). When God gives grace He exceeds our expectations "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" Ephesians 3:20. If only we'd willingly relinquish our hold on the blessings God has already given us (time, money, talents, etc.) and sacrifice them to Him, and in turn to His people, He'd transform these ordinary things into extraordinary things. Grace. Undeserved favor.
While studying this verse, I was reading a book by Lina Abujamra called "Stripped". It explains the sanctification process that God leads us through to be transformed into the person who is ready to receive all that God has planned for our lives of service to Him. She talks about God's grace revealed.
taken from chapter 9, p. 176
HOW GOD REVEALS HIS GRACE
One of my all-time favorite verses on grace is in 2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
The verse is pretty much all-inclusive. If you're Christ's follower and are wondering whether you're a candidate for grace, the answer is yes. If you're wondering if your situation is open to grace, the answer is yes. If you're wondering whether you can count on God's grace over and over again, the answer is yes, yes, and yes.
When it comes to grace, God always says yes. God offers us breadcrumb after breadcrumb of grace until we are so full we can hardly bear it.
Sound familiar? Breadcrumb after breadcrumb "as much as they wanted" (John 6:11) until "they all ate and were satisfied" (Matthew 14:20).
The reason we "say grace" is because it is by God's grace that we have food to eat in the first place. We give thanks to God for that grace. We don't deserve it, He gives it freely. When we know Him and recognize Him as "the giver of all grace, who has called you to share His eternal glory, through Christ" (1 Peter 5:10) He shows us the extraordinary things that come out of the ordinary things. I believe the truth revealed to me through this thanks passage is that God's grace is a gift that He is willing to share freely if only we are humble enough to recognize Him as the giver and thank Him for the gift.
"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b
No comments:
Post a Comment