When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
John 6:5
Today, we will examine the fourth sign from Jesus in the Book of John: the feeding of the Five Thousand. Most times when we read about this miracle, we simply see Jesus miraculously feeding five thousand people who were hungry, but it’s more than that. There are many lessons we can draw from this miracle. We will also look at the account of Mark as we go through this.
Have you ever tried planning for an event before, such as a wedding or a naming ceremony? Think about how the entire process went—one of the major concerns in every plan is always feeding so many people. In fact, feeding often takes up a large percentage of the funds for these events.
In 2019, during my National Service in Bauchi, a city in northern Nigeria, I organized a program for secondary school students. After a long time of wondering where the funds would come from, I decided to proceed by faith. I invited about 20 schools, expecting around twenty students from each, making it about 400 students in total. A week before the program, I hadn’t yet paid for the hall we were going to use. Mind you, I had booked the biggest hall in town, which could seat about a thousand people. The good thing was that I was surrounded by people who believed it was possible, just like I did. By the grace of God, the hall price was slashed by 75% just for my program. This was mind-blowing, but paying the remaining 25% was still a struggle. I hadn’t paid anything a week before the program. The easiest thing would have been to say, “No feeding; just direct all funds to the hall.” But I thought to myself, “I cannot bring in this many students with their teachers and not feed them.”
In the same way, and even more, Jesus had compassion for these people. Mark’s account (Mark 6:30-44) shows us that these people had followed Jesus on foot from a very long distance, even arriving ahead of Jesus, who traveled by boat. When Jesus saw them, He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, so He began teaching them many things (Mark 6:34).
One important thing that we must always remember is that Jesus is moved by whatever we feel. He is always compassionate toward us, and so we should be toward others. Jesus was not only concerned about giving these people spiritual food but also physical food because He knew how they felt. He is a compassionate God and is not unaware of what we go through. So, no matter what you are going through now, always remember that Jesus understands how you feel and is always willing to help. In the same way, He encourages us to be compassionate toward other people, not neglecting what they are going through.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me that you know how I feel. (Express how you feel to Jesus now; do not withhold anything from Him). Today, I cast all my worries, cares, and burdens on You because You care for me. Help me through these times and situations. Have mercy on me and show me Your compassion
