[Jesus told the apostles to feed the crowd, but they said there wasn’t enough food.] For there were about 5,000 men there.
Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.” So the people all sat down. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people.
Key Thought
For those of us who have read this story, we often miss a bizarre element because of our familiarity. Jesus went about his task in such an orderly and planned way. Then, right in the middle of executing his orderly plan, he interjected the miraculous. It is like the creation story in Genesis 1, told with order and precision. Then you look at what was really happening with this crowd of people, and it was simply miraculous beyond our understanding. We don’t often put the “bean counter” side of things in the same context as the “holy hand waver” side of things. We tend to segment people into the empirical, orderly, and predictable category OR the emotional, expressive, and excitable sort. However, the Lord brought both together with a prayer of blessing to provide a picnic for over 5,000. This story is a powerful reminder of our need for both types of approaches and both types of people. It is also an even more powerful reminder that we need to be open to both approaches in the same event or group and respectful of both. God brings order out of chaos and provides his blessing out of potential disaster, and he does it in an orderly and miraculous way.
Today’s Prayer
Thank you, dear God, for being bigger than my stereotypes. Thank you for calling me to be more than just my preferences. Thank you for bringing order out of chaos. Thank you for doing what defies our understanding. Thank you for being Sovereign and gracious. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Romans 12:6-81 Corinthians 12:12-21Ephesians 4:16Ⓒ 1996-2023 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.