“You Feed Them.”

Dear Friends,
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand – Matthew 14:13-22 (NLT)

As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”
But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.
“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

If you want to get a picture of the heart of Jesus, you need only look at the story of the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus had just learned that his cousin and dear friend John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod. With a heavy heart, he had sought a place of solitude but was not given the opportunity to be alone.

Jesus could have turned the boat around and sought a better place to mourn, but he instead chose to step out of the boat. We see his compassion in the way he walked into the crowd and healed the sick. His pain was secondary to their pain.

Of course, Jesus could have made a cameo appearance, healed a few, and excused himself. But the crowd had come to hear him, and he wasn’t going to disappoint them.
It was evening when the disciples cautioned him that the crowd would be getting hungry. Perhaps he should send them away, so they could buy food for themselves.

The disciples were no doubt stunned when Jesus said, “You feed them.”
I can just imagine Jesus asking, “What do have we have we can share with them?” Jesus has the heart of a provider, and like all good providers, he found a way. “Five loaves and two fish — No problem!”

We also see Jesus’ heart of gratitude. He blessed the food, giving thanks to the Father for the abundance. We also learn from this story that God isn’t a God of minimums. Everyone ate their fill and there were plenty of leftovers.

Sometimes, when I read this story, I wonder what the disciples did with the leftovers. There is a group called Feeding America that knows what to do with leftovers. They gather groceries that have reached their sell-by date from local merchants and distribute them to local foodbanks. Supported by donors, the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks secures and distributes 4.3 billion meals each year through food pantries and meal programs throughout the United States and leads the nation to engage in the fight against hunger.

If you would like to support efforts to end hunger in America, a list of foodbanks that would appreciate donations or volunteers can be found at https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank

The Feeding America affiliate In Orange County, California is
SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF ORANGE COUNTY
8014 Marine Way
Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: 949.653.2900
Fax: 949.653.0700

If you or someone you know is in need, Saddleback Church has food pantries at its Southern California campuses. https://saddleback.com/connect/ministry/peace-center

Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ