The feeding of the 5,000 has occupied my thoughts a great deal lately.
This is the only one of the many miracles of Jesus that is recorded in all four gospels.
Matthew's account is in chapter 14.
Mark records this in chapter 6.
Luke documents this in chapter 9.
Finally, John describes this miracle in chapter 6.
All four accounts are remarkably similar.
Jesus ministers to a very large crowd.
Feeling compassion for them, He heals their sick.
His followers then want to send them away so they can buy food for themselves.
Jesus surprises His followers and says to them, "You give them something to eat."
His followers protest and reply, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."
John's gospel states that these were barley loaves and belonged to a boy as did the two fish.
It is reasonable to assume that these loaves were probably more like buns and the two fish were not very large.
In other words, this was probably the boy's lunch and surely not enough to feed thousands of adults.
Jesus instructs His followers to bring the loaves and the fish to Him.
He then tells His followers to have the people sit down.
Before anything else happens, Jesus gives thanks!
He then distributes the food to the masses and all 5,000 eat their fill.
Jesus then instructs His followers to collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.
The leftovers are collected and fill twelve baskets.
This miracle must have made a great impression upon Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as each included it in his gospel.
In reflecting upon it, three things stand out in my mind.
The first is that before the multitude was fed, Jesus gave thanks.
The second is that Jesus initially told His followers, "You give them something to eat."
Everything we have belongs to God.
Whenever we give we are, in essence, giving back to God what already belongs to Him.
Jesus reminded His followers that the poor would always be among us.
John 12:8 (NET) - "For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me!"
This is still the case and the words of Jesus ring truer than ever.
"You give them something to eat."
When we do, we should first give thanks and remember that what we give belongs to God already.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NET) - Each of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver.
What is the third thing?
As abundant as His blessing was, He wanted none of it wasted.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, August 1, 2014.
I’All be back here on Friday, August 8, 2014
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Just As I Have Loved You
In the second half of Luke chapter 8, Jesus makes three individuals with three very different issues whole again in very quick succession.
Beginning in verse 27, we read of a man who was possessed by many demons.
This man wore no clothes and lived among the tombs away from people.
Luke tells us that this man was often chained and placed under guard.
But whenever the demons took hold of him he broke his bonds and was driven by them to deserted places.
The demons begged Jesus not to be sent into the abyss but rather into a herd of pigs.
Jesus granted this request and the demons entered the pigs.
The pigs immediately rushed into the lake and drowned.
As word had spread what Jesus had done, the people who lived nearby became so afraid of Jesus that they asked Him to leave.
When Jesus returned a large crowd was already on hand and a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus pleaded with Jesus to heal his twelve year old daughter.
As they departed the crowd pressed upon Jesus.
Among them was a woman who had suffered from a bleeding disease for twelve years.
She spent all she had on physicians but still had not been cured.
She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of His cloak and immediately her bleeding stopped.
Jesus stopped and asked who touched Him because He felt that power had gone out from Him.
The woman knew the truth would come out, so she fell before Jesus and in front of the entire throng of people explained why she did what she did and told Jesus that she had been healed on the spot.
Jesus reminded her that her faith made her well and told her to go in peace.
As this was going on, someone from the house of Jairus arrived and informed Jairus that his daughter had died and that there was no longer any need to trouble Jesus.
Jesus told Jairus not to be afraid; he had only to believe.
When they arrived at the house, mourners had already gathered and were wailing and mourning.
Jesus told them to stop weeping as the girl was not dead but asleep.
At this, the mourners began laughing at Him.
Jesus went into the house, gently took the girl by the hand and said, "Child, get up."
Her spirit returned to her and she got up.
Three distinct miracles.
Three very different people relieved by Jesus from very different issues ranging from possession to illness to death.
There were also three distinct ways that people reacted.
In the case of the demon possessed man, people reacted to Jesus with fear.
In the case of the woman with the bleeding disease, physicians were willing to treat her as long as she had money to spend on them.
In the case of the daughter of Jairus, the mourners showed their true colors when they laughed at Jesus.
Despite the reactions of people, there is one thing that each of these miracles had in common.
Jesus treated each of those in need and He did so with love.
Treating others with love is precisely what he wants and expects from people like you and me.
This is especially true when it comes to those in need.
John 15:12 (NET) - My commandment is this - to love one another just as I have loved you.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 18, 2014.
I’ll be back here on Friday, July 25, 2014
Beginning in verse 27, we read of a man who was possessed by many demons.
This man wore no clothes and lived among the tombs away from people.
Luke tells us that this man was often chained and placed under guard.
But whenever the demons took hold of him he broke his bonds and was driven by them to deserted places.
The demons begged Jesus not to be sent into the abyss but rather into a herd of pigs.
Jesus granted this request and the demons entered the pigs.
The pigs immediately rushed into the lake and drowned.
As word had spread what Jesus had done, the people who lived nearby became so afraid of Jesus that they asked Him to leave.
When Jesus returned a large crowd was already on hand and a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus pleaded with Jesus to heal his twelve year old daughter.
As they departed the crowd pressed upon Jesus.
Among them was a woman who had suffered from a bleeding disease for twelve years.
She spent all she had on physicians but still had not been cured.
She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of His cloak and immediately her bleeding stopped.
Jesus stopped and asked who touched Him because He felt that power had gone out from Him.
The woman knew the truth would come out, so she fell before Jesus and in front of the entire throng of people explained why she did what she did and told Jesus that she had been healed on the spot.
Jesus reminded her that her faith made her well and told her to go in peace.
As this was going on, someone from the house of Jairus arrived and informed Jairus that his daughter had died and that there was no longer any need to trouble Jesus.
Jesus told Jairus not to be afraid; he had only to believe.
When they arrived at the house, mourners had already gathered and were wailing and mourning.
Jesus told them to stop weeping as the girl was not dead but asleep.
At this, the mourners began laughing at Him.
Jesus went into the house, gently took the girl by the hand and said, "Child, get up."
Her spirit returned to her and she got up.
Three distinct miracles.
Three very different people relieved by Jesus from very different issues ranging from possession to illness to death.
There were also three distinct ways that people reacted.
In the case of the demon possessed man, people reacted to Jesus with fear.
In the case of the woman with the bleeding disease, physicians were willing to treat her as long as she had money to spend on them.
In the case of the daughter of Jairus, the mourners showed their true colors when they laughed at Jesus.
Despite the reactions of people, there is one thing that each of these miracles had in common.
Jesus treated each of those in need and He did so with love.
Treating others with love is precisely what he wants and expects from people like you and me.
This is especially true when it comes to those in need.
John 15:12 (NET) - My commandment is this - to love one another just as I have loved you.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 18, 2014.
I’ll be back here on Friday, July 25, 2014
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