Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
Open Your Bible
John 5:31-47, John 6:1-21, Numbers 11:21-23, 2 Kings 4:42-44
BY Melanie Rainer
When I read the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, the first thing I always think of is a Sunday School teacher reading the passage, then exclaiming, “But wait! There’s more!” like a television infomercial. “Did you catch that? The men numbered five thousand. There must have been triple or quadruple that when you add the women and children!”
To my Sunday School teacher, this information served to amplify the already stunning miracle, adding to our awe of Jesus. Feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish is impressive enough, but what if it were really fifteen or twenty thousand?
But for me, one of the best gifts of reading Scripture, especially familiar stories, isn’t these amplifications. It’s how new things rise to the top when we read and reread. In today’s reading, the parallel stories of Numbers 11 and John 6 stopped me in my tracks. I’ve read both of them dozens of times, heard them taught from my earliest Sunday School days, and yet, the way they mirror each other captivated me today. Scripture is such a sprawling web of connections and references and adjunct stories; beginning to untangle it never gets old.
In Numbers 11, the Israelites have fled from slavery in Egypt. But when they are alone in the desert, they have nothing. Nothing to eat, nothing to drink, no schedule or plan or anything. So they, naturally, begin to complain and ask Moses if there’s a plan. Moses presses the Lord for a response:
“But Moses replied, ‘I’m in the middle of a people with six hundred thousand foot soldiers, yet you say, “I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.” If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough?’” (Numbers 11:21–22).
Jesus and the disciples share a similar back-and-forth. Philip says, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little” (John 6:7). Then Jesus takes the five loaves and the two fish and feeds everyone, with abundant leftovers.
We often bring our own needs before God with the same doubt and scoffing as the Israelites and Philip. We ask for much with little faith. In these two stories, we see the Lord provide because our God is a God of abundance, not scarcity, He cares for us lavishly. He doesn’t offer the bare minimum, only what we need to survive. He provides “everything required for life and godliness” through the gift of Jesus (2Peter 1:3).
97 thoughts on "Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand"
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I completely agree with you! This is exactly what stopped me in my tracks with todays reading.
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So true for me too. Thanks for sharing this. I want to check the box. He wants to love me and fill me and I just seems hard to believe sometimes
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I was super convicted by John 5:39-40
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” I feel like I look at my Bible to avoid Jesus’s eyes. I think completing my studies will draw me closer to him when he just wants to talk. Oh Jesus, could it be that simple? I want to walk by faith, to trust you can make a way, and you’re good? I have no other better choice than to follow you, entrust my needs to your hands. God ignite in me a hunger for the person of Jesus, not just the word alone, which bears witness to Jesus himself. -
I was super convicted by39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. – John 5:39-40
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Yes, Gwineth! This verse challenged me too; I appreciate your comment putting that feeling into words. I’ve had many mornings where I do my “quiet time” but forgo praying to God. I want to be a person who is in constant prayer with the Lord and truly feel His presence with me at all times. This week I will be challenged to just sit with the Lord rather than worrying whether my study for the day is “complete.”
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today’s reading reminded me of an instagram post by @anthonygurrola that I think would be uplifting for you all to check out! the message on the post reads, “not enough is more than enough in the hands of Jesus.” so, so true. praying all is well, SHES! I got my booster shot yesterday and thankfully my only symptoms are a slight headache and exhaustion. nothing a little medicine and rest can’t fix :)
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I have a friend who is living by faith as they have been working to start a business for a few years now. She said every time they wonder, God provides a source of income, a check, a meal, a place to stay, a reminder. To know that God will exceed our request- to lavish us with his blessings is such a promise. I am not talking of riches and material blessings nor am I seeking them because God’s blessing are so much better than anything of this earth.
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Going through John has been so good for me. I’ve been out of the practice of reading the Bible and we moved over the summer and still haven’t found a church. I’m so thankful to read and reread about people who struggled even when they were in Jesus’ presence. My ability to stay focused is slim to none, but God is gracious (amen) and has met with me everyday whether through the reading, the devo or through your comments. I just wanted to say thanks for that.
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