There are two banquets mentioned in Mark chapter 6. One is a banquet of death and the other of life. One is a by Satan and the other by Jesus. You are ruled either by your stomach or by a higher food. Yet it is hard for anyone to listen to you if they are hungry. God does His work through people even though He doesn’t need us to do His work. In this story below he could have given each person a packed lunch. Notice the steps that Jesus follows in solving a problem

1. Defining our problem (vs. 30-34)

The disciples were tired out and they needed to rest. The success of Jesus’ ministry meant there were multitudes seeking his help. The 5,000 were men only so the total is more likely to have been 15,000 if you add women and small children. The disciples had just finished their first preaching tour. See John 6:5..

Problems are situations engineered by Go d to bring us face to face with our deficiencies so tat we might view His sufficiency as the only alternative. All too often we should have gone to God in the first place! How do we define the problem?

• Insufficient time (vs. 35) – It was late in the day.
• Inconvenient place (vs. 35) –  It was a deserted, isolated place. There is not much food in the desert!
• Inadequate resources (vs. 37) – See also Matthew 14:21. Jesus is asking the disciples to feed some 15,000 people! Even if they had the money this was not the time or place!

It is an impossible situation. All possibilities have been exhausted. There is no solution to this problem. However, Jesus knows what He is doing. God puts us through tests. God wants us to put Him on the first to do list instead of at the end. God is your most powerful resource – use Him!

2. Determining our possibilities

• The callous approach – Send them away! See Mark 6:36. This is the approach of those who do not want to take responsibility and want the problem to go away. The people who are physically hungry are also spiritually hungry – don’t send them away.
• The calculating approach – See Mark 6:37 and John 6:5-7. Philip knows the area and calculated that they can’t feed a total of approximately 15,000 people. He is a bean counter! The calculation did not add up. There was no human solution. Had they not seen what Jesus could do? They had forgotten already.
• The compassionate approach – See Mark 6:37 and Matthew 14:14. Jesus was moved with compassion. It comes from deep within. Jesus looks at crowds differently from most people. The first two approaches are heartless.

3. Discovering our potential

They got five loaves and two small fish. See John 6:8-9. It was from a little boy who had little food. Little is much with God. Notice that it was Andrew who brought people to Jesus all the time. This little boy had a packed lunch. How could it possibly feed around 15,000 people? They were barley loaves and sardine size fish. See Matthew 14:17-18.

Jesus had already changed water into wine and multiplied it. Their idea of God was too small. What is impossible for man, is possible with God.

4. Developing out plan

• Organising the people – See Mark 6:39-40. They sat on green grass. They were organised into groups in order for them to be fed. It makes the crowd manageable.
• Consecrates the plan – See Mark 6:41. Jesus gave thanks for food that He did not yet have to give out! Jesus saw it in His mind’s eye. What He had in His hand was not enough. Jesus knew that God would answer. He had faith in a big God. We are not to be double minded. We are to ask believing.
• Administered the programme – See Mark 6:41. Nothing has happened yet and the disciples are to hand out the food!
• Evaluating the process – See Mark 6:42. The people were satisfied although it doesn’t say how it happened! The basket was replenished each time gave out and then it stopped! Everyone had got what they needed. It was not for greed or what we want. The second thing was that the Saviour was glorified. See John 6:14. They knew Jesus was unique. The third thing was that the principle was magnified. See Mark 6:43-44. Those who give are given back more. The boy gave to Andrew who gave to Jesus who gave to the disciples who gave to the people. God makes little big.

Read John 6:35. Jesus is the bread of life. There is a hunger that is more important. It cannot be satisfied, except by Jesus. Spiritual hunger needs spiritual food. See Isaiah 55:1-2. Why spend money on things which cannot satisfy. There is no cost to the things that really feed you!

What problem does believing in Jesus solve for you?

Categories: John, Mark, Matthew