Reworked from posts 17/05/2020

He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. Job 5:9 (NIV)

I was not in the right frame of mind to put anything up for a while, and it is handy to blame it because of the disheartening Coronavirus pandemic that spread over more than 200 countries globally. Thankfully, before I sink into deeper procrastination, a short article of ‘ Being An Example of HIS Message’ was before me on the morning 10/03/2020.  A few days later, the ‘Feeding of the 5000 with 2-salted fishes and 5- loaves of bread,’ which was one of Jesus’ miracles that reported in all four Gospels (1) came to me. I thought a ‘miracle’ is what the world needs to end the pandemic, but how and when it ends, my thoughts would never be HIS thoughts. The key word of the story was ‘Feeding.’

Then Sunday came, Pastor Prince, in His usual 45-minute long sermon, I heard him mentioning of ‘the ‘feeding of the 5000’ (2). As it came from the pulpit so it must not be coincidental. And in the following two Sundays, I heard Pastor Prince talking the same story briefly again plus the miracle of turning water into fine wine at the wedding (John 2:1-12) in two of his sermons as well. God definitely wanted my attention through repetitions. Before I started taking the initiative to do anything, I had a nasty fall and injured myself severely. The evil one was predictably wicked. But my God shielded me from a concussion, except the ugly bruises on my face. 

Either for adult Bible studies or church Sunday school class for pre-schoolers, the ‘Feeding of the 5000’ is a familiar story for all Christians. People can find the narratives of this one-off miracle in four gospels in the New Testament of the Bible. It would help people what to expect from Jesus, the God of miracles. The event miracle unambiguously reported on how HE used 2-fishes and 5-loaves-of-bread to feed a multitude of 5000 people that they followed Him, on foot from cities into a remote place, where Jesus was at, and they stayed with Him till the time was late in the day and feeling hungry.

As Matthew  (matt 14:13-14), profiled Jesus’ emotional and physical need for a rest after healing many, and a place to pray alone in the time of mourning over the death of John the Baptist. So, that’s the ‘Why.’

Noted in Mark ( mk 6:32-33) that Jesus asked His disciples to take a boat ride with Him to a quiet place to get some rest; noted also, that some of the crowd outwent them and that’s the ‘How.‘

In (luke 9:10 kjv) , Luke gave the listed a solitary place near Bethsaida as the ‘Where.‘

In John (john 6:4 niv) reported the time that Passover, a feast of Jews was near’ that’s the ‘When.’

In (Luke 9:14), Luke, as a medical doctor, gave an account of ‘What’ Jesus said to HIS disciples, ‘‘Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each,” is it the distancing?

If one must pick one book on the event, to me that would be the book of John (john 6:1-14 summary). In open dialogues, John wrote how Jesus ingeniously asked Philip, one of His disciples, at first to verbalise a humanly impossible situation that’s to feed the 5000 with limited resources, in a remote place and was getting late during the day. Then, Jesus asked Andrew , Simon Peter’s brother, the other disciple to bring Him the two salted fish and five loaves of bread that belonged to a little boy to be His means to perform the miracle after HE looked up to Heaven, broke and distributed the bread, first to His disciples and to the crowd of 5000 people.

Although Jesus needed rest and time to be alone with the Father in prayer and mourning; HE was genuinely compassionate toward the crowd and seeing them as sheep without a shepherd. HE healed their sick and taught them things concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. The silver lining of this miracle was two folds. The salted fishes and loaves of bread, which a little boy would naturally bring along for food, to travel to a remote location with the multitude. In the end, the common food items become the supernatural means for Jesus to feed the 5000 men and woman miraculously.. The way Jesus broke and distributed bread to the group after HE looked upwards, akin to the Last Supper in the Upper Room with His disciples.

The entire process of the event would make memory bred into people’s souls when HE went up to Heaven. Most importantly, Jesus was at all times One with His Father, either in grief, prayers or in thanksgiving. Jesus used this extraordinary event to give a grounding in teaching His disciples and us that HE would never be constrained by ‘Time and Space.‘ We also learn, in Matthew 14:20 – ‘after they all ate and were full, and the disciples took up 12 basketfuls of broken pieces that were leftovers‘ that HIS provision would always exceed what people need because HE is the God who provides. 

Let’s turn to look at our current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists, doctors and researchers still don’t have comprehensive scientific knowledge on this vicious virus, from the first quarter of 2020 till as of now. It has infected millions of people globally that need healing. People need strength and comfort to face and mourn for the passing of their loved ones who died of the virus. The public health system, almost in all jurisdictions, are desperately in need of protective gears, ventilators, hospital beds, medical professionals, and Testing kits, not to mention the timely arrival of the safe vaccines or antibodies. Are we in a humanly impossible situation that needs for God’s mercy? Or how can we be still and know that HE is God (Psalms 46:10) who would tell us what to do so that we can live out from His message?

Habakkuk 2:3a ….KJV

…..Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

1.(Matthew 14–Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6–Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9–Luke 9:12-17; John 6–John 6:1-14). 2.https://www.josephprince.com/ncc-sermons