City Life Starter

Written by Paul Lane

The Word

9 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.

Luke 9:1-2

¹⁰ On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. ¹¹ When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. ¹² Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” ¹³ But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴ For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ And they did so, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶ And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Luke 9:10-17 ESV

⁷ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ What then did you go out to see? A man [Why then did you go out? To see a man…] dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ What then did you go out to see? A prophet? [Why then did you go out? To see a prophet?] Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Matthew 11:7-9 ESV

Reflection

Is it not a little strange that Jesus says to his disciples, in verse 13, “You give them something to eat”?  I mean they are only men, so why should Jesus expect them to do a miracle here?  The answer is in verses 2 & 3 of this chapter.  This episode starts with Jesus giving his disciples the power to do miracles.  They are given power over demons and to cure diseases.  What’s even more remarkable is that they actually go out and use this power.

Jesus tells them to go and minister to people, but not to take anything extra to rely on, just in case.  So, they are instructed to completely rely on this newfound power.  I believe that Jesus wanted them to learn to have confidence in the gift He had just given them.  It is not until the training wheels are off that the child gains confidence in their ability to maintain balance on the bike.

So, when Jesus directs them to feed such a massive crowd, it seems to me that He is simply continuing the lesson.  So, lesson 1 is go and minister to the lost; and, lesson 2 is feed the hungry.  And in each lesson, they are to learn that what they have been given is sufficient for the task. 

Jesus continues the lesson by having the disciples manage the crowd, separating them into about one hundred groups of about fifty men.  Each group would probably have 200 people, once you count the women and children.  One hundred groups for the twelve disciples comes to about 8 groups per disciple, or 16 groups for each pair of disciples, assuming they maintained the buddy system when ministering.

Why bother with these numbers?  Well, it shows that this was a miracle that took some time and some work.  If each disciple spent 15 minutes with their 8 groups, that would be two hours ministering and passing out food.  Often when we hear the word miracle, we think that everything instantly happens, and it’s all neatly wrapped up with a bow.  But this miracle would have taken place as the result of some amount of physical labor.

Also, afterward, the disciples were directed to collect the broken pieces, which is like 12 people cleaning up after a professional basketball game.  The image you should have is of an empty stadium while 20,000 people are exiting from a game they won.  The echoes of their cheers ring out as the disciples take to the task of cleaning up the place.  Does this type of work appeal to you?  Note that Jesus tells us that “those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.”

Application

Are you looking for a miracle?  Are you willing to participate in the giving of a miracle?  Before you answer too quickly, take note that it will probably end with you doing a bunch of dirty work.  Are you OK with the idea that everyone will have a good time, and probably not help when the party is over?  You must learn to look past all of that.  Just as the disciples in this story, you must learn to glory in the miracle itself.  They picked up a basket for each disciple.  It is almost like Jesus was doing a card trick in which He arranges for each player to have a certain hand of cards. Come and join the enterprise, which is God’s kingdom.  Join in the work.  It may not always be flashy, but it is the most rewarding work you will ever do.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for Your goodness and for the grace You give me without limitation.  Lead me on to the good works You have for me, that I might bring glory to Your name.  Give me strength to endure hard times and the wisdom I need to act uprightly in all circumstances.  In Jesus’ name, amen.