8/3/25 Matt. 14:13-21 “Please, Pass the Bread and Fish!”

31 Jul 8/3/25 Matt. 14:13-21 “Please, Pass the Bread and Fish!”

8/3/25   Matt. 14:13-21       “Please, Pass the Bread and Fish!”

I think that it is always fun to look back on how things used to be when we were young.  One of the things that our school did was have a Letterman’s Ham Supper every year in February.  This went on for many years.  I think that I waited tables or some other job for 5 years.  It was fun but it was a lot of work.  You see, we served from 600-800 people every year.  This would be from 4 to 8 on a Saturday evening.  That is a lot of people to feed in a short time.  But it was fun.  I remember a buddy of mine helped me chop all the cabbage for the coleslaw one year.  You can imagine the amount of cabbage we needed for this.  Anyway, we were set up in a room where we could attach a hand grinder to a table.  Remember that this was in the 1960’s, so there were no electric coleslaw makers.  Of course, we had to cut the cabbage heads into smaller pieces so they would fit in the grinder.  Then we would finally take the pieces and feed them into the grinder.  We used wooden spoons to push the cabbage into the blades.  This worked pretty well.  The grinder was hand turned so we took turns turning the crank while the other person fed the blades.  This all went fine until my buddy said, “Oops!  I think I caught the spoon in the blades.”  Sure enough, there was a little chunk missing from the spoon.  We looked and looked but could not find all of the pieces.  Someone was extra lucky that night in that they got a little extra fiber in their salad.  Anyway, we served a lot of people in a short time but we did not have baskets of food left over.  We pretty much had nothing.  This makes me realize how special is this miracle that Jesus performed.  I’m sure you have heard this preached several times so let’s see if we can find something new here.

The following is a true story that happened in Michigan. In 1984, Mike and his family belonged to an East Coast church. One Sunday evening, the sermon was on sacrificial offerings, and a special offering was taken at the end of the sermon. The only money in Mike’s wallet was a $50 bill, which was supposed to buy a week’s worth of groceries for his wife, their five children, and himself. However, in a move of faith, Mike put the $50 bill in the offering. Then, after the conclusion of the service, the family went out to the parking lot to go home.

Within minutes, they joyfully returned to the sanctuary, and asked the pastor to come outside and see their miracle. Somewhat skeptical, the pastor accompanied them outside to their 20-year-old station wagon. Peering through the windows, he saw that the interior of the vehicle was completely filled with bags of groceries. Happy for the family, he remarked that someone had given them a huge blessing.

“You don’t understand, pastor,” Mike said. “Before service, I made sure that all the windows were rolled up and the doors were locked. I have the only key, so it must have been the Lord!” To which the pastor added, “Giving truly is the only key to God’s provision!”  I have heard of other true stories like this.  This is how Jesus works.

As we begin today, we find that Jesus is having the same problem that He has had before.  The crowds will not leave Him alone.  So, He withdraws on the lake to a quiet space for some rest but there will be no rest.  Somehow the crowds find Him and follow Him on land.  When He comes ashore, they are waiting for Him.  He was thwarted again.  It was a large crowd and He showed them compassion by healing their sick.

How many times do they tell us that something like this has happened?  Whenever it does happen, Jesus stops and heals the sick.  He serves the people.  I think that there are several reasons for this.  First of all, we are His people.  Jesus will stop and help His people no matter what is happening.  Plus, Jesus is trying to win people to follow Him so eventually they will join Him in heaven.  You can just fill in the blank here as to the reasons.  Jesus is very good to us and He will not leave us unattended.

How are you doing in the area of compassion?  Very few of us have the power to heal the sick but we do have the power to help the needy.  You can give rides to those that need transportation to the clinic.  None of us are rich but you can give some money to the needy that you see.  And believe me when I tell you that you have needy right in your community.  Help them!  You can volunteer to take care of kids after school or any time.  There are so many instances where people need compassion and we just drive on by.  Help someone.  You will feel a lot better if you do.

I always struggle with passages like this because Jesus already knows what He is going to do but the writers act like this is somehow new to Him.  He heals the sick and then the disciples try to send the rest away so they can get something to eat.  It is also hard for us to understand that there were no cafes or grocery stores in those days.  There really wasn’t anything close to it.  There would be some sort open markets that sold food but that probably was not way out in the countryside.  They probably would have to prepare the food they did buy if they could indeed find a market.  So physically they were really in a bind.  There was no food.

Today, we live in a land of plenty.  We usually do not have people starving in this country unless something really terrible has happened.  Unfortunately, bad things do happen.  Look at the Gaza Strip today.  They say that there are many people starving to death due to war.  What kind of war starves people, children to death.  Or look at northern Africa.  People have been starving there for many years.  Once again it is a religious war that causes this.  Here are two examples of how terrible war is.  In one place, the Muslims are causing all the problems and in the other it is the Jews and the Muslims.  Now I know this is a very simplistic look at this.  My point being, why do we have to starve women and children to win a war?  I have said this many times in the past.  Humankind has not changed much over the centuries.  I don’t think we are any better emotionally than we were 2000 years ago.  We still love to have wars.  Only our weapons have gotten far bigger and better than ever before.

So that brings us to spiritual starvation.  This is just a classic example of spiritual lostness.   Where do you think 5000 people originated?  Plus, there had to be 5000 more women and children.  They were not in Jerusalem.  They were in the countryside somewhere near the lake.  This is enough people to make a city!  Yet they are out in the country.  Something strange is going on here.

These poor people were gathered because they were starving spiritually.  We read about all the corrupt practices at the Temple.  They were cheating people as they sold sacrifices.  The church authorities could have really care less about the common person.  They had no way to be in touch with God so they were frustrated.  When you see a gathering like this in the country 2000 years ago, you had better believe that something was wrong.

Jesus was their only hope.  Many had seen some of the miracles He had done.  Many had experienced they healings that had taken place.  But I think that they all had heard about this man who was not really a man but God Himself.  These people were a little primitive but that did not mean that they lived in a vacuum.  They heard and they knew.  They were completely out of options and Jesus was all that they had left.  How many people do you know who are down so far that all they have left is Jesus?

I think that we do many of the same things today for exactly the same reasons.  You hear about riots all over the country.  Many of these are for false reasons but others are not.  What choices do we have?  We have let out political parties become our Pharisees.  They are about as crooked as you will ever find.  They steal our taxpayer money.  Our justice system is only for those who are in control of the government.  Our churches have become places where anything goes.  Many churches have thrown out the Bible and replaced it with their own feel-good theology.  It is a crying shame.  What all this means is that we are very lost just like these ancients.  We are lost and we are looking for a way out of the mess we find ourselves.  Fortunately, there is one way out and that is through Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, many people would rather do anything than follow Jesus.  But fear not, Jesus will win.  I spoke at another church this past week and they were so happy that I invited people to know Jesus.  They had not heard this for awhile and they wanted to hear it more.

Anyway, we have 5000 lost people who have been listening to Jesus and now at the end of the day, they are becoming hungry.  There was no food and no place to get food.  Now I would like to say something about this.  Contrary to what many believe, Jesus did not feed the 5000 people.  Jesus supplied the food and the disciples fed the 5000.  This will become very important to us.  Jesus first tells the disciples to tell the people to go and find food pretty much any way they can.  The disciples are pretty smart people and they realize that there is no food except for 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish that they had scrounged up.  This is not going to help.

I think that we also have many people like this.  They are lost and they don’t even know it.  They will try this and try that.  As I said, they would rather do anything than follow Jesus.  Hopefully, our churches are filled with people who are looking for Jesus.  Jesus is trying to tell them to go and find their way but remember that I am here.  Of course, they cannot hear so they will continue to hop from one place to another.

Jesus then tells them that they do not have to go away to find something to eat.  But the disciples say that there are only five loaves and two fish.  This will never be enough.  Jesus then calls for the fish and the bread.  Then He tells all the people to sit down on the grass.  Then He gave thanks for the food and broke the loaves.  This is like communion only with bread and fish.  He then gave them to the disciples and told them to give them to the people.  Jesus did the miracle of providing the food, but the disciples had to distribute the food.  Everyone ate until they were full.  The disciples then collected what was left.  There were 12 baskets of broken pieces left over.  The number was about 5000 men plus women and children.  This is another of the great miracles performed by Jesus.  I really cannot even imagine what it would have been like to be one of the disciples, to see this first hand.

So where does this leave us?  Everything that you have that is good has come from Jesus.  If you are thinking that you had something to do with getting any of these things, well then, think again.  He has fed you well and I hope you appreciate it.  He did not even have five loaves and two fish to begin with when He made the world, when He made the universe.  He made the universe from nothing.  God can do anything and that is just what He does.  He gives and gives and gives and when you think you have had enough, well, He just gives some more.

However, there is just one little catch.  In order for you to receive all these things, you first must accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Then you need to invite Him to live in your life.  If you don’t do this, then you will be forever on the short end of receiving all of these wonderful blessings from Jesus.  The 5000 people would not receive anything until the disciples brought the blessings to them, in this case the food.

The whole point of all this is that usually someone has to do something for the blessings to arrive.  If you want a healing blessing, usually you have to see a doctor.  If you want a monetary blessing, you usually have to work.  Generally, speaking someone has to do something before you get the blessing.

There was once a young couple who had been married for 60 years.  When asked about the longevity of their marriage, the man said.  “We would have never made it this far if my wife wasn’t who she is.  She is a Christian and with God, thus we have made it this far.”  It is the same way in our world.  You can go through life without Jesus, and we know many people like this, but your life will not be complete.  Things will be missing that others have.  And in the end, you will end up in a place where no one wants to be.  All your years living here on earth will be wasted.

Therefore, my friends, be like the disciples.  Pick up the bread and give it to others.  The worst-case scenario will be if they say no.  If they do, then go on to the next person with this holy bread.  You may find people who already have the bread and then you have a new friend.  But whatever you do, keep on passing out the bread and fish.  Someone’s eternal life may depend on what you do.  Jesus loves you and He will help you all He can.  So, ask Him.  You may be amazed. And thank you, Jesus, for first loving us.  Let’s pray.