Feeding the Five Thousand

Welcome to day 61.  Today’s reading is Luke 9:1  – 9:36

Read the Bible passage here or listen to the audio file below.

Listen to the audio of Winkie Pratney’s reflection on Rhema’s site.

From youth communicator Winkie Pratney…

It is always challenging to feed a large crowd, difficult if you didn’t ask them to come; unthinkable if you hadn’t prepared for mass provision. But it is surely impossible if all you have on hand is five loaves and two fishes and those who turn up hungry are not just hundreds but five thousand men with women and children.

Jesus called the twelve together to take on such impossible tasks for the Kingdom. You can imagine what it was like to hear what He says to them; “Now its your turn. I give you power and authority; you can deal with demons and heal diseases; now, out you go and tell the world what heaven is like.”

Yeah, right. Oh by the way, He adds: “You don’t need almost anything for the trip. You won’t need a staff, a bag, bread, money or even two shirts. Go to cities, hang out in houses that will have you till you leave, and if they don’t want you or listen, shake off their dust for a testimony.”

Yeah, right. The funny thing was they actually did what He said and really did go out how He told them to. What happened then began to rock their world.

It shook up things so powerfully that even rulers began to rethink how they had lived and how they had treated previous Jesus representatives.

And then came the lunch.

Five thousand families. Twelve disciples. Five loaves, two fishes.

“You feed them” Jesus said. Yeah, right.

But you remember what He said when He first sent you out. It didn’t fit your framework or your feelings then either, but you did what He told you and you got to watch what happened. Groups of fifty. Everyone sit down. Then He takes the bread and fishes, looks up to heaven, blesses and breaks them and gives it to them to pass it on to the crowd. Again. And again. And again.

They all ate and were full, and there was still left over twelve basketfuls.

God seems prodigal in His provision but wastes nothing in His giving. He can do more than you can imagine, but you will not lose anything you surrender.

Winkie

Filed under: Week 13 - Winkie Pratney