"You Give them Something to Eat"

 

When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."

But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."

After Jesus learned that John the Baptist was beheaded, He departed to a deserted place by himself.  A multitude, however, discovered that he was leaving and followed him on foot.  The Lord, seeing the multitude, had compassion on them and healed their sick.  The works that Jesus did, testify that God the Father sent him into the world (John 5:20, John 5:36).

The Lord did not run or hide from the needy, because it was through his works in helping them, that his identity would be put on display so that men would believe.  These works were given to him by God the Father.

After healing the sick, Jesus' disciples came to him saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  The disciples had not yet understood that they were chosen by the Lord to go out into the world proclaiming the Kingdom of God, that others would come to know and believe in Jesus.

The Lord responded by saying, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  The disciples of Jesus needed a correction in their understanding of why Jesus came, and their role as his disciples.  The miracle of feeding five thousand was no mere coincidence, rather it was a work that was given to Christ by the Father to demonstrate to those around that he is the Christ so that they would believe in Him and follow Him.  Jesus was not trying to conceal his works or run from the needy; these opportunities were actually divinely purposed to reveal the glory and identity of Christ and to proclaim to the world as the only way to be reconciled with God and forgiven of Sin.

Jesus' disciples needed to understand, that as His disciples, they too were to go out into the world as the Lord did as light in the world, proclaiming the truth about Jesus as the only way to have eternal life, forgiveness of sin, and everlasting relationship with God.  It is a horrible reality that those without Christ will die in their sin and be condemned to Hell.  It is not fun to say, but it is true and our righteous acts offered to God as means of forgiveness are filthy rags.  Without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin and Jesus was the offering put forward by God to make a way for men to become right with him.  Christ's works revealed him to be God; likewise, the disciples' works were to reveal the identity of Jesus.

After his resurrection and ascension into heaven, Jesus' disciples would face many people in need; both of spiritual truth and earthly assistance.  They were not to avoid these encounters, rather, they were to understand that these encounters would be some of the means through which God would enable people to believe in Jesus.

"We are able, when he is with us, to meet any cases of want which may arise; we never need send the multitude away to be dealt with by the State, by the parish, or by hirelings." -- Charles Spurgeon.

This was true for them, and it is likewise true for those who are known by the Lord today.  God does not need us to save anybody, He is totally capable of doing it by himself; however, he has chosen to use those in Christ as his workmanship to do good works here on earth (Ephesians 2:10, 1 Corinthians 3:9).  We, as followers of Christ, must remember that our redemption not only includes forgiveness of sin and relationship with God, but also renewal of mind, and transformed lives to no longer live for ourselves but for the will of God (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Romans 6:4, 1 Peter 4:1-2).

"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." -- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

There is a purpose for the redeemed children of God here on earth, and that is to proclaim to the world, the kingdom of God -- Jesus, who came, suffered, and was raised on the third day in power, and now sits on the throne above all dominions and authorities.  Only through a relationship with Jesus, can a relationship with God be had.  Jesus is God and the exact expression of his character.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” -- John 13:20

The works that God has prepared for us, are for the purpose of bringing him glory in exalting Christ.  

"And we have such trust through Christ toward God.  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." -- 2 Corinthians 3:4-6

The Lord Jesus has commissioned his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and the end of the earth.  We know that we will face difficulty and that we will encounter many people who are in desperate situations and are very needy.  We must remember our Lord's words to the twelve, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  Our confidence is not in ourselves but in Christ toward God.  The kingdom of God and the work of God in salvation is that of power.  God alone has the ability to open someone's eyes to the glory of Jesus to understand and believe (John 6:44, Matthew 16:17, Matthew 11:25, Luke 11:34-36).

When we meet such individuals, we must take heed not to respond the way the twelve did and send them away to get help somewhere else, but remember that God has prepared similar works for us for the purpose of revealing Christ Jesus.  That is to say, we are not to expect somebody else in the world to help, but, knowing that God is able to make all grace abound toward us, that every spiritual blessing in the heavenly's is ours in Christ, that we have the Holy Spirit, and that he who has called us will also supply our need -- we will be enabled by the grace of God to handle the needy cases that are presented to us.  By the enabling of the Holy Spirit to live holy and blameless lives, the gospel truths that we share, fruitful works that we do, and our prayers are all preordained works prepared by God to reveal Christ.  He will be powerfully at work to open spiritual eyes and ears. 

Too often, God's people look internally to evaluate their fitness as ministers of the gospel and of the needs of people.  Our qualification for ministry is Christ in us!  We must walk by faith and not by sight, holding steadfast to the truth, which includes what God says about us.  If God has called us and promised to supply our needs, who are we to doubt and disbelieve what God has said?  He who did not spare His own Son, how will he not with him freely give us all things.  This is our confidence in ministry!  This is our confidence in going to the ends of the earth to proclaim the gospel, knowing that difficulty awaits!  Our confidence is in Christ, toward God who has and will make us sufficient as ministers of the Gospel.

"They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."