(Text and Audio)
Title: The 4000
Sometimes the most difficult passages to teach are the ones that are the most familiar to us. I know you are all very familiar with the account of the feeding of the 5000, and I have no desire to reinvent the wheel for you this morning, but I do think I may have a bit of a different perspective this morning that may offer us a fresh look and some new conclusions and convictions if the Lord so chooses to bless us this morning.
(read/pray)
1. The Parallel Study:
I want to start this morning considering the parallel accounts and what we can learn from them about this account:
Matthew 12:15 another example of Jesus withdrawing
Mark 6:32-44 Main parallel of the 5000, Mark records is right after the death of John the Baptist as well. (Mark 6:33) The multitudes were so enamored with Jesus that Mark records many of them ran on foot from the cities to arrive by foot before Jesus and his disciples arrived by boat. Jesus’ reaction is not frustration, but rather compassion for them. Mark also records that Jesus has the large group break into smaller ranks of hundreds and fifties to make the distribution of the food easier.
Luke 9:10-17 Main Luke parallel. Two distinctions come from the Luke account: First, the deserted place that Jesus and his disciples went to was near the city of Bethsaida. Second, Luke records that after everyone had eaten they gathered the scraps and the scraps alone filled 12 baskets.
Matthew 9:36 another example of Jesus being moved with compassion for the masses coming out to him.
Matthew 15:36 In the next chapter, when we read of a similar miracle, Jesus feeding the 4000, we see Jesus again blesses the food before distribution as well.
Matthew 26:26 Again, Jesus blesses the food before instituting the Lord’s Supper. (Also in Mark 6:41, 8:7, and Luke 24:30)
Romans 14:6 “He who eats, eats to the Lord, and gives thanks…”
- The Fathers and Husbands
v13: Jesus departs to be alone, most likely to mourn the news of the loss of his cousin and fellow prophet, John the Baptist. And, let’s be honest, that is what most of us want to do in the initial stages of mourning. We need some alone time, or maybe time with our closest friends and family. The last thing most of us want to do is invest our time with several thousand strangers.
Yet, this is exactly what Jesus does. He is not mad, frustrated, or even annoyed by the crowd following him. Instead he is so moved by their faithful and sacrificial gesture to just be with him, that he puts his personal mourning on hold and teaches them, and heals their sick.
Now, just a moment ago, I said that I think the masses followed Jesus both in faith, and sacrificially, anyone want to take a guess as to how I came to that conclusion?
Answer: The masses had to move quickly, or they risked losing Jesus. So they ran on foot to intercept him at the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They had to move so quickly that they did not have time to make provision for their meal that day.
I think two logical conclusions can be reached:
- They believed getting a chance to be with Jesus was more valuable than being hungry for food. That’s the sacrificial nature of their gesture.
- They believed that somehow, someway, Jesus would provide for them if they only followed him. That’s the faithful nature of their gesture.
And Jesus’ own reaction of compassion on them shows that he understood that as well. And remember, verse 21 reminds us that this number of 5000 was only counting the men. A very conservative estimate would be to say there were at least 10,000 people total, and probably closer to 15,000, including the women and children.
(Now, feeding 5000 from a few loaves and fish is miraculous anyway, I don’t think it really enhances the miracle to say they actually 15,000. The point is that this was a supernatural miracle.)
I think the more interesting note is that many of these 5000 men didn’t go alone, didn’t act sacrificially alone, in seeking after Jesus, but rather, they took their wives, and children, on this pilgrimage of sacrifice and faith, with expectant hearts.
I’d be willing to be, because I know most of you very well, that many of the men in this congregation would go to great sacrificial lengths to be in communion with Jesus. Many of us have already in our lives. We’ve sacrificed our reputations, we’ve sacrificed the ability to make more money, we’ve sacrificed our time to rest, or enjoy other activities to make our lives about the Risen Christ. And all that is to be commended, for sure.
But real men of Christ do even more than that. They sacrifice the reputations, money, and time of their wives and children as well. As leaders of their families they’ve said, “Let’s go. Let’s leave the comfort of our lives as they could be and live a life of sacrifice and faith to be with Jesus.”
They’ve forced their teenage children out of bed to get to church. They’ve encouraged their wives to re-prioritize what is truly important in day to activities, they’ve prayed, really prayed with their children.
And let me offer a word of encouragement to our husbands and fathers this morning: If you married a Godly woman, let me tell you something: That is EXACTLY why she loves you.