Luke 9:11-17 - Jesus Feeds the Multitude

Before we look at Luke 9 and Jesus feeding the multitude, I again want to ask for your prayers as next week I will be leaving for a Southeast Asian country with a multitude of people (over 1 billion), that are desperately hungry for the Word of God and need to be feed! I will be spending time with a national leader there who works with over 600 plus pastors. It is my goal and prayer to connect each of these pastors to a prayer partner here in the states that will take him into their heart and regularly intercede on his behalf.   Would you be willing to join me in this great ministry of prayer so that the multitudes in this Asian country can be feed the Truth of God’s Word? Let me know by sending me an email at: [email protected] Also if you would like to financially support this great opportunity, please go to my website: https://www.pmiministries.org/ Under the donate button you will see a place there to do that! Thanks in advance for all your prayers and support!   Now in Luke 9:11-17, we see that our Lord was not the kind of person who could teach the Word and then say to hungry people, "Depart in peace, be ye warm and filled" (James 2:16). The disciples were only too eager to see the crowd leave (Luke 18:15; see Matt. 15:23). They had not yet caught the compassion of Christ and the burden He had for the multitudes, but one day they would.   When you combine all four accounts of this miracle (Matthew 14:16-21; Mark 6:33-44; Luke 9:11-17; John 6:5-14), you find that Jesus first asked Philip where they could buy enough bread to feed such a great crowd. It is possible that this crowd was around 15,000 plus people with the women and children. Jesus was only testing Philip, "for He Himself knew what He was intending to do" (John 6:6). In the crisis hours of life, when your resources are low and your responsibilities are great, it is good to remember that God already has the problem solved.   Jesus started with what they had, a few loaves and fishes that were generously donated by a lad found by Andrew (John 6:8-9). Did Andrew know the boy? Or did the boy offer his little lunch without being asked? Before we ask God to do the impossible, let's start with the possible and give Him what we have. And while we are at it, let's give thanks for mothers who give their sons something to give to Jesus.   The Lord looked up to heaven, the source of our daily bread (Matt. 6:11), gave thanks, and blessed the food; and then He multiplied the few loaves and fishes. Jesus was the "producer" and His disciples were the "distributors." The amazing thing is that everybody was served and satisfied, and there were twelve baskets of leftovers, one for each of the disciples. Jesus takes good care of His servants.   This miracle was more than an act of mercy for hungry people, though that was important. It was also a sign of our Lord's messiahship and an illustration of God's gracious provision for man's salvation. The next day, Jesus preached a sermon on "The Bread of Life" and urged the people to receive Him just as they had received the bread (John 6:22-59). But the people were more interested in their stomachs than their souls, and completely missed the spiritual impact of the miracle. Their desire was to make Jesus King so He could give them bread for the rest of their lives! (John 6:14-15)   After Jesus returned to heaven, the disciples must often have been encouraged by remembering this miracle. We can learn many lessons from this miracle ourselves. It teaches us to have compassion, to look on problems as opportunities for God to work, and to give Him all that we have and trust Him to meet the needs. If we do all we can, He will step in and do the rest. Corrie Ten Boom said, "Let God's promises shine on your problems”.   Today, that is good counsel for us too.   God bless!