Luke 9: 10-17
A Double “Sign”

by Gary DeLashmutt

Introduction

We come now to a well-known event in Jesus’ ministry. This is one of the few events that all four gospel authors record. Read 9:10-17. This is the so-called “feeding of the 5000.” It’s really more like the “feeding of the 15,000-20,000,” since there were 5000 adult males present.

It is clear from the text that this was a miracle. Those who call it a myth/legend must really call the eye-witnesses liars. Those who acknowledge it as historical but seek a non-miraculous explanation do violence to the text to preserve their naturalistic presuppositions.  Consider Barclay’s “explanation:”

“Some may find that (the miraculous explanation) hard to conceive of . . . If we can believe in the sheer miraculous character of this miracle, then let us continue to do so. But if we are puzzled, there (is another explanation) . . . It is scarcely to be thought that the crowd left on a nine-mile expedition without making any preparations at all. If there were pilgrims with them, they would certainly possess supplies for the way.  But it may be that none would produce what he had, for he selfishly—and very humanly—wished to keep it all for himself. It may be then that Jesus, with that rare smile of his, produced the little store that he and the disciples had; with sunny faith he thanked God for it and shared it out. Moved by his example, everyone who had anything did the same; and in the end there was enough, and more than enough, for all. It may be that this is a miracle in which the presence of Jesus turned a crowd of selfish men and women into a fellowship of sharers.  It may be that this story represents he biggest miracle of all—one which changed not loaves and fishes, but men and women.”[1]

But this is more than just a miracle. It is also a “sign”—a miracle designed to teach them and us certain spiritual truths about who Jesus is and how we are to relate to him. In this case, the miracle is actually a “double-sign.” It teaches one lesson to the multitudes, and another lesson to the disciples. Let’s start with the lesson to the multitudes, which is recorded in John 6 . . . 

The Lesson for the Multitudes

Jesus and the disciples returned to Capernaum that same evening. This is the next day—read Jn. 6:24-26.

Jesus is saying: “The reason you have hunted me down is not that you understood the spiritual significance of my miracle and want to learn more. The reason is that you are hungry and want another free lunch!”

This mentality concerns Jesus so much that he refuses to repeat this miracle. He will not be their MOBILE LUNCH-WAGON. Instead, he warns them about their outlook (read  6:27).

“Do not work for the food which perishes” is not a prohibition against holding a job in order to make a living (see 2 Thes. 3:12). To work for the food which perishes is a mentality, a life-style—looking for satisfaction through temporal things. Because we are spiritual beings, only God’s spiritual life will fill the void in our souls.  Everything else will leave us empty and disappointed.

“FOOD THAT PERISHES”: MONEY; POSSESSIONS; FAME; SENSUAL EXPERIENCES; ROMANCE; INTELLECTUAL ACHIEVEMENTS; CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT; RELIGIOUS DISCIPLINE

This “food” may appear to sate the hunger for a short while, but the hunger always returns. And if you live your whole life this way, you learn the hard way that each time the hunger returns it gets more depressing (summarize Eccles. 1,2; PASCAL & AUGUSTINE QUOTES).

God is pained by our “buying habits,” and calls out to us to consider a different investment: He wants to give us his eternal spiritual life through the Messiah.

Where do we get this life?  Read 6:33-35. What an amazing claim!  Jesus claims that he is the sole source of spiritual life for every person in the world! He claims that he alone is able to satisfy our spiritual hunger. What a polarizing claim (explain)!

How can Jesus claim this? Read 6:51. Because he alone is God-incarnate (“I am the living bread that came down from heaven . . . ”), and because he alone has died for our sins which separate us from God (“ . . . and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”).

How do we get this life? By believing in Jesus (6:35). But Jesus is aware that we can superficially believe in him, so he provides a striking image of what it means to believe in him (read 6:53-56). To “eat his flesh and drink his blood” has nothing to do with communion (context)—it means to personally receive his death for your sins and his spiritual life into your heart.

The previous day, when he miraculously provided bread for them, they could have believed that it was real bread—but unless they actually ate it and received its physical life into themselves, they would remain hungry. In the same way, you can believe that Jesus is the Son of God, Messiah, etc.—but unless you actually receive his forgiveness and Person into your heart, you will remain hungry. Have you done this? This is what Jesus wants you to learn from this “sign.”

The Lesson for the Disciples

But Jesus was teaching another lesson through this miracle—a lesson to his disciples and to those of us who have received the bread of life. We know this for several reasons:

He performs this miracle immediately after he started training them intensively (9:1-6). 

He also performed this miracle in a certain way (as we will see) that makes it clear that he was trying to teach them something through it.

And he expressed concern a short time later when their actions demonstrated that they hadn’t gained any insight from it (Mark 6:52). Let’s take a closer look at Luke 9 and see if we can understand that lesson . . . 

If we bear in mind that the multitudes’ hunger and his miraculous bread represent the world’s spiritual hunger and his spiritual life, clearly this event is designed to teach his disciples that they should be concerned for the world’s spiritual needs like Jesus is.

Read 9:12. Parallel passages suggest that the disciples’ request was motivated not so much by their concern for the people as by desire for some rest and recreation. Mark 6:31,32 says that this was why they were in this deserted place to begin with. They’re probably saying: “Get these people out of here so we can relax!”

But Jesus is moved by compassion for the people because of their needs. And his insistence on meeting those needs is designed to teach them and us that Jesus cares deeply about people’s spiritual needs—and he wants us to care about them, too.

Now notice how Jesus feeds the multitudes—read 9:13-16. He could have simply materialized food before each of them, or spoken into existence a great table or pile of food. Instead, he feeds them through his disciples. Jesus wants to feed a world of spiritually hungry people through us. This is what the Bible calls “ministry”—giving Christ’s spiritual life to other people. Having received his spiritual life, he wants us to give it to others.

This is an illustration of the biblical doctrine of human agency. God doesn't need you or me to do his work of inviting people to come to him and maturing them spiritually. I hope none of you are so arrogant as to think that you are indispensable. But the fact is that God has decided to meet human needs through willing human collaborators. And since he has decided to do it this way, your choice to cooperate with him in this matter is significant, having real impact on people and making a real difference. This is the supreme privilege of human existence: to work with God for the spiritual feeding of a of a hungry world!!

He wanted them to realize that they were unable to meet people’s spiritual needs by themselves, but that he would provide them with resources to do this. It’s not our ability that he wants—but our availability. If we present ourselves to Christ and acknowledge that we are inadequate in ourselves to serve, but that we are willing to serve his resources—he delights in working through us to bring people to himself and help them grow in him (read 2 Cor. 3:4-6a).

Imagine their frustration when he told them to feed the people!  Imagine their perplexity when he had them arrange the multitudes in groups of fifty! Imagine their amazement when he multiplied their meager resources into enough to feed everyone there! I can relate to this—not because Christ has fed 20,000 people fish sandwiches through me, but because I have experienced him working through me (in spite of my many sins and inadequacies) to feed other people the bread of life.  There is nothing as exciting as experiencing God empowering you, providing you with truth, opportunities, etc. to help people come to Christ and grow in him!

There is one more lesson. Read 9:17. How many baskets of food were left over? How many disciples were there? Do you think this was a coincidence?

“Baskets” is kophinos, which refers to small wicker baskets that Jews normally used to carry food when traveling so that they would not have to eat ceremonially unclean food.[2] It is very likely that these baskets were the disciples’ own lunch-baskets, which had already been emptied earlier in the day.

What’s the point? The point is that Jesus fills and replenishes us spiritually as we give his spiritual food to others. We find that as we step out in faith to meet others’ spiritual needs—sometimes in the midst of feeling very needy ourselves (as the disciples were)—Christ somehow fills us with his life in the process.  We receive more of the life of Christ by giving away to others what we have. This is why we refer to ministry as a means of growth. Read Jn. 4:32, 43; Isa. 58:10-11.

ELUSIVE BUTTERFLY: True happiness is not the goal—it is the byproduct of serving others for the sake of Christ.  Yes, Jesus has come to give us abundant life (Jn. 10:10)—but that abundant life is the sacrificial life, not the selfish life.

Am I saying that service alone is all you need to have a victorious Christian life? NO I AM NOT. You need to learn about and believe in God’s grace, you need his insight God about your problems, you need God's love expressed to you through others, and you need time for God to heal you. But I am saying that this willingness to sacrificially give to others is a non-optional component of your growth/healing that needs to be participated in all along the way. If you have the perspective "I'll serve others after I am healed/get my needs met," you are confused and you will be disappointed.  God wants to heal you and meet your needs while you cooperate with him in meeting the needs of others.

Footnotes

[1] William Barclay, The Gospel of John, Volume 1 (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975), p. 204.

[2] See Walter W. Wessel, Mark: The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Series, volume 8, Frank E. Gaebelein, ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), p. 674.  Lane confirms this, saying “They (kophinoi) were used to hold such items as a light lunch and general odds and ends.  They were so much a symbol of the Jew that Juvenal twice described him with reference to the cophinos: Satires iii. 14; vi. 542.”  He also suggests that the baskets were the 12 disciples’ own kophinoi.  William L. Lane, The Gospel According to Mark, The New  International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1974), p. 231.  Bock says, “Baskets like these varied in size, but one account speaks of a basket (kophinos) holding twenty rocks (they were used by the army to collect rocks).  In Jewish circles, the firstfruits of harvest were carried in such baskets (MM 357; Hort 1908-9).  Josephus humorously describes the Roman soldier’s equipment, among which was such a basket . . . Another possible meaning of kophinos is a large sack . . . The clear impression is that the needs of all were abundantly met.  Ellis (1974) suggests that the number twelve represents one basket for each disciple . . . ”  Darrel L. Bock, Luke, Volume 1: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), pp. 834,835.