A Complete Meal

Mark 6:40-44 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
 
JESUS feeds 5,000 man, and may believe there were an additional 5 - 7,000 women and children. As we pray for people needs, we find hope in God’s goodness to feed his people.
   Yes, you’ve probably read and heard this story often. In a like manner, you’ve also heard, “Jesus saves.” Do you see how this magnificent miracle of “Jesus feeds the 5,000” is the perfect picture of the miraculous “Jesus saves”?
   On that day thousands had come to hear Jesus teach the true word of God. They were hungry to know: Is the Messiah here? As Jesus taught, the Living Word began to fill them as he promised: Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. A nourishing meal to the stomach is life to the body. The righteous word to the soul is life eternal.
   We need regular meals, don’t we? One meal of even the best food cannot sustain us for very long. This is also true of God’s teachings. A strong spiritual life requires regular meals of God’s life-giving and life-sustaining words. That’s why we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus teaches us to pray for our daily food. And he teaches us to pray for his life- giving truth.
   John 6 tells us more of Jesus’ teachings about two days after this miracle. Jesus was debating the Pharisees and teaching a large gathering of disciples – more than the chosen 12. To emphasize to the Jews he is the Bread of Life (John 6:35), Jesus spoke this very radical announcement: John 6:51 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
   Then he added, “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:57-58a) The Jews and disciples were astonished, and many left him because they could not understand. Jesus urged them to look past the daily bread to know they needed eternal bread; they needed him: John 6:63 “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life.”
   We know the physical eating will end one day. As we are persistent to eat food each day, we must be as hungry for God’s Word. In Jesus Christ this is eternal life. Eat the Bread of Life and live.