One of my favorite miracles that Jesus performed was the feeding of the five thousand. I think it is so cool how Jesus took the few loaves and fishes and fed so many with all those baskets full left over. Trying to picture how that went down in my mind stretches my imagination. How did He do it? Did He just keep breaking the loaves and it grow back? Did He just break it in half and start passing it out and as each person broke a piece off and passed it down did the loaves keep extending? And how did He do the fish? I can kind of see the bread but how do you break fish? Fish is flaky when cooked and I don't think Jesus was serving sushi. Besides the scripture doesn't mention anything about cubing or rolling the fish. I guess He could have made fish sandwiches but even that seems like it would take a lot time to prepare especially for five to as many as twenty thousand people. And you know that some where going to have seconds. The Bible does say that they had their fill.
This isn't the only time God performed this type of mass feeding miracle. Yes, there was another time Jesus fed three thousand. We also know that God fed the Israelites with manna and quail. But do you remember the time that God fed hundreds with only a few barley loaves through Elisha? You will find the account in 2 Kings 4. Jesus didn't just pull one out of his hat when He fed the five thousand. Of course what Jesus did was on a much grander scale, but the principle was the same. God took a few loaves and fed a mass of people.
In 2 Kings 4 there was a famine in the land. A farmer had brought the first of his harvest as an offering to God, giving it to the prophet Elisha. Seeing the need of the people, Elisha ordered that the loaves be given to the hungry mass. His servant freaked out. I'm sure he was thinking, "Do you know what will happen if I show up with a few loaves in front of that hungry mob? It will be pandemonium! People will be fighting over them. A riot could break out. You take them out there!" Obviously that's only my speculation. But being a keen observer of typical human behavior, I doubt that I am too far off.
Jesus was keenly aware of God's patterns throughout biblical history. He often quoted scripture to explain or challenge His listeners. I don't know if Jesus said anything to His followers that day reminding them of the time when Elisha fed the hungry masses, but I know it was in His mind. Jesus throughout His ministry demonstrated faith in God for His disciples based on the past actions of God portrayed in biblical history. It's a lesson for us. As we read and study and meditate on God's Word, we should look for and trust in His principles. If God could and would part the Red Sea and let His children cross on dry land in the past, why couldn't or wouldn't He today? Has God's power diminished? Is He weaker today than He was back then? Does He care less about people today than He did in Moses' or Elisha's or Jesus' day? Does He love us less today? Is He less interested in a relationship with us today than He was with those living in biblical times?
God, why do I have the tendency to minimize your power? Why do I often read the stories of your interaction with your people in the Bible and discount your involvement today? Where's my faith? Have I just brought you down to a philosophy of life? Do I even believe you're real? I want to see your power in my life! I want to have the faith of Elisha. I want to hear your voice. I want to be known as a man of God and not just a spouter a life philosophy. I want to see lives changed through your power. I want to see your miracles.
