You give them something to eat

Luke 9:10-17

Key Verse 9:13

He replied, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish--unless we go and buy food for all this crowd."

This passage teaches us how Jesus wants his disciples to feed His flock. Notice that it is a must for them to feed Jesus' flock. The question is how. Jesus taught the way here. 

Read Psalms 103:7 

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

1. Think about the problem the disciples saw and the solution they suggested to Jesus in verses 10-12. Compare the disciples' solution with Jesus' reply in verse 13a, "You give them something to eat."   Jesus was the one who ended up feeding the crowd. Yet, why do you think Jesus said, "You give them something to eat"? 

 

** He said this to teach that they were not regular people but the disciples of "Jesus", meaning that they have a master who is different than all other "masters". Jesus is the true master of masters. He is the Creator God. Jesus wants them to know who He is and how much he can do. When one opens his eyes to see who Jesus is and how much he can do, all of a sudden, that person can be used by God greatly, especially in meeting the need God's flock has. 

2. How did the disciples respond to Jesus' words, "You give them something to eat"? (13b) What does their answer show us about their understanding of Jesus?

** 13b

** Most likely they misunderstood Jesus. They might have thought that Jesus was pressing them to do something without providing them with the means to do what they were asked to do. They did not understand that on their own there was not that much to do, so what they needed is to rely on Jesus' power to provide.

3. Consider what Jesus asked the disciples to do in verse 14 and what the disciples did in verse 15. What can we learn from: 1) Jesus; and 2) the disciples?

** Jesus is the God of order. He is also the God who makes an environment (or vessel, if you will) first and then pours his blessings in that vessel. This vessel (or environment) is called "faith". 

** The disciples obeyed Jesus' instruction without questioning further. 

4. Picture what Jesus did in verse 16. What do the following expressions indicate about the way Jesus feeds His flock?  

1) Taking the five loaves and two fish; 

2) looking up to heaven; 

3) he gave thanks; 

4) broke them; 

5) he gave them to the disciples; and

6) to set before the people.

** Taking the five...

This teaches us that Jesus wants us to bring what we have. This instruction teaches us God's wisdom that is to go and look for what God has already blessed us with, and work on it as the "capital" to build a fortune. For example, even a woman as handicapped as Fanny J. Crosby was able to compose more than 8,000 songs of praise, and thereby rendered glory to God, all because she utilized what God had already provided her with.

** Looking up to heaven

This act teaches us to look up to God relying on God's power, asking for God's help on what he has already blessed us with. The wisdom here is that we serve the flock of God first by directing our prayer request to God for His help.

** He gave thanks

Thanksgiving is the best expression of faith, thanking and believing that God is always the good God who always fills the need we have. 

Notice that he thanked God "in advance" (of anything made physically visible). When nothing is visible, it is difficult to thank God. But faith sees what is not visible, for Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

** He broke them

Substantively this act (of breaking) represents his work of creation, demonstrating his power to create. 

But the Holy Spirit did not say "created" or "bubbled up" or "multiplied". Rather He simply uses the term 'broke'. The reason for this might be to teach us such wisdom as: 1) the love that shares what we have with others for the common good; 2) what is small is not small, but powerfully great, with greater potential than it might seem to have, etc. 

** He gave them to the disciples

This act also teaches us God's manifold wisdom. For example it teaches us:

1) the wisdom to feed the flock "through" the disciples, and thereby teach [faith in God's provision] not only the flock but the disciples first; and

2) the wisdom to bless his disciples first and then bless others through them, for God always first finds someone who is capable of bearing God's blessings (i.e., the capability to pass them onto others as much as intended by God), and through that person blesses many, so that the end result would be that among us there would always be servants of the Lord. 

** to set before the people.

Remember that God gives you this or that (or simply puts under your care either money such as car, house, talents, etc.) only to let you set his blessings before the people back. 

5. Verse 17 describes a miracle Jesus performed. What does this passage tell us about: 1) Jesus; and 2) the way Jesus wants his disciples to feed the flock? 

** Jesus is God who sufficiently meets the needs his children have. 

** The way is to feed in and through Jesus, the Lord. 

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