CONNECTING POINT: Numbers That Don't Add Up

One of the couple extraordinary scenes in the New Testament includes the days when Jesus miraculously feeds thousands of people; two separate accounts occur, all of which are recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Numerous other miracles occurred as Jesus interacted with people. He defied normal logic yet was down-to-earth and practical. Let’s focus on Luke’s account…

“When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Late in the afternoon, the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging because we are in a remote place here.’ 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.’ (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, ‘Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” (Luke 9:10-17)

How in the world can five loaves of bread and two fish feed thousands of people? One word- Jesus! I wonder if someone like Matthew, he was the “numbers” guy, stood there in amazement and was confounded by what just had occurred.

The other miracles were compelling evidence of Christ’s power and authority, but taking a small lunch and feeding multitudes just added more uniqueness to the life and character of Jesus.

Here are two principles to remember:

One: Obedience to Christ is a benchmark of true discipleship. The scenario unfolding in the Bible is remarkable: people are very hungry, and they are gathered in a remote location, nowhere near the market. Naturally, the disciples suggest they instruct the crowds to disperse, but Jesus has bigger and better plans. Jesus, in essence, says, “Feed them,” so the disciples spread out and looked for available food. They came back with a small amount of bread and fish. This is when things started to get interesting; notice the disciples didn’t argue with Jesus or try to explain simple math to Him. They obeyed His directions and divided people into groups of fifty. Most scholars suggest that possibly 15,000 people were present, that’s 300 groups. The numbers just don’t add up, do they? Not so with Jesus.

Two: The “Simple Gospel” of Jesus and salvation also includes efforts to meet the practical needs of others. The subject of meeting felt needs vs real needs can, at times, create divisiveness in church circles. Feeding this large crowd is clearly a perfect example of God’s care for people. Many in the crowd that day would have easily understood it would have made sense for them to return to their homes to eat. I’m certain that far and few people gathered there were somehow operating with an entitlement mindset; they were hungry to see Jesus on a spiritual level.

What a powerful intersection of God’s love and truth in the middle of nowhere! The numbers didn’t make sense, but Jesus made all the difference.