As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

The feeding of the 5,000 was more like 10,000 to 20,000, because it was just the men who were counted that day. What an incredible miracle! Not only did he feed so many people, but these people had all they wanted.

In modern day terms, this would be like feeding half of an average college football stadium. As I attend games sometimes, I would estimate there are about 500 to 600 food service workers serving all of the guests at the stadium. My mind instantly jumps to a question: How did the food multiply? Did it just grow out the back end of the broken loaf as they were being distributed? Did the fish reproduce? It is sometimes comical to observe when an all-powerful God decides to defy nature.

Alongside the miracle, we see some really cool developments:

1. The disciples developed a care for the people akin to the care that Jesus had. They loved them and wanted to make sure they did not go hungry. It is a sort of “field hospitality”.
2. Jesus saw their care and upped them one. He challenged them to do something beyond themselves. To source food out of thin air. He wanted them to think of solutions to problems with eyes bigger than their capabilities. With the Son of God as their Rabbi, anything was possible. Do I problem-solve with Jesus and his power to save, restore, heal, and provide in mind?
3. Then Jesus modeled for them how to ask God for the impossible. He prayed in faith, knowing God’s will.  This meant he also prayed in advance to God too. The strength of the relationship to God is more important than the words we speak or the oratory skill in which we speak them.

Left overs too? Yes, when God decides to make a statement, he typically does it bigger and better than we can imagine, and with leftovers. I think of how Elijah prayed that God would send fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice. Not only did he do this, he consumed the altar and dried up all the water that Elijah had poured on it.

Lord, you are wonderful and amazing in the ways you lead. You love it when we care about others' needs, like the disciples did here. You also stretch our faith into the realm of the seemingly impossible. And you fill us up and provide to overflowing! Thank you for the mind-blowing and powerful ways you show up!