Miracles - Hungry for Righteousness

The fourth miracle John wrote about was Jesus feeding the 5000, which corresponds to the fourth beatitude recorded by Matthew:

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Many of these people followed Jesus because they wanted good to happen. They were sick and injured, and they were looking for healing. They wanted their kids, spouses, parents, friends to be made well. What a good desire - to be made whole, for things to be made right.

I don't know how much healing went on, as it's not written down. But Jesus comes to the point where he supernaturally feeds all these people. He shows them all that he is indeed God.

Just for consideration: the fourth statement in the Lord's Prayer is "Give us our daily bread". Interesting to think about how all this fits together...

God, fill me me with these good things: kindness, compassion, forgiveness, love for others. 

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Thursdays | Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

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