Feeding of the Five Thousand

Quite often of the Bible were compared to sheep wandering around aimlessly and when Jesus saw people acting like that.

It was an angry, he felt sorry for these people need a shepherd.

And so, in his compassion the good Shepherd looks at these human beings who are acting like sheep without a shepherd, and he will address their need immediately as we observe the chaos and confusion in our world today. We see the analogy of sheep without a shepherd going itself out in real time.

The way but there is hope. Jesus meets the needs of his people. Thanks for joining us for this boards the addition of Renewing Your Mind. Today we will watch and wonder as Jesus cares for the hunger of more than 5000 doctors explore in the 19th century we saw the development of a theology known as the religious, historical sometimes just the described as historical liberalism is a definite movement that was anti-supernatural from beginning to end its impact spilled over to the 20th century with neoliberalism and now into the 21st century with the advent of the so-called Jesus seminar under attack by this school was every narrative found in Scripture, particularly the New Testament that involved miracle or the supernatural. Because the tacit assumption of the critics was that there is no such thing as divine, supernatural intervention in history so they were left with this narrative, among others, and they took it upon themselves to explain how a more natural interpretation could be given to these texts that would not ask us to stretch our imagination to believe in miracle and some of these explanations range from the bizarre to the ridiculous. When I was growing up. The in Pittsburgh. Our minister taught us in high school that what happened here at the feeding of the 5000 was one of two things both explanations. The receipt from the religious historical school scholars.

The worst interpretation was this the Jesus had carefully prepared for this event by devious means of filling a cave near the Sea of Galilee, with a large number of foodstuffs stored there in that cave and Jesus had a flowing robe with loose sleeves, much as you might see on the attire of a magician and he had his disciples hidden in the cave behind him and they formed a bucket brigade passing loaves and fishes up through the back of his robe which he then distributed to this mass of humanity that was gathered there and so what happened was no miraculous intervention by God, but rather a hoax perpetrated by a fraudulent preacher that was one! Favorite one of my pastor was this that when Jesus finished his teaching that day. The people were tired they were hungry, and very few of them had thought forward enough to bring foodstuffs for their nourishment.

And so Jesus asked his disciples to go around and find out who had brought food and some of the people were prepared summit brought fish.

Someone brought Lowe's and so Jesus then address the multitude and said share what you have one with another, and so everyone was able to eat because those who brought food shared with those who did not and the true miracle that took place here was an ethical miracle. It was the miracle of human beings sharing their provisions. One with another. What one commentator in the 20th century said about these theories is that what they manifest simply as this is on belief. This is not what the text sets before us and were going to look and see indeed what the text declares me remind you that this takes place after the execution of John the Baptist which was sandwiched between the commissioning of the 12 to the villages around the Sea of Galilee in their first trial missionary journey were Jesus authorized them and empowered them to be involved in the ministry and then that narrative is interrupted by the story of the execution of John the Baptist. Now we come back to the text. The disciples have returned from their missionary outreach to the villages, there in the region and before we look at what happened. Let me just introduce this this morning by saying that we have consecutive accounts of dramatic feasts. The first was hosted by Herod Agrippa. The second feast was hosted by Jesus in the first feast, only the nobles and the elite of the territory were invited by invitation in the second feast. It was the moderates the people of the land. The commoners who gathered there on the plane to be fed through the provisions set forth by Jesus in the first feast. The food was prepared by gourmet chefs and the second feast it was prepared by the hand of the Messiah in the first face the entertainment was through body and exotic dancing in this feast. The first item of order was the exposition of the truth of God by the son of God. Finally, we note this difference within the feast hosted by Herod's highlight was the bloodied execution of a man of God, and in this feast we read now there were no executions, only compassion made manifest in the feeding miracle of Jesus, but with that contrasting view. Let's look briefly at the text, the disciples who were now apostles temporarily. Lisa came back and gathered to Jesus told him all about the journey they had done and he said to them, side by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while. I'm glad to hear what transpired on your mission but let's go away from the multitudes away from the crowds. Let's go back to a quiet place solitary place where we can be alone together and talk about the seas. This calls to mind the traditional situation that we find throughout the whole Bible where the traditional meeting place between God and his prophets, God and his people is in the wilderness, so Jesus is.

Let's get away from the cities away from the villages.

Let's go out and be alone just among ourselves with God and so as they try to find a solitary place. Mark tells us there were many coming and going, and the crowd was so great that the disciples didn't have time to eat and so they departed to a wilderness place in the boat by themselves.

Now if you look at this thereon. Probably the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, and they didn't get in the boat and go all the way across the sea 15 to 20 miles. As if that were the case, the crowds would never been able to make that distance in the short period of time and be waiting for Jesus and his disciples on the opposite shore.

Rather, it's much more likely that the boat was going along the shore either to the north or to the south. A short distance where they were just trying to find a quiet place, but this huge crowd that had been stirred up not only by the reputation of Jesus, but now as a disciples of God to each village in each city round about huge crowds came out of those places.

The follow after the disciples as well as Jesus so they see Jesus and the disciples get in the boat they see which direction are heading they could watch them from shore and so they're running as fast as they can on the ground to keep up with Jesus and the disciples so that when Jesus turns and the disciples turned the boat in toward shore and where the people knew they would come ashore. They beat them to it and so they ride before them came together in Jesus when he came out out of the boat saw this great multitude and was moved with compassion.

Parked there for to sick it wasn't frustrated. It wasn't annoyed because what he wanted to do had just been interrupted by what the mobs wanted him to do. They were concerned allow him privacy to go away and be alone with his disciples. They wanted him for themselves. And Jesus could've said no, no, no, you have to make an appointment.

I'm sorry I had to spend this time with my disciples and you folks are not invited, but instead Jesus is moved by compassion. The word that is used here in the Greek text for compassion is only used to describe Jesus and all of the New Testament.

This was a compassion that reached a level that was far deeper than human concern and human empathy for people in pain. But what is it that sparked this profound compassion in Jesus. He looked at this great multitude and he said that like sheep without a shepherd. That's what he saw.

He saw people running.

He saw people rushing he saw people determined to get to a certain point, but they had no idea why they were doing what they were doing. They were working aimlessly. They were moving without any real understood purpose. They were like sheep without a shepherd. Ever see a flock of sheep without a forget time items, playing golf, someplace in his herd of sheep came from the fields next door and started running all of the fairway interrupting the golf game. Nobody could we did know when they're going to go that go this way than the go that way one would turn in the other direction. The next group or follow them. They're all over the place blinded St. aimless sheep without a shepherd. And when Jesus saw people acting like that he wasn't angry. He felt sorry for these people need a shepherd. I love that image goes through all the Old Testament and all of the prophecies of the coming Messiah who will be a shepherd king who will be the good Shepherd who will be the one who lays down his life for his sheep.

And so, in his compassion the good Shepherd looks at these human beings who are acting like sheep without a shepherd, and he will address their need immediately so he began to teach them in of the primary office of the pastor in the New Testament church is to feed the sheep. Did you know that we live in a time where churches have become so weak because people demand that the pastor do everything but preach and teach but 95% of the labor of the pastor in the church is supposed to be preaching and teaching not called to be a counselor called to be an administrator but called to be a town leader with his mission is to feed the sheep and when Jesus made this commission later to Peter inside the same say when he said you love me you know I love you three times every time she is that if you love me, you feed your sheep if you love me. Jesus said you feed my sheep. This is not my congregation sitting out here this is his congregation. Now my sheep hear his and my job is to feed you and feed you with food will not make you sick food that will not poison you food that will nurture you the very word of God. And so what Jesus did when he has compassion on this people is he teaches them, which we might miss and the rest of the drama of the story and thinking while this feeding doesn't begin until later when he multiplies the fish of the love of all time.

Jesus is feeding these sheep with truth and with his word for begin to teach the many things and now the day was far spent, so the disciples come to Jesus and they said well this is a deserted place were outside the city now away from the villages some nice grassy plain. But it is deserted here and isolate send them away so they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread for they have nothing to eat. Jesus it's time to call a halt to this seminar is over, you need to send them away. So then going to the villages before it's too late for all stores are closed. So they get something to eat. Jesus said you feed I've been feeding them here all day. Now it's your turn. You feed them once again they're flabbergast them in their gases definitely flap when this when I hear this I say, how do you expect us to feed them. It would take 200 denarii. It would take a year's salary to buy enough bread to feed this mob whirling any of that kind of money we don't have that kind of money here because you heard that we can't do this, we don't have what's necessary to accomplish this task and I learned when I was a kid I can't. Never did anything except sit there and say won't allow us about all the obstacles that stand before our mission. That's what disciples we could do that whole year's salary.

What do you have see what you have, for they checked around my so we got loaves of bread, cuttlefish okay so I have you take what you have, let me bless it and will see what God does when you give them what you have. Was it would.

God does when you do what you can do you do what you can do you give what you can give and then get out of the way and watch God work.

I mean, obviously, this tax has great parallels with a similar miracle in the Old Testament in the wilderness when the people of Israel were so hungry they wanted to go back to Egypt.

They were so fed up with the manna that God had provided supernaturally. Remember God giving them bread every day in the form of manna I got sick of it. What is this Moses it's manna for breakfast manna for lunch manna for dinner. If we want have a midnight snack. It's manna.

We've had smoke manna baked manna broiled man manna soufflé.

We tried everything we can and it's now become loathsome to us as Olalla people say what take us back to Egypt. Remember the good days in Egypt. We had leaks to come versus glory onions, they forgot about the yoke that was around her neck. They forgot about the oppression of Pharaoh and all the ready to sell their citizenship in the kingdom of God for leaks and onions and garlic and so Moses goes to God and he said God by quit, get yourself another mediator on turning in my profits card right now that I give birth to this multitude.

All they do is complain and murmur and grumble. They can't wait to tell me the next thing I don't like about the program here and now their demanding me to eat with her going back God's is okay. They want me to eat I give the meat to eat for one day for five days. Not for 10 days to get them so much meat that it will come out their noses and that'll be loathsome to remember that Moses hears God sake on the freedom all and what's Moses. How in the work that how can you feed all these people are you going to kill all of our calls are going to dry up the scene from the fish so that this multitude can be fed until her satisfied in God being Jewish. Answer the question with a question when Moses said how are you going to do this. What the God say has the arm of the Lord waxed short, you forget who you're talking to Moses step back and watch and you will see if I will do what I said that I would so the disciples obey Jesus and they gave him the fish and the bread and he lifted his eyes to heaven, and he prayed a simple prayer.

Mark doesn't tell us the words that he prayed, but in all probability, he prayed the prayer that I would read to you, which was the common Jewish prayer for meals at that time wasn't how it goes. Praise be to you oh Lord our God, King of the world who makes bread to come forth from the earth and who provides for all that you have created.

It was a prayer praising the providence of God, we thank you Lord that you have provided for us, our daily bread. What we need. Beloved every commentator in the New Testament looks at the story. As I said is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels tells not only what Jesus did there, but it foreshadows the last supper. So far I've been feeding in a moment he will come and he will feed you from his own table. He will feed you the bread that comes down from heaven he will feed you by himself of himself out of his compassion for you. And when Jesus feeds his people when he's finished their baskets filled with extra provisions, because as he did that day on the plane every person's hunger satisfied when Jesus provides for us super abundant provision more than we could ever hope or imagine. Amazing. We listen to a message from Dr. RC Sproul today on Renewing Your Mind each Sunday were making our way. Verse by verse through the gospel of Mark. I hope you're able to join us each Sunday for the series but if you missed any of the messages along the way. Let me encourage you to request our resource offer. It's the RC's commentary on Mark's gospel. You'll be able to fill in what Dr. Spruill has already taught here in the program and it will be a great study as we continue the series in the coming weeks. It's nearly 400 pages and full of RC's insight requested with your gift of any amount to look at your ministries when you go to our website@renewingyourmind.org.

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What would you do if you were in the boat and saw Jesus walking on the water toward you will find out what the impulsive Peter did as we continue the sermon series next week on Renewing Your Mind.

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