Listen here.

Matthew 14:13-21

¹³ Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁵ Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” ¹⁶ But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” ¹⁷ They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” ¹⁸ And he said, “Bring them here to me.” ¹⁹ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ²¹ And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jesus comes to that desolate place to withdraw. He had just received word that John the Baptizer had been beheaded. He wanted some time away to rest, but the crowd didn’t let this happen. Jesus had healed every cripple, cleansed every leper, and raised every corpse He met, so it was inevitable that people would constantly flock to Him.

Tired as He is, Jesus doesn’t ignore them. He doesn’t tell them to go away. He doesn’t complain or feel sorry for Himself. Jesus has compassion on them and heals them.

Now, we don’t know exactly what the disciples were doing as Jesus healed the masses. Were they sitting and watching? Were they directing traffic, making sure no one cut in line? Were they preaching? Whatever it was, the disciples seem to have some level of “compassion fatigue.”

The disciples know the crowd needs to eat. They don’t want to deal with it, so they make a logical suggestion, “Jesus, send them away so they can feed themselves.”

Jesus has a different idea, “Naw, you give them something to eat.” And the disciples balk at the suggestion. How can they feed the people? All they can see is their limitations and inadequacies. As proof that they can’t do anything, they say to Jesus, “We only have five loaves and two fish.”

Do you notice what they leave out? Sure, they have only five loaves and two fish, but they also have Jesus.

We fall into the same trap. The devil is always trying to trick us into thinking we have less than we actually possess. We look at the things we have – our bank and retirement balances, our house, and car. Then, we look at the things we don’t have. And the devil is pleased when our eyes and thoughts dart between the two. Because when we focus on what we have and what we don’t have, we overlook the needy around us and forget the God who can do more than we ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20).

The devil is pleased to keep us focused on these things because then we always insist that we are poor. We figure, “I have to provide for myself and my family.” We worry about what we might not have in the future. So, the food pantry, pregnancy center, and homeless shelter have to get along without our donation, and the church has to get along without our tithe. Repent.

Repent and see again this text. As familiar as it is, maybe you are bored with it. Imagine this scene playing out, and keep your mind’s eye on the disciples’ hands.

Five-thousand men plus women and children – a sea of people, Jesus tells the disciples, “You give them something to eat.” Twelve disciples equals twenty-four hands, but when you look in their hands, only one or maybe two hands hold a bit of a morsel. The rest of their hands are empty. What the disciples have is inadequate.

Jesus takes the little snack and says a blessing. Now, watch. Jesus puts the loaves and fish back into the disciples’ hands. And the disciples just keep doling it out to the crowds. Their hands deliver again and again and again as the throng eats and is satisfied. Every last one of them, even the gluttons, eats their fill. What goes through the disciples’ hands is enough.

But keep watching. The disciples meander through the crowd and gather the leftovers. They return to Jesus, and now there are no empty hands. All twelve of the disciples use both hands to carry a basket overflowing with leftovers – each basket containing more than they had to start with. What the disciples have now is an excess.

Inadequate, enough, excess – all in the span of a few verses. Jesus meets needs that are out of proportion to the resources available.

When the disciples said, “We have only five loaves and two fish,” they figured it was proof that they couldn’t do anything to meet the need. But Jesus says, “Bring what you have to Me.”

Jesus still says that today. When you look at the needs of your neighbor and see a lack in your finances, time, resources, and talents, Jesus says, “Bring what you have to Me.” And watch as Jesus multiplies what you have to serve those around you.

And when you see your sins, your failures, your hatred, your lust, and your coveting, Jesus says, “Bring what you have to Me.” And watch as Jesus covers them all in His blood.

Jesus doesn’t just meet your needs. He over-supplies, but not so that there is a waste. He fills your cup with His blessings so that it runs over, and the blessings spill out to your neighbor.

And your Savior, is here to pour more into your cup now. Jesus still feeds His people in the wilderness. He is here now to feed you with His Body and give you to drink of His Blood. He calls you to come to Him. “Come, everyone who thirsts. Come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Delight yourselves in My rich food. Incline your ear, and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live” (Isa 55:1-5). Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.