Love & Provision of the Father

Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15

The story is familiar to those of us who spent time in Sunday school growing up; Jesus takes 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and feeds five thousand people. Of course that head count only included the men that were there that day, and if you added the women and children who were also in attendance the count would have most likely soared to over ten thousand people! It is a miracle of epic proportions recorded in the Gospels. In fact it is the only miracle recorded in all four of the Gospels. When we see something repeated in scripture then it is a clear signal to pay attention. There is something important that God wants us to see, know and understand.

So what is it that God is speaking to us through this miracle? What was He speaking to the people of that day that were there to witness it? The message today is much the same as it was then: God’s ability to provide for our every need is beyond anything that we can imagine. The Gospel of John records a question that Jesus asked of Peter, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

Jesus did not ask this question because He was looking for an answer that was unknown to Him. Scripture records that He already had in His mind what He intended to do. He asked Peter this question because He wanted Peter and the other disciples to fully understand who He actually was and what He had come to do. Peter’s response to Jesus only confirms that in spite of the time he had spent with Jesus he was still pretty clueless in his understanding.

Jesus had no intention of letting these people leave His presence hungry. He knew that they could not receive the spiritual food He longed to give them if their physical needs were not met. Not only did His plan include feeding the multitude, but His plan also included doing it in such a way that demonstrated not only who He was, but how much He loved and cared for everyone around Him.

After everyone ate, scripture states that Jesus told His disciples to gather up any leftovers. It is hard for us to imagine that 5 loaves and 2 fish could stretch to feed some ten thousand people and pretty much beyond our comprehension that there could be leftovers! The leftovers were not gathered until everyone had their fill. In other words, no one left that day hungry and scripture says that the disciples gathered twelve baskets full of pieces left over from the original meal of 5 loaves and 2 fish. This is not just love and provision, but this is extravagant love. Jesus showed the people that were there that day a love that is more than enough to meet their daily physical, spiritual and emotional needs. And throughout history, He has continued to show us over and over that He is more than enough, and He is all we need!

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Matthew 6:25-26

How Well Do You Know the Father?

John 5:19-30, John 14:6-11

When we look back over the Old Testament the picture we tend to develop of God is one who is angry and ready to strike a person down the first time they make a mistake. Even the Children of Israel pleaded with Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:19) When Jesus arrives on the scene, we breathe a sigh of relief in hopes that this kind and gentle Son will somehow protect us from the wrath of an angry God.

If we listen to the words of Jesus we quickly realize that we do not need protection, but in truth, God Himself is our protection and He provides that protection through His Son Jesus. Jesus says of Himself in John 5:19, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” Jesus is not just a representative or a reflection of the Father, but He says He only does what He sees His Father doing. Jesus acts on the Father’s behalf only doing what He has been shown to do. When Jesus heals the sick, then we can assume that is exactly what God desires to happen. When Jesus shows compassion to people, we know by His own self description that is also what His Father would do.

On the other hand, when we see Jesus clearing out the money changers in the temple, He was not in there politely asking them to leave. Scripture says that he made a whip, overthrew tables, scattered their coins and drove them out. (John 2:15) We also see Him as he dealt with the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. They used the law to abuse people, yet valued themselves above others and Jesus did not hesitate to speak plainly to them. Over and over again, He called them hypocrites and even referred to them as white washed tombs ~ beautiful on the outside but full of dead man’s bones and everything unclean on the inside. (Matthew 23:27) We can also assume that these words and actions are exactly what God has instructed Jesus to do.

If we want to know the Father, we must know Jesus! By examining the Gospels and the life of Jesus, we not only learn about Jesus, but we also get a clearer picture of our Father. God’s desire is for us to come closer to Him, to know Him, to spend time with Him, and to trust Him with our lives. God’s very own words to Moses while on Mt. Sinai are a beautiful description of who He is and how He loves us as His children. Now, doesn’t that make you want to know Him better?

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Exodus 34:6-7