He Blessed

In Matthew 14:19 we read that, “looking up to heaven, He [Jesus] blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.” A little boy had a packed lunch of 5 loaves of bread and two fish. He offered it to Jesus. Jesus blessed it and fed thousands. When we give thanks at a meal, we are not asking God to make bad food good. God created all things good. We acknowledge that we need God in our lives, that we live because of His Providence and we give thanks. When Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes, he was preparing an extraordinary Provision.

Bring them Here

What does Jesus offer to do with our problems? In Matthew 14:17-18 as with the fish and loaves, He says, “Bring them here to Me.” “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you” (Psalm 55:22). “Fear not, I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13). “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6, 7). “He will feed His flock like a shepherd” (Isaiah 40:11). “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17).

We Only...

When confronted by a huge problem, we look at our resources and say, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” Like Elisha we need to lift our eyes to heaven, and behold, the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire all around. Like Ruth, we throw ourselves at the feet of our Redeemer and know that He will Provide. When everyone thinks we are insignificant, little people and laugh at us, God can give us the courage to slay the Goliaths in our lives with the smallest of weapons. When foolish people threaten to ruin our lives, like Abigail, God provides us with wisdom to save the day.

You Give them Something

In Matthew 14:15-16 after the disciples wanted to send the crowds of people away, Jesus simply replied, “You give them something to eat.” Church potluck meals can be traced to Jesus feeding this crowd that had gathered on the north shore of the sea of Galilee. The disciples wanted to dismiss them, just as many of us would. Can we hear the selfish political lies? Kick ‘em out! Can we hear the ancient Greek lie that, God helps those who help themselves? Jesus said, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Is Jesus inviting us to be givers instead of takers, compassionate instead of mean?

He was Moved with Compassion

In Matthew 14:13-14 when confronted by a large crowd, we read that Jesus “was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.” As a Christian, I am ashamed of the sins of the Church. I admit that we too often lack compassion. A common fiction is that people are poor because they are lazy. Yet, honest analysis of the causes of poverty admits many other reasons including the poor being the victims of crime, overpopulation, low wages, inefficient distribution, corruption, bad education, environmental degradation, political oppression, colonialism, disease and war. The miracle of feeding the five thousand is a radical contradiction of selfish religion. Are we moved with compassion?

Church Growth Jesus Style

In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus said of a mustard seed picturing the kingdom of heaven, “when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” Church growth advice is for sale at a price. The effective ingredient of church growth is not for sale at any price, Jesus. He said, “I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18) Is it wrong to get advice? Of course not. Jesus predicted that the kingdom of heaven would grow to be the largest garden plant, a tree. In the garden of world religions Christianity is now the largest.

Tiny Seeds

In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus called a mustard seed, “the least of all the seeds.” This is conversational speech, like saying, “Isn’t that just the cutest baby!” It is not a scientific or statistical conclusion but an everyday superlative. Those trained in scientific precision may quibble that there are seeds smaller than the mustard seed, but those trained in literary style would be quick to point out that is not the point of the parable. A lot of biblical criticism comes from misunderstanding the genre of speech. Being highly educated in one field we are often totally ignorant of other fields of study. Jesus’ frequently taught with imagery and hyperbole.

Jesus’ Little Flock will Grow

In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.” What kind of plant was the mustard tree? Some experts believe it was the black mustard, an herb which can grow to three meters (ten feet). The parable of the mustard seed gives the impression that the kingdom of heaven, though once a little flock, will become very large. The mustard seed certainly did correlate to the smallness of the kingdom in the beginning. However, it foretold a far greater, all-encompassing future. Indeed, where Jesus used the term “little flock” He was addressing his disciples, not the eventual size of the Church (Luke 12:32).

The Kingdom of Heaven is …

In Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Jesus described some traits of the kingdom of heaven. He spoke in parables because the kingdom of heaven was still a well-kept secret. As it grows, it is becoming less of a secret. The kingdom of heaven has become the largest venture of all time, covering about a third of humanity. Jesus rules the largest kingdom on earth, a spiritual kingdom hidden from plain sight. Like yeast it will someday leaven all of humanity. Like a buried treasure not seen by human eyes, it is the most precious treasure of all. It is currently a mixture of good and evil, old and new.

Jesus, Liberal or Conservative

Liberals and conservatives accuse each other of evil. Do conservatives protect mere human traditions, traditions inspired by God or traditions like Moses’ bronze snake that have become useless idols or all the above? Do liberals depart from the Bible or refuse to interpret the Bible legalistically or both? Jesus is described as liberal or conservative on a variety of issues, but He is always orthodox. In Matthew 13:40-43 Jesus used the term weeds, “They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”