The Miracles of the Loaves and Fish in Today's World

Many years ago, my father was telling me about a bible scholar he was reading and this person’s theory that many, if not all, of Jesus’s miracles were not miraculous in the way most people tend to see them.  He went on to explain using the miracle of the loaves and the fishes (Matt 14:13-21) this way.  When the people were all gathered, and the apostles brought forth 2 fish and 5 barley loaves Jesus directed them to start passing them out.  As they did, the people began taking from what they had carried with them and shared with others.  This, my father said was the true miracle, people began to care for others and give of what they had.  To be honest, this perspective confused me.  I was maybe 12 at the time.  Now I find it thought provoking.  Is it saying that Jesus couldn’t multiply the loaves and fish; no?  Of course Jesus could.  He is God.  But to bring about a profound change is someone’s heart, that is even more powerful than the mere multiplication of some bread.  This is the creator of the universe we are talking about here.  Bread is easy, man’s hearts with free will; not so easy.  While I truly believe in straight up miracles, I do believe there is an important truth that can be gleaned from this.  As human’s do, do we not have a tendency to hold onto what we have, weather it be a little or a lot.  Even the wealthy who seem to give a lot, would they be so giving if they didn’t get tax breaks for what they give?  We find security in our possessions, few or many.  This type of security is not real though.  It can be fleeting.  For Christians, is not our security to be found in God?  That is true security, that He will provide for us.  Those followers who were reclining, listening to Jesus, maybe felt secure that they had more than enough for them selves not only for that night but for an additional day or two. 

         I love to hike.  When I do, I do not just bring food enough for that hike I bring enough food and water in case I get delayed, a few hours or even, please God never, but maybe an overnight.  I have an emergency blanket and a lighter to start a fire and even a knife.  Are these items I generally use on a day hike, no.  Yet I feel it’s important to be prepared.  Wouldn’t travelers in Jesus’ time on such long distance journeys also be prepared for more than expected?  God can and does bring good things from trials and struggles.  When a tornado hits a town, the outpouring of love and support, not just from those in the town but most times from across the nation is incredible.  That, my friend, is God at work in the storm.  What if there were never any disasters, would we not tend to look solely after ourselves and our loved ones.  Disasters have a way of uniting communities, states, nations, and at times, even the world.  There is a song by Matthew West called “Do Something”[i].  In it the artist sings about feeling frustrated that God is not doing something about the troubles and suffering in the world.  I think we all feel that way sometimes.  The song goes on to state that God does do something, He send us.  He expects, call us, to do something to ease the pain, the suffering of those around us.  The food banks running out of food, the homebound person with no one to shop for them, the family whose bread winner has been laid-off, the teen who feels all alone and misunderstood, could we not do something to help even one of them?  Are we not carrying even a little something that could be used to help our neighbors, near and not so near?  If we keep our resources to ourselves there will not be enough to go around.  If we but share, even a little of the extra we have stored away, we can have 12-bushel baskets full after all have had their fill.

[i] Matthew West (2012). Do Something. On “Into the Light” (CD). Brentwood, Tennesse: Sparrow Records.