In Matthew 14:13-21 we read the familiar story of how Jesus fed 5000 men (plus women and children) on a grassy hillside in Judea. It was a miracle, demonstrating the supernatural power that Jesus had as the Son of God, incarnate…here on earth, fully human yet fully God. But it was more than a miracle. It was a significant lesson for us today, some 2,000 years later.
1) God is willing to provide for us. Even when we interrupt his quiet time, he cares enough to heal the sick and feed the hungry. God loves us.
2) Christ is able to provide for us. He provides so much through nature which He created for us, yet He sometimes will perform a miracle to go beyond nature.
3) God uses people…US…to accomplish his work. He is able to it all himself, but a significant part of His plan is to include us in His ministry. He used the offering of a boy’s lunch, five loaves of bread and two fish. Then he employed the disciples to distribute the food. We play a part in God’s ministry.
4) Christ’s provision is abundant. He gives us more than we need and better than we could imagine or produce on our own.