Lessons ~ Jesus Feeding the Five ThousandSample

Two Crucial Principles

The incident of the feeding of five thousand began with the twelve disciples wanting the Lord to dismiss the crowd (Luke 9:12). They were contemplating the possibility of a crisis and wanted to be prepared with a solution. They wanted to protect themselves from a catastrophic situation.  

The Lord was equipping them with some life principles.  

The Lord was showing them how they should not be anxious for material needs but learn to keep their eyes on Him. He was their heavenly father and He knows that they need these things (Matthew 6:31-32). He meets our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). Twelve baskets full of fragments of the loaves were gathered after the crowd had eaten to their full (Luke 9:17).  

God gives us richly all things to enjoy (Nehemiah 9:25) but God wants us not to waste what He has placed into our hands. Our talents, abilities, resources, potentials, material goods and many more are given for us to utilize for His purpose but not to be wasted.  

The third servant had not utilized the one talent that was placed into His hands by the master. When he was found out, he was not spared but was meted out the severest of punishment (Matthew 25:24-30).  

The instruction to the disciples, after the crowd was fully fed was, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." (John 6:12).  

Thought to ponder

The experience within the kingdom of God is one of plenty and abundance but at the same time one of thrift as well as excellent utilization.