Luke 9:1-17

Jesus gathered His twelve disciples together and “…gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (9:1-2). Their ability to heal would authenticate their message, since only God could give the power to heal. As they traveled around preaching, Jesus instructed the twelve not to take anything with them but to depend on the hospitality of those in the cities they entered (9:3-4). If they did enter a city where they were not well received, Jesus commanded them to “…shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them” (9:5), which was a sign of rejection of those who did not listen to their message. After receiving Jesus’ instructions, the twelve went to many towns “preaching the gospel and healing” (9:6); however, Herod (high government official in Galilee) heard of all the miracles being performed by Jesus, but became confused because some said that “…John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again” (9:7-8). Herod then reacted to the reports of others concerning Jesus’ identity by asking, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things? (9:9a) So from this time forward, Herod decided to go and see for himself (9:9b).

In this time of the narrative, Luke writes that the apostles returned from preaching and healing in order to report to Jesus all the things they had accomplished, so Jesus took them away to a secluded place in Bethsaida (9:10). When the multitudes discovered the location of Jesus and His disciples, “… they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing” (9:11). The hour was getting late and the disciples were concerned about the people eating so they told Jesus to send away the crowd in order to allow them to “lodge and get provisions [food]; for we are in a deserted place here” (9:12). Instead of sending the multitude away, Jesus said to His disciples “You give them something to eat” but the disciples reacted to His command saying, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people” (9:13). Luke then inserts that the size of the crowd was 5,000 men, meaning that the crowd probably numbered close to 20,000 people (9:14). The disciples, understandably, were frustrated by Jesus’ demand for them to feed a crowd of 20,000 people, but they failed to recognize that Jesus could do all things. The crowd sat down in groups of fifty and Jesus “…took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them” (9:15-17). Not only did Jesus perform a supernatural work by feeding these people, but He also sent a message to His disciples that nothing is impossible with God. The feeding of the 5,000 must be an important lesson for all of us to learn because it is the only miracle (besides Jesus’ resurrection) which was recorded by all four gospel writers.

Dear God, may I believe in You to perform those things which seem impossible…the things which will bring You glory and honor.