Miracles and the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:10-17)

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Christians should pay more attention to the fact that the food of the kingdom of God was given to those who came before Jesus with hungry hearts and minds, rather than the numbers of two fish and five loaves of bread, or the five thousand who ate the food.

 

Interpretations of the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand

The passage is about the miracle of Jesus feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Some shake their heads, wondering how it is possible to feed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. Even more extreme, some claim that the Bible contains lies that wouldn't even be published in a gossip column of a newspaper.

Faced with such difficult reactions, Christians generally have three ways of thinking: either believe unconditionally, avoid the issue, or try to interpret the miracle within the realm of common sense. Some explain that when a child willingly offered his lunch, as described in the parallel passage in John 6, the moved crowd eagerly took out their own lunches, making it possible for five thousand people to eat. Some people further developed this interpretation by comparing the feeding of the five thousand to the communal meals of the early church: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). They connected the passage from Acts with the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand and interpreted it as a communal meal among Christians. Some, based on verse 16, where Jesus looked up to heaven, gave thanks, and broke the bread to give to his disciples, interpret this as a foreshadowing of what Jesus would do during the Last Supper.

The Miracle of the Five Loaves and Two Fish

How should Christians read the passage about the five loaves and two fish feeding five thousand people? One should pay close attention to the words in the preceding part of the text, Luke 9:1 and following. Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to heal diseases, and sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Jesus also instructed them not to take provisions for their journey, such as food, money, or extra clothing (verse 3).

The disciples were then sent out to proclaim the kingdom of God. Empowered and guided by Jesus, they traveled from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing the sick (verse 6). The disciples returned and reported what they had done.

The important point here is the reason the disciples were sent out: they were sent "to proclaim the kingdom of God." From verse 11 onwards, the text should be read even more carefully, as the context of the miracle of the five loaves and two fish is crucial.

"When the crowds learned of it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing."

The miracle of the five loaves and two fish occurred when the disciples returned from proclaiming the kingdom of God and eagerly reported their experiences, while Jesus also spoke about the kingdom of God. As Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God and healed the sick, the day began to draw to a close. The disciples suggested to Jesus that they send the crowd away to find food in the nearby villages since it was getting late. However, unexpectedly, Jesus said, "You give them something to eat." At that moment, the disciples naturally had nothing to give. They had just returned from their mission, traveling without extra clothing or money.

When Jesus said, "You give them something to eat," the disciples searched their belongings and eventually presented Jesus with five loaves of bread and two fish, saying, "It's impossible. Even if we could feed these people, we have nothing else." In the Gospel of John, Philip complained that it would take over 200 denarii to provide even a small meal for everyone.

It was then that the miracle occurred. The miracle of the five loaves and two fish was not about everyone sharing the food they had hidden for themselves, but rather it happened in a situation where the disciples, who had returned from their mission trip controlling demons and healing the sick, had only five loaves and two fish to offer the sick and hungry people gathered before Jesus.

The people eating the bread and fish in front of Jesus were not those who could afford to carry their own food with them. They were not a highly educated or cultured group who deeply desired the spiritual teachings of Jesus. Most of them were desperately poor, sick, and tired. They had come to Jesus, having heard rumors that he could heal their illnesses, and they were genuinely hungry. That's why Jesus instructed his disciples, "You give them something to eat." But even the disciples, who had displayed great power during their mission trip, had only five loaves and two fish to offer. Yes! Miracles happen in such situations.

The Miracle of the Five Loaves and the Kingdom of God

People who were sick, poor, and weary of life gathered in the village of Bethsaida in Galilee where Jesus was. The sun had set, and it was time for a meal, but all they had were five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus, through his disciples, distributed a meal to the crowd. This was the manna and quail given by God to the people of his kingdom.

The miracle of the five loaves is not an event that only happened during Jesus' time. It is an event that happens today for Christians. It is a miraculous event that occurs for Christians who rely solely on Jesus, who was crucified on the cross. The miracle of the five loaves is not a hope that promises religious fantasies or ideologies.

The miracle of the five loaves is a promise from our Creator God. It is the promise of Jesus Christ, who loved people so much that he gave himself to be nailed to the cross. Jesus taught Christians to pray like this:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread."

Jesus prayed with great and lofty words that the kingdom of God would come to earth and that God's will would be done on earth, and then suddenly spoke of the seemingly small matter of daily bread. The event in which the prayer Jesus taught us is fulfilled is the miracle of the five loaves.

Christians can see the realization of the kingdom of God in the miracle of the five loaves. The food of the kingdom of God was given to the sick and hungry people. Christians should pay more attention to the fact that the food of the kingdom of God was given to the hungry people who came before Jesus, rather than the two fish or five loaves, or the number of five thousand who ate. The event of the five loaves is when those who were hungry for God's love came and were filled. The event of the five loaves is the fulfillment of the latter part of the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 6:25ff.).

"Do not worry about what you will eat or drink or wear for your life. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

The miracle of the five loaves is an event that presents the kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed. The kingdom of God is contained in the miracle of the five loaves. The gospel of the kingdom of God is being proclaimed through the miracle of the five loaves. The event of the five loaves is when God's judgment on Adam after the fall, "You will eat plants by the sweat of your face," is canceled. The scene of the five loaves is a miracle where the daily bread of heaven is given to the people who came before Jesus, the Christians, just as God provided daily bread for Adam when he walked in the Garden of Eden, and just as God feeds the birds of the sky and clothes the lilies of the field.