Have you ever felt so hungry and tired from a long journey? What did you do? In the West, not many people have first hand experience of real hunger. Thankfully, governments in most developed countries have placed measures in place for people to have access to benefits even when they are unemployed. This is not so in many developing countries. Basically, everyone is on their own and hunger has caused some people to do things that have landed them in prison. But what will you do if you follow a popular person/ an influencer for hours and days and as a result become hungry and tired? You will likely expect to be fed by the organizers of the event if such arrangements were made. If not, you are on your own! Over 5000 men besides women and children had followed Jesus on foot. These people were looking forward to hearing the word of God and to receive their miracles. In the 1st Century, this would have been a big crusade and considering the absence of social media and automated transport systems, these people chose to follow Jesus. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. (Matthew 14:20) Getting tired and hungry would be a natural reaction of such a crowd. Jesus had compassion on the crowd and healed their sick (Matthew 14:14). But the people were hungry for food. With good intentions, the disciples approached Jesus (Matthew 14:15), and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” This seemed like the right thing to do. But Jesus replied in verse 16, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” The disciples showed their frustration; they had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. How can that feed a crowd of over 10,000 people (5000 men not counting women and children)? That is when Jesus came in to satisfy the hunger of the crowd with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Verse 19 records that Jesus gave an order for the people to sit on the grass (crowd control) and He gave thanks, broke the bread and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. Miraculously, “they all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” Jesus didn’t waste the twelve basketfuls of broken pieces. They were all picked up (Matthew 14:20). Whenever I am reminded of this miracle, I know that God will satisfy my hunger. Many people hunger for food that perishes, others also hunger for a deeper satisfaction of their souls. Jesus satisfies all hunger. As we pray for our miracles to happen, we should position ourselves to receive from Him. If you have strength to work, do not spend all day sleeping with the hope that your plate would be full by evening. The crowd walked to Jesus. They exerted energy. They left their homes and towns to meet Jesus. Be not slothful but diligence in all your ways and in due time, your hunger will be satisfied. Feeding a huge crowd with very little provision is a great miracle and shows that with God, all things are possible. If there is any impossible situation in your life today, call on the way Maker and the miracle Worker to make the impossibility become possible. Cast all your burdens on Him and trust Him to satisfy your deepest hunger. When your hunger is satisfied, don’t waste what can feed others. You can also donate to your local food bank to keep others satisfied.
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