I refer to the marvels of modern transportation and the increasing sophistication of all scientific knowledge, including the new electronic highway. The breaking did not cease. 14:15-21)? The significance lies not in the actual number, but in the fact The Master asked the twelve, How many loaves do you have? They had none. It's saying that there were 12 baskets being used to pass out the bread and when they were done, all 12 could be filled by the leftovers? He commands the miracle, and it happens. The discovery of these new mosaics can tell us a great deal about was important to Christians living in the region, the Bible stories that appealed to them, and the ways that various religious centers competed with each other. This word, too, is rightly regarded as a diminutive, but it is not a diminutive of "fish." This is a prophetic picture of the Tribulation saint who will be willing to help others who are hungry after the beast issues his mark and Gods people cannot buy food without it (Rev. This word, too, is rightly regarded as a diminutive, but it is not a diminutive of fish. The original root means to boil; thus the substantive is used, as in Homer, of boiled meat, and then of anything eaten as a relish with bread, and specially of fish. By Matthew 9-12, Jesus has extended the metaphor of a grain harvest to his mission. It only takes a minute to sign up. This was certainly an act of trust and sacrifice. Trust. We tend to define religion as about religious books and prayers, but food has often played an important role in our relationship with the cosmic and supernatural order. He is in control. Learn Religions, Aug. 25, 2020, learnreligions.com/jesus-feeds-the-five-thousand-248697. Cline, Austin. Researchers with the University of Haifa in Israel claim that a newly unearthed mosaic may indicate where Jesus performed this miracle. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men. ( F ) Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them Are there tables of wastage rates for different fruit and veg? (c) T. Bab. Yea, barley was used for food for horses and dromedaries, 1 Kings 4:28; and since therefore these loaves were, if not designed for the use of Christ and his twelve apostles, yet for some of his followers, and which they all ate of; it is an instance of the meanness and poverty of them: but however, they had better bread than this, even the bread of life, which is afterwards largely treated of in this chapter, which some of them at least ate of; and as our countryman Mr. Dod used to say, "brown bread and the Gospel are good fare:''. Who knows the far-reaching effects Jeralees life will have for generations untold. Many have come into the Church because they wanted to know what kind of a religion could give the Underwoods their spiritual strength. I think the answer is given in Matthew 14:17 when the disciples tell Jesus they should send the people away because they will be hungry and need food and lodging - he tells them. That includes us. Does Jesus's change in attitude about drinking wine on the cross relate to his statement It is finished? The word means anything that is eaten with bread, and may apply to meat generally, or to what is eaten with bread as a relish. Keep your hands open. You give them something to eat.. (D), 15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, This is a remote place, and its already getting late. The story begins with a gathering of Jesus and his apostles who returned from the travels he sent them on at verse 6:13. Here, however, Jesus surpasses Elisha by feeding far more people with even less. You see, friends, when brought to Jesus, when placed in the hands of our Lord, nothing is too White Castle. Jesus then takes the meal, blesses it, and begins to break it into pieces. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. This knowledge permits the words of the prophets of God to be bounced off satellites hovering over the earth so it is possible for much of mankind to hear their messages. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface: "It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Diminutive. Jesus' rebuke of the devil says in essence that physical bread does not sustain the variety of life that God has in store for men, but the words of God only. WebTaking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Some became angry and wanted to take vengeance. The gospel of Matthew has a lot of interesting things to say about bread. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. 13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Much like the widow who gave two coins in the temple treasury, the boy gave all that was in his possession. The five loaves did not resemble large loaves of bread such as one might purchase at a bakery today. and it may be further observed, that the number of these loaves were but few; there were but "five" of them, for "five thousand" persons; and these do not seem to be very large ones, since one lad was able to carry them; and indeed, these loaves were no other than cakes, in which form they used to be made: and two small fishes; there were but "two", and these "small"; it is amazing, that five thousand persons should everyone have something of them, and enough: these fishes seem to be what the Jews (c) call and which the gloss interprets "small fishes": and by the word which is used of them, they seem to be salted, or pickled fishes, and such it is very probable these were; Nonnus calls them, , "fishes which were broiled", or perhaps dried in the sun; see Luke 24:42. To dispel this perception of cracks in our members faith, we need only to observe the joyful people who worship in any of our forty-five temples worldwide. The 200-Denarii Test If you feel an answer is not 100% Bible based, then leave a comment, and we'll be sure to review it. What could he bear for so many? Teachings are likened to leaven because they begin small but work themselves through the entire population. They have often pointed to the alleged disaffection of the youth of the Church. Probably. Have we discovered where the feeding of the 5000 actually took place (assuming that you believe that it happened)? As the boy handed his meal to the disciples and Jesus, he likely wondered what difference such a small amount of food could make among the large crowd. He kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. Here are five lessons we learn from the boy in John 6. He said, There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people? (John 6:9). Jesus had the disciples gather up the nutritional resources of the group. I am, exist. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, NT Gospels: John 6:9 There is a boy here who has (Jhn Jo Jn). And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. 41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. 60. A detail peculiar to John. It prevents the enjoyment of the full sweetness of a higher love. It has been said that this church does not necessarily attract great people but more often makes ordinary people great. . Jesus had asked Philip the question about buying bread, not because he wanted a solution, but because he wanted faith. The breaking up and sacrificing of something/someone which is represented by the 12 baskets. Perhaps what we have here are different religious centers that competed for and catered to the needs of pilgrims and tourists. God is in control. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time. New International Version (NIV). Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. Today I would like to speak of those of us who have only talents equal to five loaves and two fishes to offer the Savior to help feed the multitudes. Probably a perfect completion of the provision. Smoked fish is a means of fish preparation in Jewish cuisine, thus making it probable. He is the bread that came down from heaven. Joyce is a mother and homemaker. Speakers: Pastor Ricky Kurth, Pastor Don HosfeldDetails, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping" (John 20:11). Was the boy hungry in that moment? What of those who have talents equal only to two loaves and one fish? Help with just five loaves of bread and two fishes has always been one of the most popular gospel tales. That his body / blood and spirit would be "broken" and sacrficed to feed and sustain others spiritually. The ego interferes with husbands and wives asking each other for forgiveness. This diminutive is used in the New Testament only here and in John 6:11, and in John 21:9-10; John 21:13. It began with a little boy offering his meal of five loaves and two small fish. But the fact that there were leftovers wasn't bad planningit served as proof of the miracle. The boy and the disciples were simply participants. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. This is purely conjecture, as the text doesn't clearly state, however, we see in the text: "Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people", and being that there were 12 disciples, each one was likely to have had bread to spread to the peoples. Was Jesus telling his disciples here to preach the good news to world? When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. 3. Most Christian commentaries are quick to make a connection to sacramental gestures in connection with the Last Seder, but the symbolism is then incomplete. WebInterpreters have attempted to find symbolic meaning in the five loaves and the two fish and make a wide variety of proposals. The boy gives up his food to the disciples and Jesus. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? 5 Lessons Learned by the Boy with Five Loaves and Two Fish. In John 6:1-15, we find Jesus and his disciples watching a crowd that had been following Jesus come toward them. And he learned that while we certainly get to participate, it is ultimately God who brings about the multiplication. The fish might represent the Leviathan on which (according to Jewish eschatology) the righteous will dine at the Messianic banquet in the kingdom. with just five Yeshua fed a multitude of five thousand with five barley loaves and two small fish. But sacrificial giving is what we find celebrated in Scripture. The Lord said to Jeremiah, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jer. Did the boy wonder whether his needs would be met? All rights reserved worldwide. Jeralee never returned homenot that day, nor the next day, nor the next, nor ever. He learned God is in control, and that He is about multiplication. Discover God's wisdom for today's foolishness through Torah Club's new small-group Bible study lesson track for 2022-23, The Beginning of Wisdom. The story of how Jesus fed five thousand men (were there no women or children there, or did they just not get anything to eat?) directed the people to sit down on the grass. One lad! God blessed Abraham because he was willing to sacrifice his son. In the account given by John, there is a detail mentioned that may indicate the preparation of the fish. None of the archaeological or literary evidence can confirm either that the miracle took place, or where it took place. Jordan's line about intimate parties in The Great Gatsby? Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. The lives and the dedication of our almost 50,000 young missionaries are testament enough of the faithfulness of many of our youth. Jesus asks his disciple, Philip, where he thought they could buy bread for the crowd, for the crowd had not eaten in a while. 19 And he WebCSB He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves. 44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men. Peculiar to John, though the idea is implied in Luke 9:13. There are many examples in the gospels of Jesus repeating a miracle from the Old Testament, but doing so in a larger and grander style that is supposed to point to Christianitys surpassing Judaism. fish, they answered. You give them something to eat. 17 We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish, they answered. Everyone present is fed to satisfaction. 1. Apart from this act, the people would have remained hungry. Made of barley. Also, I am interested to know, does this having any relation with the Last Supper indirectly? They do not need to go away. Web19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to You give them something to eat., Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. Our aim is to share the Word and be true to it. If you preorder a special airline meal (e.g. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? The A.V., small fishes, is intended to render the diminutive. When and where did this event occur? We are also to understand and remember that we too, like the lad in the New Testament account, are the spirit children of our Heavenly Father, that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior, and the Redeemer of the world. 25:2223). The temptation is circumvent the right way to get bread, and through worry and anxiety about having enough to eat to miss out on the true bread. The Beginning of Wisdom is direct, counter-cultural, and biblically rooted, calling Yeshuas disciples to magnify their fear and love of God. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. About UsContact UsPrayer RequestsPrivacy Policy, Latest AnswersBible LessonsBibleAsk LIVEOnline Bible. WebThe mosaic found in front of the altar depicts two fish flanking a basket containing four loaves of bread. We'd like to help. disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left A little fish. They do much of the hard, menial, unchallenging, poorly compensated work of the world. Stomachs were full because an act of God took place. Each man had proof in his own hands of the miracle - he didn't need to rely on the testimony of another. The same is true for us. In addition, during my lifetime, the Church has grown from 525,000 to about 8,500,000. A symbolic breaking of bread to feed others which represents their future sacrifice. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. Real Questions. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! The Ottawa Senators seemingly came out of nowhere to land Jakob Chychrun - arguably the biggest fish available. rev2023.3.3.43278. But he released the food, nonetheless. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. It fit pragmatically and logically, and still allows for the personal lesson to each disciple and connecting it to the 12 tribes (each with a disciple over them) if you like. Jesus Punishes the Swine With Demons (Mark 5:10-20), Jesus Walks on Water: Faith During a Storm (Mark 6:45-52), Jesus Heals a Blind Man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26), Jesus Heals a Boy With an Unclean Spirit, Epilepsy (Mark 9:14-29), Gain a Christian Perspective on the Passover Feast, Jesus Walks on Water Bible Story Study Guide. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Would fasting and prayer help heal my hernia? When her body was found, the whole city was horrified and shocked. On a simple level the symbolism of the extra baskets of bread is that you seek the right teaching, the teaching that corresponds to the word of God, regardless of the immediate circumstances and afterwards you find that there is an abundance left over because God is a gracious provider. Mar 02, 2023 at 2:09 pm. The number 12 is recurring in bible (12 tribes and 12 disciples). He looked to His disciples for any food to serve, saying: How many loaves do you have? And they said, Seven, and a few little fish(Matthew 15:34). God is about multiplication. To have, hold, possess. Does John include Jesus interchange with Phillip (John 5:7) to emphasize another parallel with Moses (Num. In other words, it was not the private donations of some women, but also the sales of excess food which had contributed significant funds supporting the ministry of Jesus. What is the spiritual meaning of the fish fragments not being gathered in John 6:13? And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. So we make the connection: the devil wants Jesus to bypass the complete and total dependence upon the Father and usurp authority, rather than have it granted him.