Eating a Miracle for Dinner, Part 1

In January of this year, Chuck Swindoll introduced a brand new teaching series on Insight for Living. It's an in-depth study through the fascinating book of Matthew that Chuck has titled, The King of Kings. After six full months, we're just about halfway through Matthew's Gospel. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck invites us to follow along in Matthew chapter 14, as we reflect on a familiar moment in Christian history when Jesus miraculously fed the multitudes that gathered to hear him speak.

Chuck titled today's message, Eating a Miracle for Dinner. Daniel writes, all the inhabitants of the earth there is nothing, and he does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him, what are you doing? God's at work whether you or I realize it. His hand is on us whether or not we feel it. And though we are surrounded by innumerable impossibilities, God has yet to meet his first one.

And as a result, we're able to think vertically, which is correctly, and coming together like this only energizes that kind of thinking. Like the passage of Scripture we're looking at together in Matthew 14, nine verses tucked away at the very nucleus of the chapter revolve around what's come to be known to all of us who were reared in church as the feeding of the 5,000. But in actuality when you really do the math and you look at verse 21 of the 14th chapter you see there were 5,000 men, not to mention women and children. So as best we can figure there were probably 20 to 25,000 in the group. How big is that? This building right here, this room seats about 3,008. Seven times the size of this room full of people were fed by five tiny pieces of brittle bread and a couple of sardines.

Two fish, five little slices of brittle bread like flatbread. How could he do it? Because he is the god of impossibilities. And if you doubt that, this message is designed for you. Let me read it for you in Matthew 14, 13 to 21. I'll be reading from the New Living Bible.

Your version may be different. Matthew 14, 13. As soon as Jesus heard the the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat. And he had compassion on them and healed their sick. That evening the disciples came to him 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 food for themselves.

But Jesus said, that isn't necessary. You feed them. But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish.

They answered, bring them here. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven and blessed them. Then breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted. And afterward the disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day in addition to all the women and children. This is Insight for Living.

To study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll, be sure to download his Searching the Scripture studies by going to insightworld.org slash studies. And now the message from Chuck called, eating a miracle for dinner. Most of us love thoughts that stretch our mental muscles. We like it when events or statements occur that we just can't fully figure out.

And so we're left to think deeper, broader. Things that blow us away are especially of interest to us. Maybe that's why miracles attract our attention, though admittedly we rarely come across them, but when we do, it makes us suck in our breath. We might define a miracle as an event so extraordinary, so impossible, only God could have done it.

I checked the definition in the dictionary I have at home. The New College Dictionary defines miracle, an event that seems impossible to explain by natural laws and so is regarded as supernatural in origin or as an act of God, an act of God. This past week I finished reading Eric Metaxas book titled Miracles.

In it I came across this excerpt that is worth repeating. No sooner does the subject of miracles arise than someone must ask whether anyone can today really believe in such things, but consider the following. Science today teaches that the universe came into being via the Big Bang approximately 14 billion years ago. According to this generally accepted theory, all matter in the known universe more than 100 billion galaxies, each of which contain hundreds of billions of stars and many more planets, exploded out of something smaller than the period at the end of this sentence.

But Metaxas asks, who was behind all of that? Many people would say that God was, although people's definitions of God and how he created the universe will certainly vary. That a creator was behind it all might be shocking to say in some circles, but for the most part people today essentially take that for granted. But if we believe that God created the universe out of nothing, ex nihilo, to use the famous Latin phrase, how can we possibly quibble over smaller miracles like turning water into wine or giving sight to a man born blind? Believing that God could create the universe but could not perform any infinitely smaller miracle is illogical.

It's illogical. It's very much like saying, oh yes, I certainly believe that Tolstoy could write War and Peace, and did, but I could never believe he'd be able to move a comma in the manuscript. That would be too much. If God actually created this universe somehow, can we not believe he would be able to do almost anything else?

It seems we would have to. I would change only one thing in that long quotation, and that's the little word almost. He writes, can we not believe that God would be able to do almost anything else?

I would just take out almost and say he can do anything else. He's omnipotent, which means there is no limitation to his power, so it would certainly mean that whatever he pleases he does. There's something that makes all of this very intriguing, and that is at the heart of the miracle is the word impossible. That's an earthly word.

I think of it as a horizontal term. Doesn't fit anything related to our God in heaven. Twice, Jeremiah 32 makes the statement first with him, is anything too hard? And another time, nothing is too hard for the Lord. And again, it appears in Luke 1, where the angel says to Mary, who asks how that conception can be in her womb since she doesn't know a man, the angel says with God, nothing shall be impossible.

And again, in Luke chapter 18, the word appears again as it relates to God, meaning with him there is no such thing. We live our lives surrounded by impossibilities, things that are out of our reach, things we are unable to change or correct or fix. Our health is a perfect example.

We get sick, we begin to get sicker, no physician seems to be able to help, medicine doesn't work, and finally we're at death's door and we cannot make ourselves well. Impossible. You have a son or daughter who's gone her or his own way and they're adults and you didn't raise them like that, but they've chosen their path and it's a journey that you would wish were not true, but it is. You can't change them. Now I know we try, but it's a study in frustration. You can't change people.

I can't change them. All these and hundreds of other things I could name are impossible, which brings us to five pieces of flatbread and two sardines. I say that because I want you to understand this is not like Mrs. Baird's bread, big soft loaves with nice thick slices, and this is not like a salmon or a river trout or lake trout. This is a little pickled fish that would often be carried in the first century by one who wanted to have a snack for lunch and they carry along little tiny pieces of brittle flatbread and a couple of pickled fish and look at what he did with it.

Humanly impossible. Had you been there, you would have thought the same thing the disciples thought, so would I. But before we get to that, we find Jesus in grief.

He has just heard that his cousin and longtime friend, the one who baptized him, the one who was his forerunner, has just been murdered, beheaded, and Jesus gets in a boat to slip away to be alone in a remote place. But we read that the crowds headed to where he was going and when he got there, having followed him from a number of towns on foot, they were there waiting and when he got out of the boat, here was this enormous crowd of something like 20-25,000 people. Think of that.

Think of the number of needs that are there. Think of the sick who must have come and surely did. Friends brought people who were sick because Jesus was known as the one who healed the sick. And rather than showing any irritation or frustration, he steps out of the boat, he steps into the crowd without hesitation, we read, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Just like that. How easy it is to pass over a few words like this to get onto this miracle of the feeding of the crowd, but before we go, look at all of these miracles. And they don't, they don't even get a name attached to them. Not one sick person is named.

Not one disease is identified. But they were there until evening with those sicknesses being healed and he does one after another after another after another after another after another after another after another as the sun is going down. The disciples are getting hungry and they're getting antsy. I don't know about you but I do pretty well until I get hungry. And then only my wife would tell you I'm probably as close to dangerous at that point as I am at any other time in my life. And if I'm really hungry, she probably would like to take a long drive and get away from me.

Or she very graciously prepares something in a hurry and I gobble it up because hunger and I don't get along well. You could tell by looking that that's true. And I'm sure most of those disciples were like that which is why they said what they did in verse 15.

Jesus, this is a remote place, it's already getting late. Send the crowds away so they may go to the villages and buy food for themselves. You read nothing of compassion in those words.

You read frustration, you read hunger, you read irritation. Get rid of the people so we can take care of our needs. Get something to eat, we're hungry. I like Jesus response. Jesus said to them that isn't necessary, you feed them.

The you is plural. Y'all feed them, we would say. There's 12 of you, you feed them. Now you don't see it because here it isn't included but in the other Gospels, by the way it's the only miracle included in all four of the gospel accounts which tells you something of the significance of it. And in the others we learned of the disciples talking a little boy out of his lunch.

And here's a little boy that brought a sack lunch, brought the loaves and the fish and was looking forward to munching on it for his meal and Andrew talked him out of it and they look at the five loaves and two fish and they say all we have are five loaves of bread and two fish. Stop. It's called an impossibility. All I have is a doctor's report. All I have is a letter that's two years old from my daughter. I don't know where she is today some of you would say. All I have is an impossible situation at work and the man I work for is impossible.

Other people have tried to hold this job and they're gone and looks like I may soon be. It's impossible. And on and on the list goes five loaves, two fish, five loaves, two fish. In fact, in one of the accounts we read that a disciple chirped in and said and what are these among so many?

Of course he would say that's what you would say. See they've never read Matthew 14 before so they don't know what's coming. All they know is there's a crowd there that's in their way keeping them from getting something to eat and they don't want to mess with them any longer. I mean after all Jesus you've healed a whole lot of them. Isn't that enough? You feed them says Jesus.

They said it's impossible in so many words. So he says to them look at the verse 18, bring them here. You want to send them away?

I'm telling you to bring them nearby. Let them all sit down on the grass and so they did. They all sat down and look at what appears here. He's holding the bread and the fish in his hands. A little tiny bit of food.

And what do we read? He looked up toward heaven and he blessed them. Now before we go on I have to stop and put myself in the sandals of the disciples. Some of whom must have thought oh brother what is this all about? I mean you're asking blessing on this?

Five pieces of bread and a couple of tiny fish. Come on Jesus. Just like you will feel when you take your knee to the Lord and you are quick to respond him how it's impossible. And he says to you in everything you thanks for this is my will concerning you. So in his own words and in his own way father I give you thanks for the bread and the fish and now may these people be fed or whatever words he used. And he broke the loaves and the fish into pieces.

He kept breaking that was where the miracle took place. By the way will you notice what he did with that? He handed them to the disciples. He doesn't distribute or ask the people to come by in line or put it out on the grass nearby for them to come pick what they want. He has the disciples serve them.

Nice touch huh? You men pass out the food and distribute it to all of the people. So he brought the people closer. He had everyone simply sit down. He held the bread and the fish. He looked up toward heaven and prayed. He broke the bread and the fish and then he gave the pieces to the disciples. A.T. Robertson writes this. This is a miracle that some find hard to believe but it is recorded by all four of the gospel writers and the only one told by all four.

It was impossible for the crowds to misunderstand and to be deceived. If Jesus is in reality Lord of the universe why should we balk at this miracle? He who created the universe surely has power to go on creating what he wills to do. It's like Metaxas words if Tolstoy could write that book that thick couldn't he go to the manuscript and move a comma here or there?

He's the author of the book. This is the creator of our lives and these people there by the thousands began to eat and began to eat and please observe the grace and the goodness of our Lord seen in that 20th verse. They ate as much as they wanted not as much as they needed but they ate as much as they wanted.

I mean if there were teenagers in the crowd that alone is a miracle. They they're never full. Our teenagers used to stand in front of the refrigerator tell our glasses fogged over looking for more to eat more to eat more and they ate all that they wanted and even by his grace had 12 baskets left over. By now you anticipate my next line how many disciples were there? One doggy bag basket for each of the red-faced disciples.

One basket full of food to take to be alone and to receive the rebuke that was deserved. He's in the zenith of his ministry according to the chronology of his life and they have walked with him through all of these weeks and months now over a year and they've seen him or they just saw him as he's healing one after another. Why would there be any question regarding his ability to turn this meal into a feast in light of what they have experienced? Well the same could be asked of us. How much does God need to do again to remind you of what he's able to do?

Now these people needed food so he provided for it. It was impossible for the disciples to do that which brings me to the major point. As long as you operate your life from the horizontal point of view the only thing you will see through your life is impossibilities. As long as you exist in that horizontal level looking only at the human side of things you will come up against it over and over and over again and your life will be marked by the negative. What cannot be done. The situation is impossible. My marriage is impossible. My adult child is impossible. My employment situation impossible. My medical need impossible.

The legal battle we're going through it's impossible for us to even meet the demands of the attorney fees. Well maybe you need to tell God because he doesn't know that. How laughable for him to hear the word impossible as if he's out of control. Well he's just getting started in the study of Matthew 14. Chuck Swindoll titled today's message eating a miracle for dinner. You're listening to Insight for Living and to learn more about this ministry please visit us online at insightworld.org.

It's possible you identified with Chuck's closing application. Perhaps you're prone to a horizontal point of view that tends to inflate the impossible times in which we live. Well whatever problems prevail upon your life whether it's your marriage your adult children or a scary legal battle God knows your situation and he can be trusted. That's not hyperbole that's a fact and it's the premise of Chuck Swindoll's encouraging book called Finding God When the World's on Fire and if you find yourself responding to impossible situations with fear then this book will help you. Chuck helps us understand how to replace our scariest moments with unwavering faith. It's based on the solid foundation of Psalms 11 and 46.

To request a copy of Finding God When the World's on Fire follow the simple instructions at insight.org slash offer. In closing on behalf of Chuck and all of us at Insight for Living Ministries I want to thank those who responded with a generous year-end gift. June 30th this past Wednesday marked the end of our financial year and your comments and your donations have been a tremendous encouragement to Chuck and the entire staff at Insight for Living Ministries. It's amazing to receive feedback from places all over the world. In fact when I last looked we had comments from your fellow listeners in places like Nigeria, Australia and Guam and of course all across this country too. In the event you missed the June 30th fiscal year-end deadline it's never too late to support nonprofit Bible teaching ministries. We welcome your support today. To give a generous financial gift call us. If you're listening in the U.S. dial 1-800-772-8888 or give online at insight.org. Join us again Monday when Chuck Swindoll resumes his message called Eating a Miracle for Dinner right here on Insight for Living. The preceding message Eating a Miracle for Dinner was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R Swindoll Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.