Our 7 loaves and a few little fish for 4000
In the passage of Matthew 15:29–39 (NKJV), we read that Jesus performed a miracle with just 7 loaves and a few little fish to feed a crowd of 4000 (and more).
To most of us, the principle of this miracle we take away is that God can multiply the little we have in our hands for His purpose and glory, and this still stands as the truth.
However, let’s break down the passage in depth so that we can learn even more from this powerful event. The details extracted are the elements for us to breakthrough 4000 as a church. #HOGC4000.
34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”
1. What are our 7 loaves?
More than just physical food, the 7 loaves and a few little fish have symbolic references to our lives today.
7 is the biblical number of completion and we have 7 days in a week. The loaves are probably barley loaves. Barley is the first grain to be harvested in the Spring, and the feast of unleavened bread celebrates the first fruits of the barley harvest.
Putting 7 days and first fruits together, I believe for us, God is telling us to give him the 7 days of each week in our lives so that he can use them for His purpose and glory. 7 days do not mean the quantity of time but our hearts and minds. Do we carry the heart of our God, the burden and vision of our church through the days of the week?
Barley loaves are labouriously harvested back in the days of Jesus, but the Jewish people dedicated these first fruits to God. As we work through the 7 days of the week, are we simply consume in our own lives or do we set aside our precious time for the things of God? Do we put the first things first in our lives?
2. What are our few little fish?
Unlike barley loaves which are harvested, fish are caught. Jesus said to Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother in Matthew 4:19 (NKJV):
Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Fish is the symbol of evangelism in the bible, and here I believe God is challenging us to catch the heart of evangelism. Do we have a heart of love and compassion for our families, our friends and others?
If we tie together these 2 questions into one main question, this will be it.
Do we have a lifestyle of evangelism?
A lifestyle is not just a task or a job to accomplish. Our lifestyle is the 24/7 worth of time each week.
In the epic tale of the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo confessed his struggle to Gandalf:
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
So, what do we do with this time that we have right now?
It is also interesting to know further down in the passage that the disciples were the ones who offered the 7 loaves and the few little fish. The disciples gave what they had, but notice this:
36 And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.
Jesus performed the miracle, but He chose his disciples as the agent of His miracle, the distributor of the miracle. Being God, He could have simply snapped His fingers or waved His hands and caused the congregation present to be delivered meal, but He didn’t. Just as the disciples could only give as they received from Jesus, God is challenging us to give Him what we have and He will use us to make a difference and an impact in the lives of the people around us.
Our time dedicated and our hearts committed are the catalysts to the miracles of God, and with that, we become the agents of change for God and His kingdom. Simply put, our obedience and sacrifice move the heart and hands of God.
The miracle does not stop here if we continue to read on in Matthew 15:37 (NKJV):
37 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.
When we give our best to God in our time, talents, gifts and even money, He will never shortchange us. From offering 7 loaves, what came back were 7 large baskets in abundance. We can never out-give God for He does things far beyond what can be imagined.
As we believe and have faith for #HOGC4000, let’s first reflect and act on the 4 main principles we gleaned in the the miracle of Jesus feeding the 4000:
- Give our time, energy, talents, gifts, money to God.
- Catch the heart of evangelism.
- When we give what we have, God will use us as a conduit of His miracle.
- When we give our best, God will not shortchange us as He will bless us with overflowing abundance.
Let’s give our 7 loaves and a few little fish so that God can bring in the 4000. Let’s give our best 4 0ur friends 0ur families and 0thers!
