|
Only
Matthew 14:15-21
17.
They said to Him, “We have here only five loaves
and two fish.”
18.
And He said,
“Bring them here to
Me.”
Five thousand
men had gathered to hear Jesus. The hour was
late. The disciples came to Jesus pointing out
the obvious. They had a solution they considered
an impossible situation. Their solution was:
1.
This is a desert
place (v.15) . . . waste, lonesome, solitary,
empty.
2.
The hour is
already late (v.15).
3.
Send the crowd
away (v.15).
But Jesus had
another solution. 16. But Jesus said to them,
“They do not need to go
away; you give them something to eat!”
Note:
They said “buy for themselves (v.15); Jesus
said,
“you
give them… (v.16)
Jesus solution
presented a human crisis. 17. They said to
Him, “We have here
only five loaves and two fish.”
(They were
borrowed: John 6:9) – Go look at Mark
6:38.
Only-
It is an absolute
negation. It means nothing, not a thing, nothing
at all.
It is an absolute negation.
Jesus’ response: And He said,
“Bring them here to
Me.”
What a nothing
offering. 12 men bring 5 loaves
and 2 fishes to Jesus. What an
embarrassment! What a humiliation! It is “only”.
It is nothing. JESUS IS SAYING “BRING YOUR
NOTHING OFFERING TO ME.”
The question now
is: what will Jesus do with their Nothing
Offering? Note:
1.
HE ORDERED THE PEOPLE TO SIT DOWN (v.19).
Relax, get
ready a picnic. Desolate places don’t intimidate
Jesus. He will do the work.
2. HE TOOK THE FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH
(v.19). He accepted their “only”,
their nothing. Really, all I have to offer is “only”
- nothing. My righteousness, my works, and all
else I have are ‘onlys” – nothing.
3. HE LOOKED UP TO HEAVEN (v.19). They
looked at their “only”. He looked up to
Heaven. He had their “only”-nothing, but
He knows where to look. Where are you
looking?
4. HE BLESSED THE FOOD (v.19). Jesus
actually blessed their “only”.
Blessed- to
bless (thank or invoke a benediction upon,
prosper) pray God to bless to one’s use.
5. HE BROKE THE LOAVES (v.19). “And
breaking the loaves…"
continuous action. Note: Jesus broke their “only”.
6. HE GAVE (v.19). Jesus is a lavish
giver; He even gave a generous tip to the
servers (v.20b)
7. HE SATISFIED- Psalm 107:9- For
He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the
hungry soul He has filled with what is good.
“Only”
– Matthew 14:17-18: We need to bring our only(s)
to Jesus. The feeding of the five thousand:.
Five thousand men had met to hear Jesus. The
hour was late. The disciples, much like me, came
to Jesus pointing out the obvious to human eyes.
Their solution to what they considered an
impossible dilemma was: (1)This is a desolate
place (v.15): (2) The hour is already late
(v.15): (3) Send the crowd away (v.15).
But – the conjunction. When Jesus is around
there is always anther and better solution to
any dilemma regardless as to how impossible it
seems. Jesus said:
“They do not need to go
away; you give them something to eat”.
(v.16)
Jesus’ solution presented a human crisis. It
always does. They said to Him: “We have here “only”
five loaves and two fish.” Essentially
they were saying, “We have nothing, absolutely
nothing compared to the size and need to this
crowd of people”. It is an absolute negation.
So often I am like the disciples, my solution,
especially when it comes to preaching – feeding
the sheep is the same as theirs. I have “only”.
Nothing, not a thing. So I say. “This place is
desolate”, “the hour is already late”, “it’s too
late”, “send the crowd away”.
But there is another option, and a grand option
it is. It is to hear and obey Jesus. I need to,
and Lord help me to bring my “only”, my
absolutely nothing to Jesus. Jesus said,
“Bring them here to
Me”.
What a “nothing” offering! Twelve men bring five
loaves and two fish to Jesus. What an
embarrassment! What a humiliation! Five
loaves and two fish among 5,000 people. It is “only”.
From John’s account of feeding the 5,000, we
learn that it was a lad, not the disciples
themselves that had the 5 loaves and 2 fish
(John 6:1-14 – v.9). Truly the disciples had “only”-nothing.
Those 5 loaves and 2 fish were donated/
borrowed. Their offering of “only” was
not theirs. It was borrowed.
Personal
application:
How many times has the message I have preached
been borrowed.
Now, the question becomes, What will Jesus do
with this “only” offering?
He directed:
(1) First, He
ordered the people to sit down on the grass. He
didn’t point out how desolate the place was. Oh
yeah, in following Jesus, we often come to
desolate places. But, praise the Lord, desolate
places don’t intimidate Jesus. He just has you
sit down… relax… get ready for a picnic. He will
do the work.
(2) Second, “He
took the five loaves and two fish” (v.19).
Again, Praise the Lord, HE ACCEPTED THEIR "ONLY”
(nothing) offering. If I could just get it
through my thick scull, He always does accept
our “only”(nothing) offerings. In fact,
the truth is that’s all we really have to offer.
My best work, all my
works, my offerings, my gifts are just “onlys”-
nothings. But, how He loves to use my “only”.
(3) Third,
“Looking up toward Heaven” (v.19). That’s where
the disciples had not looked. They had not
looked up toward Heaven. They, like me, looked
at their “only”. Their nothing. We need
to emulate Jesus. When He took their “only”,
He had just their “only”; but He knew
where to look. “Looking up”… “toward Heaven”.
(4) Fourth, “He
blessed” (v.19). Jesus actually blessed their “only”.
(5) Fifth, He
broke the loaves (v.19) – “and breaking the
loaves…” Breaking expresses continuous action.
To the amazement of the disciples and the crowd,
continued to be broken. There were 5
loaves and 5,000 people. That equaled one
loaf to one thousand. That’s quite a miracle
when one considers the loaf was about the
size of a yeast roll one might buy in a
restaurant with a meal.
(6) Sixth, He gave
(v.19). Jesus is a lavish giver. “He gave
the loaves to the disciples and the disciples
gave them to the crowd”. There was no charge for
this meal, but, there was a generous tip for the
servers –the disciples. Each one got a basket
full (v.20).
(7) Seventh, He
satisfied. “They all ate and were
satisfied”. So it is with Jesus. He always
satisfies. He satisfied a multitude of 5,000 men
beside women and children with an offering of
“only” –nothing, absolutely
nothing.
Sometimes, like Jesus’ disciples, we too, feel
we have nothing, absolutely nothing to offer.
The place where we are is desolate; the hour is
already late; so send them away. Let them go.
Let them buy for themselves. Then we hear Jesus
say, “Bring them here to Me; bring Me your “only”-
your five loaves and two fish” – your “only”,
your nothing, I can satisfy multitudes with your
“only”.
Give Him your “only”.
|