Scripture Portion : Matt. 14:13-21
They need not depart; give ye them to eat” (Matt. 14:16). Our Lord revealed a great mystery in this simple statement. The disciples were some — what puzzled at that time. They saw a great multitude, which had been with the Lord Jesus for three days. They had come to see His miracles and hear Him speak, but now the disciples were feeling very sorry for them, because they were so many and were in a desert place. “And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals” (Matt. 14:15). This shows that the disciples were helpless to meet the needs of the multitude. First, it was evening time; and second, it was a desert place. The disciples could not see any possibility of the multitude receiving food. Naturally they were feeling truly sorry for them, and that is why they came to the Lord Jesus Christ with a suggestion. Perhaps they consulted one another as to what they should suggest to the Lord Jesus Christ. They might have thought that the Lord had no concern for the hunger of the multitude, so they were hoping He would send them away while it was still day, for these people were far from home and could get no food in the desert. So out of sympathy for the people, they brought what they thought was a practical suggestion or proposal to the Lord Jesus Christ. They said in effect, “Will You please stop preaching, and performing miracles, and ask the people to go home, or to nearby villages to buy food? Let them come tomorrow for more teaching and miracles”. Our Lord answered clearly, “They need not depart; give ye them to eat”. What was the Lord saying? He asked them to do two difficult things; “They need not depart, give ye them to eat”. The disciples were looking at the circumstances and asking the Lord to let them go. But our Lord wanted them to provide food forthe multitude. They were still more puzzled as to how they, who were few in number, and with no resources, could give such a vast multitude to eat - they were about 5,000 people, besides women and children.
Those who are born again, and can truthfully and honestly say that the Lord Jesus Christ has become their personal Saviour, are expected to give bread to the hungry people around them. Wherever we may live, whether in a village or in a city, we meet many spiritually hungry people. We see them doing deeds of shame and living in darkness and defeat. We naturally feel sorry for them and like these disciples we try to suggest that they go somewhere in order to be fed spiritually. But human advice will not satisfy such hunger. It is a human tendency to send such needy ones somewhere else; but our Lord's command to all of us is, “Give ye them to eat”. We who have received the bread of life from the Lord Jesus Christ, have with us plenty of bread to offer those who are hungry and thirsty. They may not accept our offer, but we have the privilege to offer what we have, and the Lord can use us to satisfy the hunger of others. In verse 17 the disciples said, “...We have here but five loaves, and two fishes”. On the one hand they saw the multitude and its need, and on the other hand they realized that they had nothing to meet that need. It is only when we confess our poverty, when we know exactly what our true inward spiritual condition is, that the hunger of others can be satisfied. But when we think we have plenty to give, we cannot satisfy the hungry and helpless, and we cannot be of use to the Lord.
Then the Lord commanded, “Bring them hither to me”. They had acknowledged their poverty. Now whatever little they had they brought to Lord Jesus Christ, even though there were only five loaves and two fishes. Unless He blesses these things they cannot be multiplied. We have got to learn the lesson, that whatsoever we have, and howsoever little it may be, it must be brought to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ in simple faith. “Lord, even though I am feeling weak and empty, I bring everything to Thee. I do not know what to say or how to say. Lord, please use me entirely for Thyself”. In the same way, whatever money you have, do not hesitate to give itto the Lord. That is God's way of using us. But whenever we try to use what we have for ourselves, we find that no matter how much we get, it does not satisfy. If we try to use our wisdom, knowledge and strength, we fail. By faith we have to bring to the Lord all that we possess, and allow Him to bless and use it.
Once the bread and fish were brought to the Lord, He commanded the multitude to sit down by companies. In Mark 6:40 we read, “And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties”. Here we see divine order. It was not an easy job to control that vast crowd and serve them food. So, before they began to distribute the loaves, the Lord commanded the multitude to sit down in order. We cannot do the work of God without order. Generally, whenever we want to help others, people donot like divine order. They rebel against God's Word. But we have got to see that divine order is maintained whenever we seek to serve God. It was a large, hungry and mixed multitude, but the Lord commanded them to sit down on the grass. We must always follow divine order, if we want hungry people to be fed and to be satisfied. Our God is the God of order, and we must learn to work in divine order, and to see that it is maintained.
There is a simple secret for maintaining order in the House of God, and that is, to show reverence and respect. If you have learned how to behave yourself in the House of God, how to kneel and show reverence to God, you will learn divine order. God's servants must learn how to come into God's order, for it is only then that you will find God's blessings. The Lord commanded the multitude to sit down, and it appears that men sat on one side, and women and children on the other, because men were about 5,000. God has an order for family life, for church life, and even for ordinary Sunday gatherings. In every ministry divine order has to be maintained.
When divine order is maintained, God adds His blessing. The Lord looked up to heaven and blessed the bread and brake it. Unless food is blessed by God it cannot satisfy. However you must believe that God blesses whenever you claim that blessing. Most Christians have the habit of saying grace before they have food, but they do not believe that God has heard their prayer and blessed the food, because they seem to get much more joy in mutton than in dal. If you believe that the Lord has blessed your food, you will get equal joy in any kind of food. Most husbands pray solemnly, God bless the food”, but then they scold their wives if there is no mutton or fish, or if something is not cooked according to their taste. I can say that from the time the Lord saved me, I do not worry about my food.
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Bakht Singh (1903 - 2000)
He is often regarded as one of the most well-known bible teachers and preachers and pioneers of the Indian Church movements. He was India's foremost evangelist, preacher and indigenous church planter who founded churches based on New Testament principles. He began a worldwide indigenous church-planting movement in India that eventually saw more than 10,000 local churches. Norman Grubb missionary statesman, author and teacher: "In all my missionary experience I think these churches on their New Testament foundations are the nearest I have seen to a replica of the early church and a pattern for the birth and growth of the young churches in all the countries which we used to talk about as mission fields."Life of prayer. Brother Bakht Singh was a man of prayer. He spent hours upon his knees in communion with the Lord seeking the Lord's mind regarding His will concerning the work and ministry. Therefore, the Lord also honored him and blessed him beyond any human understanding. This is one of the reasons why the Lord has used him so mightily for the edification of His Body and for the extension of His glorious kingdom both in India and abroad.