Sermon(Mt 14:13-21): The miracle of five loaves of bread and two fish
The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025222291
Scripture reading:
> 13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Mt 14:13-21) <
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The miracles that Jesus did symbolize the works of Jesus himself. For example, Jesus made water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. This symbolizes his work to change man essentially. A sinner becomes a righteous man if he believes in Jesus. If those who have lived as the servants of Devil believe in Jesus, they will receive the Holy Spirit and become children of God. Water can only quench people's thirst, but wine not only quenches their thirst but also gives them joy and new strength. Likewise, when a man believes in Jesus as his Savior, his heart is filled with peace and joy, and he obtains the strength to live according to God's will. The word of God 'Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! without money and without price (Is 55:1)' was fulfilled through Jesus. Anyone, if he comes to Jesus, will strangely have more joy in his life than people of the world have when they drink wine.
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It was not a meaningless miracle that Jesus worked in the wilderness. This miracle today symbolizes that Jesus is the bread of life that came down from heaven. >Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. (Jn 6:35)"< My brethren, you can't have an eternal full stomach with such teachings as men such as Sakyamuni and Muhammad give. The bread of life that can give you eternal life is only Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. There is no other bread of eternal life. There is no other lessons. only Jesus who is a Person in the Trinity can give you eternal life, for he is the eternal life and the true life. Sakyamuni and Muhammad died and were buried and became soil. They are not the lords of eternal life, the evidence of which is that they also died and decayed as other ordinary people. But Jesus, the bread of life that gives us eternal life, resurrected three days after suffering and dying on behalf of humans, so proved thereby that he himself was the resurrection and eternal life. By believing only him as the Savior can we have eternal life and eternal satisfaction of fullness. only Jesus eternally gives you the joy like wine. only Jesus who gave thousands of people ample bread can solve the thirst and hunger of mankind forever.
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But Jesus didn't work these miracles at any time lest people should misunderstand the purpose of his coming into the world. "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. (Jn 6:26)" The Devil appeared to Jesus who had fasted for 40 days, and said, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. (Mt 4:3)" My brethren, has the Son of God, the Creator, come into the world in order to make stones into bread when he is hungry to eat it, and to show off his amazing ability to people? Of course, no! Such a test can seduce only kindergarten children. Jesus Christ is not one who can be seduced by such an easy test. My brethren, Jesus didn't come into the world to make you rich in the world. It is definitely true! So you should never complain at every prayer time that you are living below the average standard of living! You have a thought that Devil who advises human beings to make stones into bread has given you, if you as a Christian feel ashamed of poverty and think it's a curse. 'If you are a Christian, a son of God, isn't it natural for you to be always rich and healthy?' - a demonic thought. The Scripture presents us the condition for giving thanks to God: >if you have clothes to wear and bread to eat today<. "There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (1 Tim 6:6-8)" My brethren, do not too discouraged that you don't have an apartment in this world. Are you going to spend all your time acquiring apartment, and to do God's work after the age of 60? If you go to heaven, you can have a luxurious big apartment; so you'd better first work hard for the kingdom of God here. "For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17)" "Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me. (Phil 4:11-13)" Jesus could do all God the Father entrusted to him without fasting 40 days; nevertheless he suffered such hardship to join the life of the hungry and poor people and to comfort and encourage them. It is like a president making a surprise visit to the soldiers on the battlefield and giving them a boost. Brethren, even if we are hungry and poor, let's be patient a little more. Jesus, our Savior, is in the heaven, where he is preparing our eternal dwelling places. Maybe Jesus' 40-day-fast is as important as his death on the cross. Think of it deeply.
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When does Jesus work such great miracle as the miracle of five loaves of bread and two fish? Jesus never makes bread from stones. Ladies and Gentlemen, do not seek blessings or eternal life by human dolls made of stone. It is really a very childish superstition. Jesus made wine from water. But we must not forget that the water was something edible. But it's a kind of religious fraud to make eatable bread with uneatable stone. To make bread out of nothing rather makes a little sense. But to make bread with stone devaluates the real bread in the world. It disturbs the order of creation of God. God makes things better and newer with what man has now. John the Baptist says, "Bear fruit that befits repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. (Mt 3:8, 9)" John is saying to those children of Devil who, born Israelite and circumcised, do not keep the law of God, that they should not think themselves to be descendants of Abraham. However, my brethren, it is a contradiction in itself for a stone to be changed into an offspring of Abraham. The descendants of Abraham are only those who have inherited his genes. There is no temporal interruption in the process of the transmission of life.
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God does not change stones into obedient human beings and give them eternal life. God teaches the offsprings of Abraham, imperfect human beings, makes them into new creatures, and gives them eternal life; because it is meaningless to change stones into meek and submissive humans and to give them eternal life. God divided the Red Sea into two by Moses' staff directed to the sea. God commanded Israelites to go around the city of Jericho and conquered the city. Likewise God received five loaves of bread and two fish from a child and fed thousands of people with it. Yes! God makes a mustard seed grow like a tree. This is the law of God. In general, God makes >the best thing for human beings< out of >the best thing they have<. By doing so, God gives great glory and praise to those who have given their best thing to God even though it is not so valuable. In the biblical text, Jn 6:9, we see a beautiful faith and devotion in the child who offered five loaves of bread and two fish to the Lord. What a beautiful devotion! He himself was hungry, but offered the humble meal to share it with thousands of hungry people. This is a faith like a mustard seed. Multiply 10,000 by 1, and you'll get 10,000. However, if you multiply 0 by the infinity, you'll get 0. God's ability is infinite, but how can he work a miracle if you have not a faith like a mustard seed on which he works the miracle by his omnipotence? So Jesus tells that you must have faith, although it may be small like a mustard seed. See what is needed to the church and the pastor. Use your money and ability for them for good purpose. If you have no money to help them with, pray for them. If you can not afford to serve them materially, say to them words of warm consolation and encouragement. If you produce your mustard seeds in that way, God will work miracles through them to make the church and your home prosper. Do not be a black hole that sucks out and removes all the grace and strength of the church. We must be a font of God's grace, love and strength.
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Jesus replied to the disciples' suggestion that every one should buy bread for himself, "You, give them something to eat!" I think God has given humans a lot of ability to solve problems. All human beings all over the world can produce more foods than they all need. Humans have the means to eliminate war in the world. They have also the wisdom to wipe out all the dirty psychotic and decadent culture and drug-culture of the world. But they do not use the wisdom and strength. Some are keeping many clothes not worn for many years in their wardrobe while others are living in cold without clothes. Many people and their puppies are obese while hundreds of millions of people die from starvation. Saints of Korean churches have wisdom and ability to purify the church, establish the order of the church and make a gracious Christian atmosphere. But Korean churches are ignoring the corruption of the church. They do not use the wisdom and power that Jesus gave them, but they have the church rotting. Jesus says, "You can solve your problems by the wisdom and power I have given you. So use your wisdom and your power to solve your problem." Do not sit by and watch the problems in the society and the workplaces and in churches and homes. Do not only pray and expect a help from God without doing something yourself. Put what you have prayed God into practice with your wisdom and ability!
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Jesus wants to give himself to humans more than the bread that can only fill the stomach. >So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (Jn 6:53, 54)< This word would seem strange to Non-Christians. These verses mean that those who believe that Jesus' wounds and blood-shedding on the cross are the suffering for themselves and who believe in him as their Savior will gain the eternal life. We must have the faith like mustard seed and 'five loaves of bread and two fish' in order that we may be blessed with that blessing. The mind longing for the eternal life Jesus gives is a faith of mustard seed, and accepting Jesus' promise of eternal life without one's haughtiness and knowledge and logic is a faith of 'five loaves of bread and two fish'. My brethren, please believe in Jesus and obtain the everlasting life.
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May the Lord Jesus bless all your good faith and devotion so that you may have abundant fruit, and give you the mind of satisfaction in all circumstances so that you may live a life without want.
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Chong Tack Kim
- Dongtoma Sunshine Church -
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