Bring It To Jesus (Lk. 9:7-17)
Evaluations are a necessary part of any meaningful work. While it’s not always received well, because frankly, there’s always something that can be improved on. If done well, it creates a huge opportunity for improvement and growth.
Like many of you, I have an annual doctor's appointment where my doctor evaluates my health. He pokes and prods. He asks tons of questions. He has my blood drawn and he makes suggestions or recommendations about ways that I can improve my overall well-being. I used to be one of those people who avoided going to the doctor. Why? Because if I go he’s going to find something wrong with me and I didn’t want that bad news. I have since learned to appreciate those appointments.
Those annual visits have helped to identify issues in my health, both seen and unseen. And they have also helped me to live a healthier life as I have followed my doctor’s instructions.
The story of the feeding of the 5k is not that different. The disciples are going to have their faith evaluated by Jesus and what they will discover will be of great benefit to them as they continue to declare the kingdom of God wherever Jesus sends them.
So, grab your Bibles and let’s pick up at verse ten.
Return, Report, Rest (Lk. 9:10-11)
Luke 9:10–11 NKJV
10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.
Report
As we learned last week, the disciples of Jesus have been making their rounds in the hospitals of their surrounding region. Now, with that assignment completed, they return and report on all of their encounters. They told Jesus about the lepers who were cleansed. They told Him about the blind who could see the glory of God and the deaf who could hear the message of the Lord’s salvation. They told Him of the cripple jumping for joy and the mute praising God audibly. They spoke of the sicknesses that had been cured and the dead who got a taste of resurrection life. I can only imagine how electric that reunion must have been as they shared stories of heaven meeting earth—God's kingdom power and authority at work through them.
Testimonies are powerful.
We put a lot of emphasis on sharing our testimonies with those who are not yet members of the Body of Christ, and that is certainly important. Think of the Samaritan woman at the well who invited the people of the city to
John 4:29 NKJV
29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
Because of her testimony, others were drawn to the Savior. While our personal stories are crucial for calling those in darkness into the marvelous light of Christ, there is equal value in the testimonies we share with one another as Believers. Scripture frequently instructs us to encourage the body of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NKJV
11 ...comfort...and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
This is why the author of Hebrews cautions against the festering of unbelief in our hearts and challenges us to combat that with daily and mutual encouragement.
Hebrews 3:12–13 NKJV
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Psalm 145:3–4 MSG
3 God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness.
4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts.
Share the hope that you have in Christ, not just for the salvation of the lost, but also for the steadfastness of the faithful.
Rest
Not only are we to report on what God has done in our lives, but there comes a time when we also need to rest.
This is the way Mark tells us what happened.
Mark 6:30–31 NKJV
30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.
31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
This kind of reminds me of my wedding day. Maybe this is true for others as well. There was so much activity taking place at the reception, so many people stopping by to congratulate us, that we really didn’t even have time to sit down and eat the food that was prepared for us.
As the multitudes were rushing in, Jesus intervened and called the disciples to take a break from their ministering. Jesus did not call these guys to be workaholics and so He steps in to receive the multitude and ministers to them Himself while the disciples recuperate. They had been taking care of kingdom business and now they needed to take a breather.
Rest is one of the most repeated invitations in the Bible, yet it is among the hardest practice for many people to adopt. Rest is what the Bible often refers to as Sabbath.
If you recall, Yahweh Himself rested after creating the world, leaving us an example to follow (Gen. 2:1). Moses instructed the Children of Israel to remember and observe the Sabbath (Ex. 20:8; Deut. 5:12). Later Jesus shared that the Sabbath was intended as a gift for mankind (Mk. 2:27).
If there’s one thing that we need to learn as a society, it’s how to rest.
Matthew 11:28–30 MSG
28 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
29 Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
30 Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Isaiah 30:15 NKJV
15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not,
The language of Sabbath can be found in almost every book of the Bible and it’s one of the most immediate ways that we can show our faith in God. Our refusal to rest says that we don’t trust that the Father will take care of our needs and therefore, if my needs are going to be met, then it’s on me.
I need to stress over it if it’s going to change.
I need to work harder if it’s going to happen.
I need to pull some strings to get it done.
Whether you know it or not, our failure or refusal to rest comes from the same deceptive mind of the serpent that was at work in the Garden. It says God is withholding something good from you.
Susannah Heschel, daughter of Jewish theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel shares this thought on the significance of Sabbath.
Sanctifying the Sabbath is part of our imitation of God, but it also becomes a way to find God’s presence.[1]
She also quotes her father in this way,
“‘Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul. The world has our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else.’” [2]
Tested (Lk. 9:12-17)
Luke 9:12–17 NKJV
12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”
13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.”
14 For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”
15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17 So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
There are two miracles that are recorded in all four gospels, the resurrection being one and the other is this story about the feeding of the multitudes. Each author gives us a slightly different perspective on what took place which actually helps to fill in the gaps.
Ok, so let’s break this down.
This event about the feeding of the 5k (probably 10k+) takes place shortly after Jesus finds out that His cousin John has been beheaded by Herod. John's disciples are actually the ones to deliver the sad news to Jesus.
Matthew 14:12–13 NKJV
12 Then [John’s] disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
Matthew and Mark are the only ones to say that Jesus had compassion on the multitude (Mt. 14:14; Mk. 6:34). Mark tells us that the reason Jesus enters into their suffering is because
Mark 6:34 ESV
34 ...they were like sheep without a shepherd.
They’re aimless. Wandering in search of spiritual sustenance. So, Jesus takes this opportunity to do the very things He sent His disciples out to do just days before. He heals their sick and He teaches them about the kingdom of God. Well, as the sun begins to set and evening approaches, the disciples become concerned about how everybody’s going to eat and where they are going to sleep.
Luke 9:12 NKJV
12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”
This seems logical. However, what is logical isn’t always what is faithful. It isn’t always true. It may not align with the plans and purposes of God.
Isaiah 55:8–9 NKJV
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Jesus doesn’t agree with His disciples. He has another idea,
Luke 9:13 NKJV
13 “You give them something to eat.”
Think about this for a moment. These guys have just returned from a mission where Jesus sent them out empty-handed. He told them to bring no food, no knapsack, and no money. How does He expect them to feed this massive group of people? What are they to give them for food? And who has enough money to purchase food? That’s exactly what Philip wants to know. He says that 200 denarii, almost a year’s wage, couldn’t provide enough food for everyone to get a nibble (Jn. 6:7). But John says that Jesus was trying to evaluate them.
John 6:6 NKJV
6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
But I can’t help wondering if He isn’t calling them to accomplish this with the same power and authority He gave them over demons, death, and disease earlier. Now He challenges them to use the power and authority over deficiency.
The only food available is 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. I couldn’t feed this congregation with that little food. This is a massive problem. A God-sized problem. It’s interesting that neither Matthew, Mark, nor Luke says where the 5 loaves and 2 fish came from. John is the only one who shares that a little boy provided these things (Jn. 6:1-14). It’s actually Andrew, one of the twelve who tells us this.
Leon Morris points out the trouble that many skeptics have with this story.
“This is the one miracle, apart from the resurrection, recounted in all four Gospels. Clearly it made a special appeal to the early church. But some in more recent times have found difficulty with it. They have suggested that perhaps the ‘miracle’ took place in people’s hearts. When Jesus’ disciples prepared to share all they had, others were ashamed and produced the food they had with them but had not wanted to share. When they did so there proved to be more than enough.”[3]
The problem with this is that Jesus actually sent the disciples throughout the crowd looking for food and all they came up with was a boy’s lunch. Upon discovery,
Matthew 14:18 MSG
18 Jesus said, “Bring them here.”
Then He blesses the items, breaks them and hands them to the disciples to distribute to the crowd. The disciples keep coming back to get more and like a magician pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, the fish and bread keeps coming until everybody is filled with enough leftovers for twelve baskets.
A couple thoughts come to mind that challenges me in my walk of faith with the Lord. First, what would’ve happened if that little boy hadn’t given up what he had? What if he insisted, “I only have enough for me to eat.” The second thought is this, what if Andrew would’ve ignored the young boy and his lunch? Would if he had turned his nose up at such a seemingly insignificant offering? What if he said, “That’s too small?” Or “It’s not even worth mentioning?” If either of those things would’ve happened they would’ve missed out on one of the greatest miracles ever performed and they would’ve missed an opportunity for their faith to increase because, like the boy’s lunch, their faith was too small (Matthew 16:8-10; see also Matthew 6:30; 14:31).
Yahweh says in the book of Malachi,
Malachi 3:10 NKJV
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
Usually this verse is quoted in regards to money and it has been hijacked by money-hungry preachers who line their pockets by taking advantage of the impoverished and the gullible. However, I’m convinced that this principle of trusting Yahweh with what we have, like the little boy did, applies not just to financial giving, but to giving in general. It applies to the giving of our time, talents, and treasures. To the giving of our whole selves to Christ and it applies to whatever we give to God in faith. Trust God with it and He’ll bless it.
As humans have this uncanny ability to place limitations on the God of abundance. To look into the face of the Omnipotent and still conclude, it can’t be done.
How often does someone judge what God is able to do based on the size or the amount of what they have to offer? Don’t judge God’s capability by your capacity.
You don’t think God can take your mustard seed of faith and provide a harvest that surpasses your wildest imagination?
You don’t think God can take your small obedience and turn it into deliverance?.
...your limited resources and multiply them like loaves and fish?
You don’t think God can take your broken pieces and craft a testimony that inspires generations?
...your quiet yes and shake the foundations of what you thought was possible?
...your hidden struggle and transform it into healing that overflows to others?
...your pain and turn it into rejoicing?
...your simple prayer for help and bring life from it?
He can do much more than that!
But you need to bring whatever you have to Him and trust Him for the outcome. Not the outcome that you want, rather, trust Him for the outcome that brings Him the most glory. That grows your faith the most and results in bringing dead things to life.
Feeding the 10k+ was a test. Would they make the mistake of thinking that the power and authority they exercised was theirs or would they acknowledge Jesus as the Sovereign Benefactor? Would they have more faith in what made sense, or would they rely on Christ to meet their every need? These questions are for you and me as much as they were for the disciples.
According to Chuck Swindoll,
“They had indeed received power and authority from the Messiah to carry out His ministry, but only as they continually came to Him for provision. Their power to proclaim, to heal, and to cast out demons could never be separated from ongoing dependence upon the Master. The formula remains sound to this day. He is the supply; His disciples are the conduit.”[4]
If Jesus can turn 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish into a buffet that feeds nearly 10k people, what limits Him from reaching your rebellious child? What limits Him from saving your marriage? What’s keeping Him from turning your troubled life into a testimony of grace?
1 Peter 5:7 NKJV
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Bring whatever you have to the All-Sufficient God who is more than able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that you ask, think, or imagine.
Philippians 4:19 NKJV
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Respond
It’s important that we have our faith evaluated so that we grow stronger in our willingness and ability to trust God in every area of our lives. We shouldn’t measure the Lord’s ability based on what we have to offer. Instead, we should judge His ability by His track record of turning “not enough” into more than enough. We should evaluate His ability based on who He is—unlimited, sovereign, and never constrained by our scarcity. Often those evaluations will come at times when circumstances seem humanly insurmountable. But, as Mary said when she was informed of the Lord’s plan to bring a Savior through her before marriage,
Luke 1:37 NKJV
37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Tre Clark
Britton Christian Church
7/16/2026
[1] Susannah Heschel, The Sabbath, xii
[2] Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath, xv
[3] Leon Morris, Luke: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 3, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 184–185.
[4] Charles Swindoll, Living Insights: Luke, p249
