·
Bethsaida was the hometown of at least 3 apostles… Simon
Peter, Andrew, & Phillip
·
There are 2 archaeological sites that may possibly
be Bethsaida.
·
In Mark he healed a blind man after walking him out
of this town
·
The name of this village of Bethsaida means “House
of the Hunt” and ironically, it was near here that the people hunted Jesus down
when he was on retreat with the Apostles.
·
Here in the ruins of Bethsaida archaeologists have
found what they call the
o
Fisherman’s House…
o
Winemaker’s House…
·
Jesus sent the apostles out from their home on a
mission. Upon their return he took them on a private retreat in a desolate
place outside of town.
·
When their “Retreat” was interrupted by crowds how
did Jesus respond? He welcomed them and fed them miraculously!
·
“You give them something to eat”… We only have so much to offer… but Jesus
is not limited by this.
Text: This week we’re
covering Luke 9:1-17 which contains the
first mission of the apostles, their return and report, their restful retreat
being crashed by a crowd of Jesus seekers, and then the miraculous feeding
miracle of over 5,000 from a few loaves and couple fish (a boy’s lunch). While
this section is well known, take time to read this passage carefully, and ask
the Holy Spirit to help you see it with fresh eyes.
Other passages to read: There are
parallel passages to these pericopes in the other gospels:
·
The 12 Apostles being sent out to minister (v.1-6): Matthew
10:5-15; Mark 6:7-13
·
Word about Jesus gets out to Herod (v.7-9): Matthew
14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29
·
5,000 Fed on Apostles' Return (v.10-17): Matthew
14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; John 6:1-15
Pastor Randy's Sermon Notes: "The
Making of A Miracle"
Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:
Read aloud Luke
9:10-17
1. A problem arises: What are we going to do?
“When Jesus
looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip,
"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this
only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip
answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one
to have a bite!" Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother,
spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish,
but how far will they go among so many?"
(John
6:5-9)
2. A Person is enlisted: “You give them something to eat”
3. A Plan is developed: What do you have?
“Be sure to
set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe
of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in
the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for
his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.” (Deuteronomy
14:22-23)
“While they
were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his
disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." (Mark 14:22)
“After the
people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely
this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that
they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain
by himself.”
(John 6:14-15)
Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:
- How does Jesus’ sending of the apostles out to
minister in power effect our lives and how we minister?
- Is Jesus still able to work miracles in the lives of
those that put their trust in him?
- Leading up to Luke 9:11 (also Mark 6:34; Matt.14:14),
what stresses and pressures had Jesus and his disciples experienced that
would cause them to go on a “retreat” and that makes Jesus’ response all
the more amazing? How would we respond in similar circumstances?
- What is the relationship between “brokenness” and “usefulness”
in this miraculous narrative?
- What did your reading of the parallel accounts of the feeding of the 5,000 add to your understanding of this miracle? Don’t let its familiarity short-change you…read it closely!
Questions to ask ourselves: The
following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about
Jesus…
- When Jesus sent his followers out to minister how did
he equip and prepare them?
- In the midst of my own needs, am I sensitive to the
needs of others?
- Is there something we have done in the past, a “Herod
moment,” that causes us to feel like we are living in a horror movie? Are
we getting jumpy, waiting for our past to pop up saying, “I’m back”? If
so, take time right now to confess it to Jesus Christ and ask for
forgiveness. He is not our accuser; rather, he is our Advocate and
Redeemer, if we will put our life into his nail-scarred hands.
- Have we heard Jesus say to us, “You give them
something to eat” when we become aware of human need around us? What do we
do when our own efforts are inadequate to the needs Jesus calls us to meet?
- Am I willing to ask Jesus to help me? Are we willing to be broken like the bread in order to be a blessing?
Commentary & Quotes:
This week's journaling blog focuses on v. 1-6. For devotional insights on that section you might want to read the related post at http://b4LukeJournal.blogspot.com
Here are a couple of longer commentary quotes on the feeding of the 5,000 from resources we have already recommended.
12-14a "Only when
viewed against the backdrop of Jesus’ prior instructions to the twelve does
their request to him seem odd. Their location in the rural environs of
Bethsaida3° places them in close proximity to the possibility of food and
lodging; why not take advantage of it? Jesus, however, had earlier instructed his
disciples to take no bread on the journey (v. 3); thus they were counseled to
carry on the divine mission while trusting in divine benefaction and resources.
Had they not trusted and been successful earlier? If one reaches further back
into the Lukan narrative, one remembers Jesus’ instructions on Simon’s boat
that had led to a miraculous catch of fish (5:1-l I). If he was able to provide
then, why not now? Even further back in the memory is Elisha’s instructions to
feed a hundred people with five barley loaves and fresh ears of grain (2 Kings
4:42-44). the potential relevance of which is underscored by Luke’s earlier use
of Elisha-material to portray Jesus (e.g., 4:27).
In light of their present location in the “wilderness,”
memories of God’s provision of manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16; Numbers 11)
might also be activated. In light of these narrative realities, could the
twelve not continue to trust now, even if these fresh circumstances presented
obstacles more severe than those they had yet faced? Against such a backdrop,
the extraordinary nature of their request to send the crowd away is seen in
their lack of any vocalized expectation that Jesus might be able to provide for
their needs."
(Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (NICNT), Eerdmans, 1997,
363.)
"...Jesus has other plans. He makes the disciples initiate the provision of hospitality by getting the people to sit down in groups--a clear signal that they are going to be fed. Then invoking heaven, blessing, breaking the loaves and fishes, he miraculously makes it possible for the Twelve to feed the entire multitude. And feed them they do--not merely adequately but so abundantly that even after all were filled they were able to gather twelve basketfuls of broken pieces.
Noteworthy in this episode is that Jesus does not himself deal directly with the crowd. Rather, he makes it possible for the Twelve to provide hospitality that initially they found so daunting. In this and many other aspects the episode is loaded with symbolism for the life of the later Church." (Brendan Byrne, The Hospitality of God: A Reading of Luke's Gospel, Litergical Press, 2000, 85.)
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