Enough for All

Background Scripture: Matthew 15
Lesson Scripture: Matthew 15:29-38

Introduction

When the prodigal son began to be in want, he thought back to his father’s house where there was more than enough for all. God’s blessings are never so sparse that they must be hoarded. When Jesus broke the bread and fish, there was enough not only for his disciples but also for everyone present. God wants us to trust Him for our needs. When we catch the vision that God supplies all our needs and that his riches are boundless, we can freely share with others as we receive.

Key Verse

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Jesus did not need a grand cathedral or colosseum; his auditorium was a mountainside with the Sea of Galilee in the background. God provided the sunshine and the clear air so everyone could see while the quietness of the gentle mountain slope and the calm sea afforded the acoustics, enabling everyone to hear Jesus’s words. God in his omnipotence provided this ideal setting for his Son to minister to the hearts of men. The disciples and the people marveled as they witnessed the power of Jesus answering to every need that was presented to Him. There was enough power and grace to heal them all.

Jesus understood the human senses of hunger and fatigue and valued the people’s three days of fasting. They had been so anxious to see and hear his works and words. Jesus presented the challenge of attending to the needs of this crowd to the disciples. This was to show his compassion and concern for the people’s physical needs and to teach them that in their responsibilities as his disciples, they needed to rely on Him. The responsibility of feeding 4000 hungry men plus the women and children must have seemed insurmountable to them. They did not have financial means to purchase enough food, and neither could they simply disperse the crowd. Try to imagine their feelings as they consulted with Jesus in their dilemma of fulfilling his request.

What went through their minds as He divided the seven loaves with a few small fish among them and sent them to go and feed the multitude? It would have equaled about 350 hungry men plus their families for each disciple to feed. How their faith in Jesus must have been tested as they faced the crowd with their portion, and how the people must have marveled as they saw each disciple come with a part of a loaf of bread and some fish to feed them, but they all ate, were satisfied, and then counted the leftovers. Jesus wanted his disciples to realize how little they had in reserve to feed the people, but when He blessed what they had to offer, there was enough for everyone.

According to the verses in Matthew that refer to this account, the people that were gathered here were not just Jews. The Bible says they came from far, and Jesus was in the gentile region of Tyre and Sidon, which was not the main part of Jewry. It does not make a difference who people are or where they are from—Jesus has compassion on them. Probably what further invoked Jesus’s consideration of this crowd was their earnest desire to stay with Him. He not only fed them; they were satisfied. The fact that they gathered seven baskets of leftovers proves that they were well satisfied. These baskets were likely large enough to hold about fifty loaves and probably was the same kind used to lower the apostle Paul down the city wall in his escape from Damascus.

The people had been with Jesus for three days and had seen many miracles. They were ready to listen even to what the disciples told them. When they were told to sit down, they sat down. Could they all see to witness Jesus taking the bread and fish and blessing it? Did some comment that the little bit of food would never be enough for everyone? The power of God did not hinge on what people thought, nor has it ever been so.

Practical Truths for Today

When we surrender our aspirations, convictions, and hopes to God, He takes the few fish and loaves of our feeble efforts and multiplies them to meet the need at hand. We may read one verse in the Bible, and the Holy Spirit multiplies it to feed us. When we rely on God for strength, wisdom, and endurance, He will fill our need. A Christian need never starve spiritually. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).

We may refer to songs like “Grace, Enough for Me” 1 and console ourselves by saying God understands and expects us to sin even after we have been converted. While it is true our flesh is prone to sin, we are not powerless. God is able to do great miracles when we make small, right choices. Paul’s experience was that God’s grace was sufficient in his weakness. The Bible says that with every temptation there is a way of escape. As we realize our weakness, the need to rely on God gives us the strength to overcome. God has enough grace for each child of his to live a victorious, happy Christian life.

When someone who has been far from God repents and finds forgiveness, we may wonder, “Will there be enough grace to sustain them after living a life of sin?” We can reach out to others with a positive attitude to assure them that if they turn to God in true repentance and full commitment, there is grace for forgiveness and grace to live a Christian life.

As husbands and fathers, we feel the responsibility to provide for the material needs of our family. We do this in faith that God will help us and bless our efforts. As we endeavor to exercise our abilities to accomplish that responsibility and then encounter difficulty and setback, our efforts can seem inadequate and futile. Like the disciples faced with the impossible duty of feeding the crowd, we need to commit the problem to the Lord and then act on the guidance He gives. In their occupation of fishing, the disciples had toiled all night when Jesus came on the scene. With a little alteration in their technique, their efforts were blessed abundantly. Was their toiling all night in vain? Not necessarily, for God wants us to actively apply ourselves. When God sees our serious and humble effort, He will provide for us. Trusting Him also plays a big part in allowing Him to help us.

Jesus uses simple things like bread and fish to work miracles through his people. The material provisions of life and those things which are needful yet have no spiritual value are a conduit through which God can display his endless power. Jesus’s compassion never fails; his heart is toward each sinner who repents. Likewise, we can bestow the compassion that we have received from Jesus upon our fellow man regardless of their status. Love, compassion, and understanding care can transform someone’s life and begin the miracle of salvation. We are placed here to glorify God and can do so when we have faith in God’s abundant power. Instead of seeing the impossibility of a situation, may we see an opportunity to share the message: Jesus is the answer!

Questions

1. What are the main reasons for losing confidence in God?
2. Do we only experience the miracle of God’s provision when we have nothing?
3. Discuss abounding grace in an age where iniquity abounds and love grows cold. See Matthew 24:12; Romans 5:20; and 2 Timothy 3:1-7, 13.
4. 1 E. O. Excell, Christian Endeavor Songs No. 1
5. Unsubscribe

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).