The lid of another empty picnic basket swished silently closed, as disappointment washed over the owner’s face. There was nothing left. Not even crumbs. The stash of bread and fruit, and fish meant to nourish them for the entire journey was gone, and they still needed to make the journey home. The food had been good while it lasted. It would have been better had it lasted longer. No one told them they would be gone so long. No one suggested packing extra in case the meetings ran long. No one slipped an emergency loaf into their hands as they walked out the door. They hadn’t thought they needed it. Never would they have expected to be gone so long. Their provision packing proved it. They hadn’t meant to spend three days in a remote place, far from home, listening to Jesus teach. Most had figured on an afternoon. Many had planned for a day. Based on reports from other places, some thought it might last a bit longer. Some hoped it would go on indefinitely. Only a handful planned for it. Now here they sat, miles from the nearest market. Stomachs rumbling. Provisions gone. Options limited. (Mark 8:1-8)
It was not a new scenario for the disciples. They had seen it before. Not long ago they stood beside Jesus as He looked out over an even larger crowd in another remote place. They, too, had gathered to hear Him teach. They were engrossed in the message, intent on learning, oblivious to the dipping sun and darkening sky. They also had nothing to eat. Concerned, either for their own grumbling stomachs or the well-being of the gathered people, the disciples suggested Jesus release them. Now. Send them home in time for dinner. Get them to town before the food stalls lowered their blinds for the day. But Jesus had another idea. They could feed them right there. Have an enormous picnic. Put on a spread the gathered people would never forget.
Commanded to investigate possible food sources, the disciples mingled with the crowd until they found five tiny rolls and two measly fish. It was barely enough for one person. It would never be enough. They hauled it back to Jesus, anyway. Carefully taking the measly haul in His hands, Jesus lifted them up to heaven, blessed them, and handed them back to the disciples. Five loaves divided between twelve men, meant to feed thousands of people. It seemed impossible. It wasn’t. Every time the disciples prepared to hand out the final chunk of bread, more appeared. When they counted heads and knew there was too few fish, it just kept coming as though they had cooked an entire night’s catch. The people ate as much as they wanted. Large first helpings. Generous second helpings. Some had thirds. Others gathered a little for the journey home. Still, when it was all said and done, when the final person had taken all they wanted, when everyone had left for home, when the disciples were done cleaning up all the leftovers, there were twelve baskets of food remaining. No one had to leave hungry. The Bread of Life gave them bread to sustain life. They could have as much as they wanted. (Mark 6:35-44)
You can almost hear the disciples heave a frustrated sigh as they watched this new group of people checking their empty provision bags, searching their pockets for mints, surreptitiously looking around to see if anyone had a slice of bread they would be willing to share. Maybe the disciples silently wondered if the people purposely came ill-prepared. Perhaps they questioned their motives. Were they really here to listen and learn, or were they simply a bunch of Looky-Lou’s out to see what kind of spread Jesus would lay out to silence their stomachs?
No one would ever know the answer to that question, but everyone should have been able to predict Jesus’ response. He felt sorry for them. Just like last time. He looked at their faces, heard their stomachs rumble, mentally measured the distance to town and home, and took pity on them. They had been a good audience. Their motives were largely pure. So they hadn’t planned properly. It was okay. How were they to know they would be there for three days? They couldn’t have known they needed to ration their food. And, although He needed to move on to the next town, He couldn’t send them into the highways and byways without feeding them. Some of them had run out of provisions a day ago. The lack of sustenance could see them fainting before they ever reached town. No. The people needed to eat. The disciples needed to feed them. Now. With whatever they had on hand.
Going out to search among the people for any available rations, the disciples came back with seven loaves of bread and a handful of fish. They already knew what Jesus was going to do. He would bless it, break it, and hand it back to them to distribute. The tiny, nearly stale loaves would become large, endless slices of tender bread, the fish would stretch to fill the chinks in every belly. No one would walk away hungry. They could all have as much as they wanted. Physical bread to sustain their lives as they traveled to their earthly home. Spiritual bread to sustain their souls as they traveled to their heavenly home. The Bread of Life for every breath of life. It could all be found in Jesus. And every person could have as much–or as little–as they wanted. The disciples knew it. Now the people would know it too. Not by hearsay. By experience. They could have all of Jesus they wanted. (Mark 8:1-8)
That was exactly how it went. The disciples brought the loaves and fishes to Jesus. He blessed them. Handed them back. The disciples distributed them. The people ate. Large first helpings. Generous second helpings. Some had thirds. Others filled their pockets with rations for the journey home. Everyone got everything they needed. All they wanted. As much as they could handle. There was no limit. On anything. Not on the food. Not on Jesus. Everyone could have as much as they wanted. There was more than enough to go around. No one needed to leave hungry. And they didn’t. They left knowing what others had yet to find out. You can have all of Jesus you want. He is the Bread of Life for every breath of your life.
Nearly two decades ago, God spoke that very lesson to me in the middle of a grocery store aisle. I was moping. Saddled with a list of physical issues that had me studiously reading every ingredient label on the shelf–and putting most of them back–I was frustrated and irritated and not a little annoyed. Sighing to myself, I nearly gave in to the self-pity when a highly recognizable, still, small voice whispered in my ear, “You can have all of Jesus you want.” Hands curled around the handle of my shopping cart, I stood utterly still and absorbed that truth. There are no allergies to the Bread of life. Jesus will not negatively affect your blood pressure or excessively elevate your heart rate. Time spent with Him will not heighten the effects of your chronic illness. You can have as much of Jesus as you want, as often as you like. There is unlimited supply. Your heart doesn’t need to go hungry. He is the Bread of life for every breath of your life. You can have all of Jesus you want.
I think that is the part of Jesus’ miraculous multiplication that we often overlook. We get so flabbergasted by the enormous miracle that we miss the intended takeaway. The part about the Miracle Maker Himself. We miss the fact that Jesus is the never-ending Bread of Life to sustain us through every breath of our lives. And He is not in short supply. He never sends anyone away. Not the hungry heart. Not the parched soul. All who come to Him with sincere hearts, longing for His presence, seeking His kingdom, hungering and thirsting for His righteousness will be filled. That is the promise. No one goes away hungry. No one leaves thirsty. Jesus is the Bread and Water of life, for every part of your life. And you can have all of Jesus you want. (John 4:13-14; 6:35; 7:37-38; Isaiah 55:1-2; Matthew 5:6; 11:28-29; I Corinthians 5:8; I Peter 5:7; Psalm 46:1)
Perhaps that’s the rub. How much of Jesus do you want? Are you happy with a sip and a crust, or do you hunger and thirst for more? Constantly. Do you understand your need to have the Bread of life for every breath of your life? Every single inhale and exhale. Do you comprehend the urgency to have the Water of life poured into your parched soul? Do you want Jesus more than you long for the treasures and trinkets of the world? Do you hunger and thirst for Him? Are you willing to clear out your heart to be saturated with His presence, or are you trying to keep Him contained in one tiny space? Honestly. How much of Jesus do you want? Because you can have it. All of it. There’s no limit. You can spend every day drinking in His presence. You can continually feed your soul at the table of grace. You never need to be hungry. You can have as much of Jesus as you want. (John 15:4; Jeremiah 29:13; James 4:8; Psalm 119:2)