While I was reading Luke 9 today, a new thought (for me) immerged. It’s a familiar passage about the feeding of the 5,000.
12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him,
“Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.”
13 But he said to them, “
You give them something to eat.”
They said,
“We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”
14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples,
“Have them sit down in groups
of about fifty each.”15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. (ESV)
Imagine the conversations in those groups of 50 men, women and children! Scholars estimate that the crowd was probably closer to 10,000 (or even 15,000) people counting men women and children. Approximately 100 to 250 groups of 50 people shared an experience of having been personally cared for by Jesus and his disciples. They saw the miracle of the multiplying of loaves and fishes. They tasted the bread and the fish. They saw the apostles collect 12 full baskets of leftovers. Everything about this episode in the life of Christ would have been IMPOSSIBLE to forget!
And, beyond the care and compassion expressed for the people, I think Jesus wanted create communities with memories. Many of these people would later believe in him after the resurrection. Many of them would later respond to the apostles preaching. Many of them would be able to share their stories of having been there when Jesus cared for them in such a personal way.
Here is another line of evidence that Jesus was consciously “creating memories” for smaller groups of people. In the very same chapter in Luke (9:1-11), Jesus sends the disciples out to preach the gospel in a deliberately “under supplied” way. Here’s are the key verses for this observation: “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” (9:3-5)
On purpose, Jesus sent his disciples out, under supplied, so that they could have the experience of finding out that when they obeyed him and trusted him, they would be cared for and have no lack. Twelve men (and their families perhaps) had the experience of seeing Jesus’ words being proved trustworthy.
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