A wonderful day spent by the sea of Galilee in the presence of Jesus, hearing His teachings and witnessing His healings, was crowned with the miraculous feeding of over 5,000 people.
In Desire of Ages, Ellen White provides us with valuable insights: Seated upon the grassy plain, in the twilight of the spring evening, the people ate of the food that Christ had provided. (p.378)
All day the conviction has strengthened. That crowning act is assurance that the long-looked-for Deliverer is among them. The hopes of the people rise higher and higher. This is He who will make Judea an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey. He can satisfy every desire. He can break the power of the hated Romans. He can deliver Judah and Jerusalem. He can heal the soldiers who are wounded in battle. He can supply whole armies with food. He can conquer the nations, and give to Israel the long-sought dominion. (p.378)
These are the thoughts that crossed the multitude’s mind as they contemplated the wonderful miracle performed for them. Such an opportunity must not be overlooked. Here was a lamp of Alladin, so close to them, even within their reach. To His followers this seemed the golden opportunity to establish their beloved Master on the throne of Israel. […] They feared that He will never urge His claim to David's throne. Consulting together, they agree to take Him by force, and proclaim Him the king of Israel. (p. 379)
But Jesus had other plans with Himself. He commands the multitude to disperse; and His manner is so decisive that they dare not disobey. The words of praise and exaltation die on their lips... (p. 379)
When Christ forbade the people to declare Him king, He knew that a turning point in His history was reached. Multitudes who desired to exalt Him to the throne today would turn from Him tomorrow. The disappointment of their selfish ambition would turn their love to hatred, and their praise to curses. (384) As those disaffected disciples turned away from Christ, a different spirit took control of them.. They sought out His enemies, for they were in harmony with their spirit and work. They misinterpreted His words, falsified His statements, and impugned His motives. (393) And their ultimate action was murder. The very same multitude who wanted to make Him king, the very same people who hailed Him at the entrance of Jerusalem, sentenced Him to death.
This is the end of a story that started with an astonishing miracle of love and compassion.
It gives me shivers. I am troubled and sorrowed at the thought (and reality) that a miracle of God can be turned into such a circumstance.
Coming closer to our times, a sad reality is that, in the same way Jesus was misunderstood, the Bible is today misinterpreted and distorted, and what could be a source of joy and salvation becomes, in perverted hands, a tool unto perdition, killing God in the hearts of men.
But I shall come even closer than that, to our very hearts: we constantly pray to God, and perhaps often ask for intervention in specific situations. And He chooses to answer in His time, according to His wisdom. Yes, we may even have the faith to believe this, and the patience to wait. But the story does not end with His answer. The story goes on with what happens after the situation is solved. When we witness God working, could it be that we are also tempted to perceive Him as a means to further satisfy our desires? Could it be that we crave His goodness and power to be used for us as we’d please?
The story of the feeding of the 5,000 is teaching me how important it is to place every answer from God, every intervention He works in my life, in the context of His plan, and to understand it in line with His character and purpose of salvation. A miracle in itself, apart from the wider goal of the divinity for each one of us, could be fatally misleading if our hearts are not in tune with God.
And as the story of the 5,000 shows, He will still answer some of our needs, despite the fact that He knows in the end we might turn the blessing into a curse. Part of the responsibility rests on us as to how we are going to understand Him. Of course, this is still tightly interwoven with His constant providential care and revelation of Himself to us; but it is our decision to keep alive this relationship, to answer His calls of love, and respond to His touch of grace, so that our minds and hearts can continue to trust Him completely in the way He deals with other difficult circumstances that surround us.
Many of the words and acts of Jesus appear mysterious to finite minds, but every word and act had its definite purpose in the work for our redemption; each was calculated to produce its own result. If we were capable of understanding His purposes, all would appear important, complete, and in harmony with His mission. While we cannot now comprehend the works and ways of God, we can discern His great love, which underlies all His dealings with men. He who lives near to Jesus will understand much of the mystery of godliness. He will recognize the mercy that administers reproof, that tests the character, and brings to light the purpose of the heart. (394)
