It's a story that I've read so many times. "The feeding of the 5000." It's in John 6:1-15. (There are also accounts of this miracle in Matthew, Mark, and Luke!) And I gotta tell you, that in my most recent reading, the title that we have given this miracle started to bug me a little. John didn't give us the title of the miracle. We did that.

The reason it is starting to bug me a little is because I think it spoils the ending for us. So that every time we come to this text, all we do is say: "Wow, Jesus, that's a lot of people! Nice job!" And then we move on. But, of course, this miracle is so much more than stomachs being satisfied. This is a story of every one of our hungers, scarcities, and deficiencies being met in the abundance of Jesus.

And I think this is the bigger reason of why I think I don’t love this title. Because 5000 is a number that’s too small. This is a story that’s as big as the gospel of Jesus. It is the ongoing story of the God who descends into our wilderness to feed us. The Jesus who enters your life to fill your empty spaces with satisfaction. To turn your darkness into life. To turn your sin into forgiveness. This is that story. Take this bread, and eat it. There’s always going to be more of it.