Lessons of Jesus
Chapter 7: For they had not understood about the loaves

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In the previous chapter, we saw the reason why Jesus Christ took his disciples to the wilderness. In the wilderness Jesus did the great miracle and fed about five thousand men by breaking five loaves and the two fishes, which tells that the Heavenly Bread must be broken for our salvation, but the disciples did not understand the meaning of the miracle, and they all are overjoyed for the meal - 32.So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. 33.But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34.And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. 35.When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36.Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” 37.But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” 38.But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39.Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40.So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41.And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42.So they all ate and were filled. 43.And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44.Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men - Mark 6:32-44


When Elisha did miracle at window's home, the oil stopped miraculously once all the vessels are filled, not even single drop of oil wasted, Then why Jesus did this miracle differently, why there was a leftover bread and fish? - 1.Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2.And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3.Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4.Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” 5.So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6.When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7.She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest - 2 Kings 4:1-7

Jesus is the one who did the miracle at widows home through Elisha where he stopped the oil once all the vessels are filled, but now there was a remaining bread and fish, and after the miracle, Jesus said to his disciples “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost”, why Jesus commanded this to his disciples? Is He worried about the wastage? Jesus is the one who created billions of galaxies which continuously emits enormous lights and literally no one uses it, such a might God why he had to speak about this remaining bread - 12.So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13.Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten - John 6:1-15

When Jesus broke the bread, He demonstrated that the "Heavenly Bread" must be broken for our salvation, but salvation is not an end, its a beginning of our life with Jesus, The remaining bread tells that the "Heavenly Bread" does not have an end, Jesus Christ must be risen again and we should receive him, so when Jesus said “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost”, He asking us to open our heart to be filled by Holy Spirit, follow his commandments, chased by his love and grace, then only we can overcome this world, otherwise we will be lost in eternal hell.

But the disciples did exactly opposite, their focus turned towards the leftover bread instead of Heavenly Bread[Jesus Christ], and they collected the leftover bread, and left the Heavenly Bread on the wilderness, and stepped into the boat - 45.Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46.And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47.Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land - Mark 6:45-47

The leftover have given the greater surprises to the disciples, even today the bread is one of the precious food, so, the disciples had a plan of selling them and perhaps spend a few days enjoying life in the company of their old friends. when focus was turned towards worldly desire, Christ sent them alone in the boat, and the worldly desire made the disciples to leave Jesus at the deserted place and travel towards Capernaum, and no one worried about Jesus, and asked how you will come home?

But what they planned that did not happen, the wind was against them and they all were tossed in the sea until the fourth hour of the night, that between the time of 3AM and 6AM, as their boat was tossed for about 6-9 hours, all the "remaining bread" which they had washed away, in such a life-threatening situation, the "Heavenly bread" came and saved them - 48.Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49.And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out. 50.for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 51.Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled - Mark 6:48-51


Disciples had to go through this tough practical session, to understand that, one day, all our worldly blessings will be washed out, but if we have a love of Jesus in our heart and be filled by Holy Spirit, we can have an eternal life, the disciples successfully completed this practical session, but still they are not able to put them in practice, so the Bible says - 52.For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened - Mark 6:52

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