Everyone Had Enough

Micah 7:1-20; Mark 8:1-10 / Psalm 103:1-22

I. The People Were Hungry

A. Not all the challenges believers face turn on true doctrine or world-view; sometimes people have more immediate needs. “In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,” (Mark 8:1)

B. Compassion is a fundamental attribute of Jesus; though that compassion does not always take the same form in every instance, it is always part of the mix. “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:” (Mark 8:2)

C. Jesus taught believers to look for people with problems; He did not specify which problems. “When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17)

D. The obvious answer anyone can see isn’t always the one on God’s mind; Christians should be cautious about jumping to obvious conclusions. “And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.” (Mark 8:3)

II. The Disciples Evaluated the Situation

A. Obviously the problem was too big to handle. “And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?” (Mark 8:4)

B. The impossible expectations of the Almighty God are part of what make Christianity so interesting; God’s sovereign grace is at the heart of both the Christian’s hope and the believer’s message. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:23-26)

C. “No” is never the appropriate answer from a believer to God; self-centeredness has a way of coming up short because it neglects the resources at God’s command. “And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.” (Mark 8:5)

D. Ezekiel had a better grasp of reality; God’s resources are always more important than the resources of believers. “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.” (Ezekiel 37:1-3)

E. God’s people act because God commands, not because they have the resources to be obedient. “Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 37:4-6)

F. When the prophet did what he was told to do, the impossible became obvious. “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” (Ezekiel 37:10)

III. Jesus Solved the Problem

A. God did what the believers could not; Bible-believers will note a recurrent theme. “And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.” (Mark 8:6)

B. Rather than continue to argue that the task was too large, the disciples acted on what they had, leaving the problem to God; God blesses what He commands. “And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.” (Mark 8:7)

C. Everybody had enough and in the end the disciples had far more than they had when they began to give all that they had. “So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.” (Mark 8:8)

D. Faithful obedience will demonstrate the unlimited capacity of God to do what needs to be done. “And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.” (Mark 8:9)

E. Doing the impossible is all in a day’s work for the Lord. “And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.” (Mark 8:10)