今天我們分享的是五餅二魚的故事，這段故事記載在馬可福音6章30-44節。這個神蹟同時也被記載在另外三本福音書裡面。四位福音書作者不約而同地把這一件奇妙的事情給記錄下來，因為這其中蘊含了相當多的教訓，也展現了上帝供應的能力，讓我們了解思考其中的智慧。
看到耶穌在努力服事眾人的時候感到疲倦了，他邀請門徒一同來找個地方休息一下，但是這些人依然不斷地來找耶穌，就算耶穌這個時候非常的疲憊，他還是滿有著憐憫的心。他看到這些人就像羊沒有牧羊人一樣，正在迷失的路途中，所以呢他就繼續的為他的講道繼續的教訓他們繼續的給他們智慧的話語。一個真正的牧羊人不是先顧慮他自己的疲勞，而是先考慮他羊群的需要。這裡耶穌展現了一個牧養人該有的榜樣。
接下來天黑了，而耶穌和門徒也面對到一個非常實際的問題 - 要怎麼讓這麼多人吃飽？從門徒的角度來講，他們講了三句話這段對話我們可以來看看門徒和耶穌所說的話的出發點以及他們的態度。
門徒直接提出建議說，「主啊，天黑了，叫這些人自己想辦法找吃的吧」。從門徒的角度來看，他們非常實際，因為他們只有12個人，根本沒有足夠的食物。而這裡的人數提到有數千人之多，僅僅男人就有5000人。當然，門徒提出的建議是讓他們自己解決食物問題。然而，耶穌的回答卻出人意料，他說的是「你們給他們吃吧」。他對門徒說，「你們，我的學生們，給他們吃吧」。
當我們面對生活困難、社會需要、社區需求時，卻感到無能為力時，我們可能會說：「主啊，讓他們自己去吧」。然而，如果教會只是讓他們自行解決問題，那麼實際上就失去了指引他們的能力，以及引導他們相信上帝的能力。因此，當我們遇到困難時，不要急著說「自己解決」，而是應該問：「主啊，你要我們做什麼？」
聽完耶穌這句話，門徒非常驚訝，他們說：「你要我們給他們吃20兩銀子才夠啊」。這裡的翻譯有所不同，在中文說的是二十兩銀子，英文說是200底拿。這個金額大概是一個工人要工作半年才能夠賺到的金額。對門徒來說，他們既沒有錢，也無法供應如此龐大的需求。因此，對他們來說，這句話不是回應，而是一種「主啊，你在開什麼玩笑？」的反應。也許上帝給我們的挑戰看似過於艱難，以至於我們會質疑說「主啊，你在開玩笑嗎？」我們可能會找出許多辦不到的理由，但是要記得，能否達成的關鍵不在我們手中，而是在上帝手中。
在這個時候，耶穌問他們說：「你們有什麼東西？」他們回答說：「這裡只有五個餅兩條魚。」這裡所說的五餅二魚是指五個大麥糙餅，這是當時最便宜、最不值錢的食物，常給窮農民或漁民充飢之用。而那兩條魚，並非我們所想像的肥美大魚，而是當時常見的醃魚，用鹽醃製而成，搭配這些餅食用。
就這樣，耶穌拿起這五個餅兩條魚，祝謝了，然後分給門徒，讓他們傳遞下去。在這傳遞的過程中，發生了一些不可思議的事情，這些餅仿彿吃不完，魚也同樣如此。大家接著傳啊，傳啊，傳到後來，所有人都吃飽了，甚至還有剩餘。這件事情是如何完成的，我們無法理解，我們所知道的只是耶穌使這件事成為了可能。
這裡有幾個關鍵：不是耶穌一個人拿餅跟魚去給所有的人吃，而是他讓門徒來分派。從耶穌的手中拿過來，從門徒的手中分派，然後在分派的過程中就讓大家吃飽。耶穌不是一口氣變出一大堆的魚一大堆的餅然後叫門徒去發或是人民自己來拿，而是讓門徒在分派的過程中讓大家吃飽。注意，是在過程中讓所有的人吃飽，也就是說我們必須要參與上帝的事工，而上帝會在我們需要的時候供應正好夠的恩典，上帝不是先把一大堆恩典放在你面前說你去分吧。而是說你繼續分，我就會接著供應。上帝完全有能力一次解決我們一輩子所有的問題，但是上帝卻要我們每一天與他同工每一天正好給我們今天夠用的恩典。這就是基督徒的生活，我們應當懂得每一天來到上帝面前向他支取恩典與能力。
我們看見上帝照顧滿足的需要，當門徒們努力地分派這麼多餅後，他們應該忙得沒有時間吃飯。因此，耶穌留了12個籃子的剩餘，正好用來給他們所吃的東西。上帝在供應的時候絕對不會忘記他自己的僕人們所有的需要。因此，在這過程中，當上帝說「你們去給他們吃飽」時，我們的回應應該是「主啊，求你幫助我們」，並且把我們手中所有的少少東西放到耶穌的面前。上帝有能力完全補足我們的缺乏，讓所有的人都吃飽，並且豐盛有餘。
馬可福音第六章是充滿神蹟的一章，一個接一個的神跡。明天，我們將繼續講述耶穌在海上行走的神蹟故事。
Today, we are sharing the story of the feeding of the five thousand, recorded in Mark 6:30-44. This miracle is also recorded in three other Gospels. The four Gospel writers unanimously recorded this remarkable event because it contains numerous teachings and demonstrates God's power to provide, prompting us to contemplate its wisdom.
Seeing Jesus tired from serving the crowd, he invited the disciples to find a place to rest. However, the people continued to seek Jesus relentlessly. Despite his exhaustion, Jesus remained compassionate. He saw the people as sheep without a shepherd, lost and in need of guidance, so he continued teaching them and providing them with wisdom. A true shepherd does not prioritize his own fatigue but considers the needs of his flock. Here, Jesus exemplified the conduct expected of a shepherd.
As evening approached, Jesus and the disciples faced a practical challenge - how to feed so many people. From the disciples' perspective, they made three statements, which provide insight into their mindset and attitude. The disciples directly suggested, "Master, it's getting late; send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages to buy something to eat." From the disciples' perspective, they were being practical, as there were only twelve of them and they lacked sufficient food. Yet, the crowd numbered in the thousands, with five thousand men alone. The disciples' suggestion was to let the people fend for themselves. However, Jesus' response was unexpected. He said, "You feed them." He told the disciples, "You feed them, my disciples."
When faced with life's difficulties, societal needs, or community demands, and feeling helpless, we might say, "Lord, let them take care of themselves." However, if the church merely allows people to solve their own problems, it loses its ability to guide them and lead them to trust in God's power. Therefore, when we encounter difficulties, instead of hastily saying "figure it out yourselves," we should ask, "Lord, what should we do?"
Upon hearing Jesus' response, the disciples were astonished. They said, "It would take a small fortune to feed them!" The translation here varies; in Chinese, it's twenty silver coins, while in English, it's two hundred denarii. This amount was approximately six months' wages for a laborer. For the disciples, they neither had the money nor could they supply such a vast demand. Thus, their response was not one of agreement but more of a "Lord, are you kidding?" reaction. Perhaps the challenges God presents to us seem insurmountable, leading us to question, "Lord, are you joking?" We may find many reasons why something cannot be done, but remember, the key to achieving it is not in our hands but in God's.
At this point, Jesus asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They replied, "There are five loaves and two fish here." The five loaves and two fish mentioned here refer to five barley loaves, the cheapest and least valuable food at the time, often used to feed poor farmers or fishermen. As for the two fish, they were not the large, fat fish we imagine but rather preserved fish, commonly seen at the time, salted to preserve them, to be eaten with the loaves.
So, Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, blessed them, and gave them to the disciples to distribute. During this distribution, something incredible happened. The loaves seemed endless, and the fish as well. As they continued to distribute, everyone ate their fill, and there were even leftovers. How this was accomplished is beyond our understanding; all we know is that Jesus made it possible.
Here, there are several key points: it wasn't just Jesus distributing the loaves and fish to feed everyone, but he instructed the disciples to distribute them. He took from his hand, passed through the hands of the disciples, and during the distribution, everyone was satisfied. Jesus didn't instantly create a large quantity of fish and bread and ask the disciples to distribute them, or let the people help themselves. Instead, he allowed the disciples to ensure everyone was satisfied during the distribution process. Notice, it was during the process that everyone was satisfied. This means we must participate in God's work, and God will supply exactly enough grace when needed. God doesn't place a heap of grace in front of you and say, "Go ahead, distribute it." Instead, he says, "You continue distributing, and I will continue supplying." While God has the ability to solve all our problems at once, he wants us to work with him every day, providing us with just enough grace for today's needs. This is the Christian life; we should understand to come before God every day and draw on his grace and power.
We see God caring for and satisfying needs. When the disciples worked hard to distribute so many loaves, they were likely too busy to eat. Therefore, Jesus left twelve baskets of leftovers, just enough for them to eat. When God supplies, he never forgets the needs of his own people. Therefore, in this process
When God says, "You go and feed them until they're full," our response should be, "Lord, please help us," and we should put everything we have into Jesus' hands. God has the power to completely fill our lack, so everyone can eat their fill, with leftovers.
Mark Chapter 6 is a chapter full of miracles, one after another. Tomorrow, we will continue to tell the story of Jesus walking on water.
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