Must it always be bigger? Pastor Paul Leavens
Mark 6 records the feeding 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. Twelve basketfuls of leftovers were collected. But Mark 8 relates an occasion when Jesus fed 4,000 people with seven loaves. This time when all had eaten, only seven basketfuls were left over.
Was Jesus a poor showman? A performer always moves from the lesser to the greater, from the easy to the more difficult. A magician saves his most dramatic and spellbinding trick for the last. A circus entertainer saves the most death defying act for the grand finale. Fireworks always conclude with the loudest and most spectacular display. That’s the way you impress and maintain a crowd.
Why did Jesus follow up the feeding of 5,000 by feeding only 4,000 people a miracle we hardly ever mention? I think the chronology of this event is deliberate and significant. Jesus did not come to be a bread Messiah. He didn’t intend to gather a fickle crowd who followed him for free lunches. He wasn't drawing people to the spectacular. He was calling them to a lifetime of self-denial and service.
At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry Satan tempted him to jump off the temple and allow the angels to catch him. People would come out to see a spectacular stunt like that. They would be impressed with a death defying leap from the temple. But Jesus refused. He knew that today’s spectacular is tomorrow’s commonplace. A high dive from the temple would draw a crowd temporarily, but the degree of difficulty would have to be increased in a few weeks or people would get bored and leave.
The Pharisees didn’t understand that. They asked Jesus for a sign from Heaven to prove he was the Messiah. They’d seen a few people healed, maybe they’d witnessed the feeding of the 4000, but they were ready for something really impressive - how about moving one of the stars, or making the sun stand still? Then they’d believe. Jesus signed and asked, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sigh? I tell you the truth, no sigh will be given to it” (Mark 8:11, 12). If they didn’t believe by now, they never would.
That’s a lesson we need to remember. The church isn’t in the entertainment business. We’re calling people to become disciples of Jesus Christ. That means this years’s Easter service doesn’t have to be more spectacular than last year’s. Next year’s Christian program doesn’t have be to more dramatic than the last one. This week’s sermon doesn’t have to more emotional than last week’s. The preacher doesn’t need to hit a home run every Sunday. This year’s attendance doesn’t have to be more than a year ago for the church to be fulfilling God’s will. Don’t worry about people who leave your church, claiming you not spiritual enough.
Or some other church does it so much better. They most likely are looking for entertainment, a good religious show. Or they may even want to be the entertainer. They are not really interested in personal spiritual growth or discipleship.
Christ calls us to a lifelong commitment. Some days may be tougher, lonelier, or duller than yesterday. Those wanting shallow entertainment will probably drop out. Those who are willing to deny self and take up a daily cross and follow Christ will preserver, remembering there is a grand finale to the Christian life - but it’s not in this world. Read the last book of the Bible
( Revelation ) - we win, we win; WE WIN !!
[1] Do you ever catch yourself seeking bigger thrills instead of simply being satisfied with what God is doing in your life? In your church?
[2] Do you drive by small church’s to a bigger church because your thinking bigger is better?
[3] How can you learn to be more content?
[4] Shouldn’t churches strive for excellence?
[5] How can we do this without falling into the trap of “ being in the entertainment business”? Which is what big churches get into. Then each show must be bigger then the last one to keep people coming back.
Dr. Paul Leavens - minister
Christian Church in Lindsay