Crowded

The events of The Galilee Kingdom Tour culminate with the gathering of a climactic crowd accompanied by the performance of a major multiplication miracle followed by a miraculous walk followed by another climactic crowd interaction. Jesus’ schedule is crowded!

Then just like that, the crowd disperses, and life goes on. How does this happen?

Before we answer that question, let us consider the major miracles. Distributing bread to 5,000-plus people in groups of 50 at a time would have taken a couple hours at least, but what did the average person in the crowd witness? Could they see to verify the multiplication of loaves, or were they simply handed a loaf by one of the twelve? They certainly could verify the generous provision even if they could not verify the source.

And what of walking on water? No one else except the few disciples in the small boat saw Jesus in this one-time-recorded event (Jn 6:22). In terms of time, it was just a drop in their lives, yet their witness has caused huge ripples through generations.

Interestingly enough, even after the disciples had gone and Jesus dismissed the crowd, according to John, at least some of the people remained in the area (Jn 6:22). These people sought out Jesus in Capernaum and rather mundanely were apparently looking for more bread (Jn 6:26).

For the participants in the story, the sensational is subsumed by their daily lives and needs. We can look back 2,000 years later and marvel at the miraculous, but if we’re honest, it doesn’t affect our day-to-day very much either. I don’t expect to multiply bread or walk on water, after all.

But when the crowd turns on Jesus (Jn 6:66), that is a repeatable historical phenomenon true-to-life.

When Sabbath comes, the rules of day bring quiet. The energy of the crowd played out. Sabbath provided a guardrail so that events did not careen out of control. . . And another harvest was coming.