Jesus’ work and the first apostolic mission have made a big impact. If he wants, Jesus could now form an army in the wilderness. But an army “marches on its stomach”, so the disciples tell him to send them off for resources. But Jesus transforms the event with a remarkable miracle that symbolises the greater kingdom he is building. In his reborn Israel, he will be a greater David and a greater Moses, shepherding his people to a greater land of peace. In the end, Jesus doesn’t need soldiers with iron swords but a people who wield the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)
Frontpage/MP3 photo by Saj Shafique on Unsplash
And here is a short talk based on the same passage: He Changed The World (Episode 21)
No picnic