Five loaves and two fish … Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, shared, and made something great out of very little. God wants everyone to be filled, and for no one to be lost.
For the Thanksgiving service on Sunday, 4 October 2026 in Dorsten, Germany, Chief Apostle Helge Mutschler chose as Bible text John 6: 11–12: “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.’”
In the spring, shortly before Passover, Jesus went with His disciples to a mountain by the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed Him. Seeing all these people, Jesus wondered where He could get enough bread to feed them all. Philip began calculating and realised that even two hundred dinarii worth of bread would not be enough. Then Andrew came forward and told Jesus about a boy who had five barley loaves and two fish. But what could so little do for so many? “This is so typical. We start calculating, and often we say, ‘What we have is simply not enough,’ the Chief Apostle explained. “Our faith, our resources, our money, our plans, our limited strength.”
But Jesus did not comment on these concerns. He told the people to sit down. “Jesus then took the loaves,” it says. Jesus takes what little there is, takes it seriously, and begins to work with whatever each person can contribute. “He begins to work with your very small faith—perhaps no bigger than a mustard seed—because He can make good use of even your little faith.” He uses it to build His work.
Healing begins with gratitude
Even before there was an abundance, Jesus gave thanks. He often applied this fundamental principle. “He gave thanks because He knew the Giver of all things, because He knew the Creator. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” These three distinct persons of God are so interwoven and bound together in love that they constitute the one God. Perfect fellowship. Out of this perfection and fullness, God created the world and humankind as His counterpart.
With the fall into sin, humankind came to mistrust the Giver, took what had not been given to them, and ceased to give thanks. “And so all relationships were broken.” To this day, love, fellowship, and trust have given way to fear, competition, and blame. Yet: “God continues to give. Every year, there is sowing and harvesting.” And Jesus even gave thanks on the very night of His betrayal, the Chief Apostle said. “Yes, Lord Jesus Christ, even when it is night, even when my circumstances are difficult, I want to give thanks to You, God,” for healing begins with thanksgiving.
God gives abundantly
“Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those sitting there.” He continued giving it to the people until everyone had as much as they wanted. God gives abundantly. “When a grain of wheat falls into the earth and the ear of corn grows, each stalk produces about forty to fifty grains.” God actually wants everyone to have enough to eat. However, injustice and exploitation prevent this from happening. Taking Jesus as my role model, “I too, in my own small way, want to share something of what I have”, the Chief Apostle said.
Beyond physical hunger, there is also the hunger of the soul for peace and love. “Here Jesus says, ‘I am the bread of life.’” Whoever eats this bread will never hunger again. Jesus gives Himself to us through His word and prayer, in Holy Communion, and through fellowship. Jesus continues to give, and His love is enough for all. “I too want to be a peacemaker.”
Gathering instead of throwing away
After the people on the mountain had eaten their fill, Jesus told His disciples to gather up the fragments. The Chief Apostle said that this “was not waste. Rather, Jesus Christ made sure that the leftover bread was handled with great care”. The Chief Apostle urged: “Jesus Christ, I want to help You gather, not throw away.” God has not written anything off in His creation, and for Him nothing is waste. Jesus gathers up the fragments, the broken ones. With Him, nothing is lost.
Jesus will return. “How glorious it will be when we see how abundantly and generously God gives, and how satisfied our souls will be,” Chief Apostle Mutschler explained, continuing: “At the end of all days, in the new creation, there will finally be no more hunger because peace will be everywhere and perfect love will be all in all.”
Photo: NAK Westdeutschland
