Miracle Meal

Roasted fish, Bread rolls & Cilantro oil dip

From Matthew 14:12-21

Miracles do happen:

I am here!

I am finally here to write my most favorite part of this Bible Cook Book series. I have written 14 chapters in this series so far, but I have been eagerly waiting to get to this point ever since I started it: Miracle Meal- Jesus feeding the 5000 and the 4000. These are two separate events with one similar miracle (and thus calls for one menu). A chapter right out of the works of Jesus.

The works of Jesus - wow… isn't that in itself a miracle? A pure grace of God. We usually look into a story of the Bible and will tie the theme of it back to Jesus and the gospel. But today, IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS! My heart is full!

Let's pause for a minute and praise Him. Thank you Jesus! Thank you Father for sending your one and only Son.

Ok, let me come back to the point. Whenever Jesus did miracles, everyone who gathered around him was genuinely astonished, though we know only some truly believed. The difference between both - Faith. So naturally that becomes our focus today.

Miracle by definition means, ‘an inexplicable or extraordinary event that cannot be defined by natural or scientific laws.’

In simple words, you need faith to believe in miracles.

If you ask me, the two most astonishing, mind-blowing miracles that have ever happened are:

1. the creation of heavens and earth, and

2. the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Seriously, is there anything as impressive and divine like those?!

Wait a minute, yes there is. Faith.

Unlike other miracles, faith is an active miracle. It's something that happens every single day. Not the miracle you can see but a miracle you can feel. Not the kind of miracle that will change the entire world but a miracle that will entirely change OUR world.

Let's look into the story first to proceed with our point.

One Miracle - Two Ways:

Feeding bread and fish for thousands happened not once but twice.

Miracle 1:

In the first one, Jesus fed 5000 men along with women and children, which could add up to 20,000 people, with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. This event has been recorded in all four gospels. It must have been one astonishing event for all His disciples. None missed it.

Here are the Bible references:

Matthew 14:12-21

Mark 6:30-44

Luke 9:12-17

John 6:1-14

Collected 12 baskets full of leftovers.

Miracle 2:

Next, Jesus fed 4000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. It didn't say 4000 men, so it might be approximately the total number of people. This particular miracle has only been recorded in the Gospel of Mark.

It can be found in:

Mark 8: 1-9

Collected 7 baskets full of leftovers.

Are there any similar miracles that happened in the Bible? Well, yes!

1. Elisha feeding 20 loaves of bread to 100 people and had some left over to spare in 2 Kings 42-44

2. Elijah providing an endless supply of flour and oil for the widow in 1 Kings 17: 7-15

Imagine witnessing these miracles firsthand! Not only was everyone present satisfied, they even had leftovers, baskets full.

Who are all these people? Why did Jesus perform this miracle in the first place?

Miracle Story 1:

The festival of Passover was near. Jesus was made aware that His cousin, John the Baptist, was beheaded by Herod the tetrarch. Around the same time, the twelve disciples of Jesus, who got back from their first mission trip, gathered around Him and were giving Him their trip updates. It was filled with miraculous healing, driving out demons and preaching about the kingdom of God. While the disciples were with Jesus, many people were coming and going to a point that none of them had any chance to even eat or rest. So Jesus took the disciples away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them and healing the sick.

Late in the afternoon the twelve came to Him and asked Him to send away the crowd so that the people could go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging because they were in a remote place.

But Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat,” and asked them to look for it. So, as He directed, they went and looked for food and found only five loaves of bread and two fish from a boy who must have been in the crowd. Then the disciples said,” This won't be enough for everyone, unless we go buy food for everyone which will be half a year’s wages,” as there were five thousand men present along with women and children, which could realistically have added up to 20,000 people.

Then, Luke 9:14-17 says,

‘But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.’

Miracle story 2:

Very same story as story 1, but with a few differences. Another large crowd, they had nothing to eat but this time they were with Jesus for three days. And Jesus, full of compassion, asked the disciples to get food for them. This time they had 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish. Jesus got the food from the disciples and prayed for it and the disciples distributed it to a crowd of 4000. They picked up 7 baskets of leftovers.

2 Key points in the story:

1.Usually, miracles will be performed to some in front of everyone. But this one is different. It's a miracle for everyone, not just for some. Including the disciples. Jesus asked the disciples to look for food and bring it back to Him. Think about it, Jesus could have eliminated that step all together and provided food all by Himself. But He didn't. He included the disciples, because it's a miracle for all. Not just for some.

People surrounded Jesus in faith and were in need.

Jesus saw them and had compassion on them.

Jesus provided for them all.

People received it in faith and were satisfied.

2. There seems to be a pattern in these stories. Every time they offered Jesus the little food they had, He offered it back to the Father on behalf of them and multiplied it in abundance. They even got leftovers to spare.

Faith that is a size of a mustard seed, has to be offered to Jesus from us.

Jesus will then lift it up to Father as an offering, as He alone can do that.

Jesus then will provide for us much more than we need and we will be satisfied.

As you are reading this today, I want to encourage you all - Miracles do happen.

Let’s understand miracles better with some FAQs.

1. Aren’t miracles only for Biblical times?

No. They’re not only for Biblical times, they are for now and forever. God doesn't change.

Psalm 77:14 says, ‘You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.’

2. Why do miracles happen?

They are either for the people to believe or for the glory of God to be revealed.

John 4:48 says, ‘ “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”’

3. Do we deserve miracles?

We don't deserve miracles. Absolutely not! We are not entitled.

In today’s story we saw that Jesus was filled with compassion for the people. That is the only reason. Nothing else. Not because they all had ‘super faith’, not because they were special or prayed hard, not because they were from a particular tribe or denomination, none. It's only for His compassion on His people. He has compassion on us because He knows our weakness. He knows we are nothing but dust.

Hebrews 4:15 says,

‘For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin’

4. Do I have a part to play to witness a miracle?

A little mustard seed of faith in Jesus is all He is asking for today. He will offer it back to Father and multiply it in abundance as He alone can do.

Matthew 17:20 says,

‘He (Jesus) replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Nothing will be impossible for you because nothing is impossible for Jesus. Miracles are for those who have faith. Not mountain sized faith, just a mustard seed faith.

5. Does this mean I can get whatever I want?

Word of caution: “Miracles” doesn't mean, ‘to get whatever we want’. God is not a genie. It’s to get what we need, in His will and to bring glory to the Kingdom of God.

So if moving a mountain is not in the will of God, doesn't matter how many times you ask it to move, with all the faith you can muster, it's not going to move.

In Mark chapter 9, a father will come to Jesus hoping He would heal his son.

Mark 9: 22-24 says,

The father will ask Jesus, ‘’“If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”’

Let’s have all our hope and faith in Jesus. And let us ask Him to overcome our unbelief. Because, miracles do happen!

On to the Recipes:

Its obvious here that this menu consists of only two items, bread and fish. In some accounts it says it was ‘barley’ loaves and in some just bread.

This particular menu is so simple and is one of my family favourites. Bread rolls and roasted fish with cilantro oil as a dressing, that is all.

Buttery Bread Rolls Recipe:

Ingredients:

2.5 cups of 2% milk

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp. Salt

2 packets of fast rising yeast (0.25 oz packets)

¼ cup of melted butter

6 cups of all purpose flour

1 egg for egg wash

Method:

This one is really simple. Heat the oven for 350 F (175 C). Combine all the above ingredients and knead it for 5 mins. Cover the dough with a clean towel.
Let it rise in a draft free warm area ( I kept it inside my oven) until it doubles its size. For this one, it took me 1.5 hours.
Punch down the dough to release the air and knead for another 2 minutes.
Divide the dough into lemon sized balls and let the dough balls rise again for another 30 minutes.
Beat one egg and brush it on the rolls. I made small slits on the dough - no reason, just to make it look pretty.
Bake it in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until its nicely golden brown.
Optional: brush melted butter on the hot rolls. You can use garlic butter or herb butter as well.

Roasted Fish Recipe:

Ingredients:

Fish : I used 2 full rainbow trouts. Approximately 1 pound a fish. Because I wanted to have the look of ‘whole fish and bread’ in the pictures. But you can use any kind of whole fish or fillet. Like, Tilapia, Salmon, Perch, etc…

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. red chilli flakes

½ tsp. ground coriander - optional

1 cup of chopped cilantro

Method:

Prepare the Fish: Wash it clean and scrape the fish with a serrated knife, if you have any scale residue on the fish. If using fillets, you can skip this step. Washing it well will be enough. Pat the fish dry.
In a chopper, add the rest of the ingredients and run it for 5 seconds. Don't make it a paste, it should be coarse.
Score the fish lightly and slather this mixture on the fish and drizzle a tsp. Of oil on top of it.
Roast the fish in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until done at 400F (200C). It took me 28 minutes for this fish to be done.
Once done, remove the fish out of the oven and cover it with an aluminium foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. Serve hot.