Feeding the Multitudes: A Miraculous Lesson

 Transcribed by AI

Welcome to the programme "The Secret of Life." This programme, in the light of the Holy Gospel, helps you to bring about fundamental changes in your life. May the Lord grant you peace and comfort. Welcome to the live programme "The Secret of Life." Please accept my greetings. I hope you are all well, healthy, and in good spirits. We are very grateful for the messages we received last week through Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger. It's a joy for us to hear from you.

Today, we have a very special guest with us. Dear Samir, welcome to the programme "The Secret of Life." Greetings to you, Shahb, and to all the dear ones who are listening to the programme. I am truly happy to be with you all again, and through this programme, we can share the Word of God with our beloved people today.

Yes, well, Samir, you have been coming to our programmes regularly for the past few months, at least once a month. We have also met you at one of the conferences previously, and every time we see your enthusiasm for the Word of God and sharing it with the people of Afghanistan, it is an honour for us and for all the churches in Afghanistan. Thank you for being with us on the programme today.

Well, dear friends, a question we want to consider today is: why does the world, especially our country Afghanistan, continue to face so many years of war and sorrow? We all wonder why. If you watch a short video of our brother Pashtun, who was in the deserts of Nimroz in the last moments of his life, he sends a video to his mother from there. He tells her about his situation and expresses that he might not survive. He asks for forgiveness from her. This is just one example of the lives of millions of people in Afghanistan and countless millions around the world who are suffering.

Here, I want to share a couple of small sentences from two girls, one Afghan and one Syrian, about what they said in their final moments. One little Afghan girl, who was dying of hunger, said, "O God, I have nothing left, I am going to die of hunger. I have no bread to eat. Take me to Your paradise, where I can eat bread." This was one statement. Another statement from the Syrian girl, who said at the time of her dying, in her last moments of life, "I will tell everything to the Lord." This was the Syrian girl's wish, to share everything with God after death, meaning she had no hope in this life. Today, millions of people in Afghanistan and around the world also have no hope in this life.

Samir, I want to ask you about this matter: when millions of people, especially our Afghan people, have no hope in life and all their hope is that if they die, they might achieve something better in the next world, what message can we as Christians and followers of Jesus Christ convey to the people of Afghanistan in this difficult moment? Hope can fill a person's heart with pain, and for us in Afghanistan, this is not just a story we share.

This is also from our own experience. I remember when we were living in Pakistan, we were refugees. I was about six years old when we were weaving carpets. One day, we were weaving carpets on a Friday. My father told us that after lunch, we would take a break and go visit my grandmother. We were very happy and excited to weave the carpet, knowing we would visit her after lunch.

However, unfortunately, at the end of the month, we had not been paid, and we had no bread to eat. We lived in poverty like many other refugees. Then my father said, "Let's weave for another couple of hours because we have a few days left to finish this carpet and sell it." A couple of hours passed, and then he suggested we work for another hour. An hour later, it became two hours, and finally, it was five o'clock. At that time, I was probably about six or seven years old.

I stepped away from the carpet workshop and went to the bathroom, where I cried a lot. I cried and said, "God, it seems You don’t care about me. I didn’t ask for much from You. I just wanted one hour to go visit my grandmother. We are so tired." This pain and despair reflects the feelings of our people and the people of the world.

Many times, we look for hope in our future. However, one thing that changed in my life, even in those hard times, was that when we found Jesus Christ, the problems continued. We still wove carpets, but even amidst those difficulties, we had a hope and a peace that I had never experienced before. In the midst of those problems, I could express the pain of my heart to God without any words.

Just like that girl who said, "One day, I will tell my pain to God," I found that while I was working at the carpet workshop, because I had faith in Jesus Christ, I could live with that hope and peace, knowing that I could share my pain with God.

I want to read from Psalm 44, verses 20 to 26, and I want us to discuss it a bit. Psalm 44, verses 20 to 26 say, "Awake, O Lord! Why do You sleep? Arise! Do not cast us off forever. Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body clings to the ground. Arise for our help, and redeem us for Your mercies' sake."

Here, dear friends, it says, "Awake, O Lord!" This does not mean that the Lord is asleep. The Lord is always awake, always aware and listening. But in the Old Testament, being asleep was a metaphor for inactivity. In essence, the writer of this psalm is saying, "Lord, why are You not active in our lives? Why are You not working in our lives? Arise and do not forsake us forever."

They feel that the Lord has abandoned them. Today, many people in Afghanistan also feel this way. They are suffering, living in poverty, in situations where they have nothing. They might say, "O Lord, wake up! Why are You inactive? Why don’t You work? Why don’t You save us?"

And in the end, it says, "Save us for the sake of Your mercy." Not because we are better than others, or because we have done any good deeds, but for the sake of Your mercy. As Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, we can express all our emotions, all our life situations to Him at this moment.

Samir, I would like you to share your thoughts on this passage. Suffering and pain throughout history are nothing new. But for the people of Afghanistan, this suffering has persisted for decades and has become a part of everyday life. We want to hear your thoughts on this passage and the suffering of our people.

One of the beautiful things we see in the Scriptures is that people express their pain and suffering to God without any fear. Among our people, if today they were to speak like this, some might silence them, saying, "You are speaking blasphemy. O God, where are You? Why are You asleep? Why do You not care for us?"

Yet, in times of pain, the words may not be as important as what our hearts want to say to God. The Word of God speaks truthfully to us. David expressed his pain and shared his heart with God. This passage also reminds me of Isaiah 63.

If I recall correctly, Isaiah 63 says, "Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and Your strength? The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me? Are they restrained? Doubtless, You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel acknowledges us not; You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name."

Continuing in Isaiah 64, "Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might shake at Your presence!" Here, the prophet also cries out to God, "O God, where are You? Where is Your power? Would that You would tear open the heavens and come down among us, so that we might feel Your presence and see Your power."

We see that these cries and laments we find in the Psalms and the words of the prophets express a deep longing for God’s presence. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ came to be with us and to know our pain. We do not speak to a God who is seated in the heavens and does not care; we speak to a God who has experienced pain firsthand and is aware of our hearts and our cries. He is ready to hear us in our most difficult times and answer us according to His will.

Yes, this is the crux of it. Truly, Jesus Christ was prophesied in Isaiah, and He is the God who came to this earth and became human. He performed miracles and ultimately gave His life on the cross for our sins and for our peace. Jesus Himself says in Matthew 11, verse 28, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

We thank God that today, thousands of Afghans are coming to faith in Christ every day, and they are finding hope in this world just as we have. In this world, we bring our feelings, our pains, and our sorrows to God, and He hears us. Not only does He hear us, but He acts. God is working today in Afghanistan.

The problem we humans have is that we often do not see beyond our immediate troubles. We focus solely on our problems and do not see God. But dear friends, God loves you; He is at work. He hears all your feelings, your sorrows, and your needs. One important thing is what Christ says. He repeats, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

If we want to find peace in this world, if we want to find peace of heart, we need to turn to Christ and have faith in Him.

If you would like to continue, please share. Samir, I think you have been doing this programme for about 13 or 14 years now, bringing a message of hope to the people. Our joy is not merely that we can see our problems but that our hope is not based on empty optimism. Rather, our hope is in Christ, who was crucified, conquered death, and promised that one day He would wipe the tears from the eyes of those who believe in Him. Pain and suffering will be no more because He defeated death, the final enemy of humanity. The invitation you have given from the Holy Gospel in Matthew 11:28-30 was the same invitation my father and mother accepted 26-27 years ago. My father spoke those verses with a weary heart after working for 18 years in a factory, truly exhausted.

"Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Dear friends, as you listen to this programme, you can honestly examine your own heart. Are you religious or not? Do you have questions about God? The invitation of the Gospel, the invitation of Jesus Christ is for you too. If you are weary of the pain and suffering that surrounds you, if you are weary of the hopelessness you have found in the books you have read, if you are tired of religion and spirituality, if you are weary of life itself, come to Jesus Christ, who does not say, "Come, and I will impose a new law upon you," but rather, "Come, and I will give you a new peace, a new heart, and a new life." He promises to transform your life, and this is the testimony of many Afghans who have come to faith. They have not found a new book; thank God for this book. I love this book very much. Thank God for the Holy Gospel.

But our joy, our peace, is in Jesus Christ, who promised that if we believe in Him, He will satisfy the weariness, thirst, and hunger in our hearts. Whether in joy or in sorrow, we know that in our sorrow, we are not alone. The greatest thing for someone in sorrow is the feeling of being alone in the world, even within one’s own family. However, when we believe in Jesus Christ, He promises that He will be with us until the end of the age and will never leave us alone.

Amen. Yes, dear friends, you do not have to leave this world without hope, just like that Pashtun brother who, in the last moments of his life, called his mother without hope of this world. Or like that Syrian girl who said she would tell everything to the Lord and left this world without hope. You do not have to live without hope in this world. Through faith in Jesus Christ, you can have hope in life today.

With this prayer and hope, we will now watch a song together, and we will return. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we will return. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we will return.

Dear viewers, would you like to contact us? Please call us at +001-226-476-4462, or email us at info@thesecretoflife.com, or send us a message on Facebook at facebook.com/thesecretoflifetv. We are waiting for your call. Dear friends, you are watching the live programme "The Secret of Life." Samir, you mentioned your father and their faith, and it was not coincidental that the song was also your mother’s voice. We thank the Lord for your entire family, your father, mother, brother, and yourself, and it is a joy and gratitude for all of us Christians.

Well, dear friends, in this section, we will discuss the miracles of Jesus Christ. Perhaps Samir would like to talk about the miracle of feeding the five thousand men. I will read from Matthew 14:13-21, and I would like you to share your thoughts on this.

Matthew 14:13-21: "When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, 'This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.' But Jesus said to them, 'They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.' And they said to Him, 'We have here only five loaves and two fish.' He said, 'Bring them here to Me.' Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children." May the Lord bless His Word. Please go ahead, Samir.

Amen. Amen. Thank God for the Word of God. I always think that every story we discuss is one of the best stories, and one I truly love. Today, I must say it again because it is one of the most interesting stories and miracles of Jesus Christ. Why is this story interesting? Jesus performed many miracles—He raised the dead, healed the sick, and did many wonderful things. However, this miracle was perhaps the most important of all. Why? Because when we read through all four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—we see that this miracle is mentioned in all four.

It is also interesting that the story preceding this miracle is also significant in the Gospels. To understand the meaning of this miracle better, we can think of miracles in two ways. One way is to see miracles as acts of God that astonish people and perhaps lead them to faith. However, I believe this is an insufficient analysis of miracles because if miracles were just about astonishing people, then Jesus performed so many that everyone should have come to faith, yet many did not.

So what does this miracle mean? Why did Jesus perform miracles? Miracles are not merely incredible acts; they hold a greater meaning. The term "miracle" could be better understood as a larger picture that conveys a deeper meaning than what we see with our eyes. We will see this in a few moments. In Matthew chapter 14, the first part of the chapter discusses the killing of John the Baptist by Herod.

Herod was the ruler of that region at the time. You can read about this story in the Gospels and also in historical books. The Holy Gospel is not separate from history. You can find more about Herod in historical texts, such as Josephus's works on Jewish history. Herod was a very cruel ruler, just like his father. His father was so cruel that he killed two of his own children and one of his wives. Herod, as we read here, imprisoned John the Baptist because he feared losing his power.

When Herod heard that John was baptising people and calling for repentance, he became fearful because John publicly called out Herod for marrying his brother’s wife. Herodias, Herod's wife, became angry and wanted Herod to kill John. At what time did Herod execute this? He did it when he had gathered all the powerful and wealthy people of the region to a banquet, and at that event, Herodias' daughter danced for him and asked for John the Baptist’s head.

What do we see here? We see a ruler who invites all the wealthy and powerful people around him, a ruler who is consumed with power and glory, and in his quest for these things, he kills one of our prophets. What was Jesus’ relationship with John the Baptist? John was related to Jesus; their mothers were cousins, as you can read in the Gospel.

So, in a sense, they were relatives. When Jesus heard this news—the news of John’s death—what did He do? He left that place and went to a deserted area by boat to mourn. But the people, upon hearing, followed Him on foot from the cities. Why did those five thousand men come to Jesus? They came to mourn; one, because John was related to Jesus, and two, it is likely they came to tell Jesus that the rulers were oppressive.

They wanted Jesus to know that the rulers of Israel, Herod, were tyrants and that He should take action. They were looking for a shepherd to lead them. This king was not shepherding the people; he was merely serving the wealthy and powerful.

In this time of mourning for John, Jesus went to a deserted place to grieve, but the people came to Him. First, they were mourning; secondly, they were likely seeking a leader, knowing that the rulers at that time were oppressive and that they were looking for someone to rescue them from those rulers.

Now, in this context, the key verse is in the end of verse 14, where you highlighted the comparison between Herod and Jesus. Herod had power, wealth, and everything, but his heart did not care for anyone. In contrast, at the end of verse 14, it says that Jesus had compassion on them and healed their sick. This is contrary to the ways of the world and the rulers of this world. Thank you.

Yes, indeed. This story is important because it is not just about a miracle; it contrasts two kings. The earthly king cares only for himself and the powerful, while the heavenly King, Jesus, has compassion. Even in His time of mourning, He cares for the people and heals their wounds.

In verse 15, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, so they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."

Jesus said, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." The disciples replied, "We have only five loaves and two fish." Jesus asked them to bring the food to Him. Then He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass.

It is interesting that He asked them to sit on the grass, and if we read Mark 6, we see that He had them sit down on green grass, which is reminiscent of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures."

It shows that God is a shepherd who cares for His people. The shepherd of this world is not concerned with the needy; He is only concerned with the wealthy and powerful. But Jesus had compassion on the people, even those who had nothing to eat. He commanded them to sit down and prepared food for them.

In verse 19, it continues, "Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained."

Here we see two different shepherds: one who is concerned only with power and wealth and another, the true shepherd, Jesus, who cares for the people. He makes them sit down and provides for them.

This meal was not for the powerful and wealthy; it was for those who were weak and needy. It was not for those who could afford food; it was for those who had nothing. Jesus’ power is evident as He feeds five thousand men and many women and children with just five loaves and two fish.

What do we learn from this lesson? The first lesson is that the table of Jesus is open to all. The table of Jesus is open to everyone. You do not need to have wealth. Coming to Jesus means you can have faith in Him and be part of His Kingdom.

When we come to believe in the kingdom of Jesus, we receive peace in our hearts and become part of His table. One important thing is that when we are part of Jesus’ table, He is always with us. We will never be distant from His table.

Yes, indeed. The second lesson from what we have read is that the worldly table may seem very beautiful. We see the wealthy and powerful at those tables, but what is the end of that table? Ultimately, we see that John the Baptist died there.

The end of that table is death, destruction, and blood. But the table of Jesus is abundant; everyone eats, is satisfied, and is filled with joy. While the other table may look luxurious, what we see is that there was only a little food for the wealthy, and they were not filled.

But at the table of Jesus, everyone who came was satisfied. You can see that the power of Jesus is so great.

So, what can we learn from this story? In our lives and faith, there are two tables. One table is for the wise, the powerful, and the wealthy, while the other table is for those who may not have wealth, power, or status.

But there is another table available. At that table, everyone is welcome. God’s invitation is for you to come to that table.

If we relate this to the current situation in Afghanistan, we see that the leaders of Afghanistan have tables filled with lavish food, but many children and families are starving. Jesus' table is for all the oppressed and hungry, and He desires to bless everyone and invite them to His table.

Dear friends, let's watch a clip together, and we will return with a song.

Sing to God, from this, from this, from God, praise Him. Glory to God, in the world, joy brings.

Samir, what lessons do we gain from this miracle? The first lesson we take from this is that Jesus' table is open to all. Please share more lessons with us.

Certainly. Thank you, Samir. The second lesson we see from this teaching from the Word of God is that the worldly table may seem very beautiful, where the wealthy and powerful gather. But at the end of that table, we see that John the Baptist was killed there.

The end of that table is death and destruction. The table of Jesus is a table of life and peace. Which table do you wish to sit at? The table that looks good for our human desires but leads to eternal destruction? Or the table of God that invites you to eat and be satisfied and have your heart filled with peace?

This is a choice each of us must make about how we want to live. Do we want to think like the people of the world, believing that through wrongful means, we can satisfy our needs?

But the way of Jesus leads us to joy, peace, and spiritual satisfaction. Which path do you want to take? This is the second lesson, and I invite you to share your thoughts.

Yes, indeed, this is a very important and vital lesson. Our Afghan brothers and sisters must decide which table they want to sit at. The table that offers life in this world and the next, or the table of power and wealth that leads to death in this world and the next?

We Christians have chosen to be at the table of Jesus, which gives us eternal life in this world. This is the hope we have; it not only gives us hope but also helps us to share with others as ambassadors of Christ.

Why? Because the table of Jesus is open, and the difference is that it is for everyone. In today’s world, we see that the rulers and the powerful only want a select few at their tables. But the table of Jesus is for all; the only condition is that you must choose to believe in Him and be part of His kingdom.

We have a few minutes left. Please share your final message, Samir.

The final point is that while we do not wish to delve into politics, it is relevant to power and global authority. It does not matter whether it was two thousand years ago, one hundred years ago, or today. What does Jesus teach us about power? As mentioned earlier, the people were looking to Jesus to take action against Herod, hoping He would defeat the tyrant ruler.

Jesus’ teaching was not about rebellion against earthly rulers. His battle was against the devil that raises these rulers and gives them power. Jesus Christ defeats the devil and calls all humanity to find refuge in Him.

Jesus is the King of hearts, not through violence but by inviting us to His table. While the rulers may demand our loyalty, Jesus invites us to this table.

So, what do the rulers say? They might ask, "Where is your kingdom? Your kingdom will soon be gone." But soon, they too will perish, and their power will fade. Jesus invites us to His table, a lasting and eternal one.

Thank you, Samir. We invite you, dear friends, to the table of Jesus, to the kingdom of Jesus, where through faith in Him, you can be part of this table and receive all the blessings that await you. With this hope and prayer, we conclude our programme and commend you to the gracious hands of the Lord.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.