Fast Food on the Mount: MetaSpiritual Interpretation of the Feeding of the 5000
One of the greatest prosperity stories in the New Testament is the story where the Christ as Jesus fed 5,000 people on a grassy hillside. Metaphysically, it is a treatise on expanding your awareness.
So let’s take a look at what can be referred to as the first fast food service in the New Testament. The story appears in all four Gospels,* but we’ll use John’s account, since it has elements that the other Gospels fail to mention (We’re going to Bil-ize the literal interpretation of John’s account and paraphrase it somewhat)
John 6:1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd followed Him, because he was using non-traditional healing methods to heal the sick.
4 Now the Passover was near. 5 When He looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we going to get enough bagels for these people to eat?” 7 Philip answered, “Six months wages (200 denarii) would not buy enough bagels or cream cheese for these people.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, saying, 9 “There is a boy here who has five gluten-free bagels he bought at Paneras and two fish.
But they’re not enough to feed so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Ask the people to sit.”So all 5,000 sat. (Actually the number of people was closer to 20,000 since women and children were not counted) 11 Then Jesus took the sliced bagels, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to those who were seated. He also made sure everyone had enough fish and spring water.
12 When they were satisfied, He told His disciples, “Gather up the leftovers, so we can take them to a local Rescue Mission.”
13 So they gathered them up, and from the leftovers of five bagels, they filled 12 baskets.
Did Jesus speak to 20,000 people on a Judean hillside? Possibly. His talk was near the time of the Passover, an important Jewish holiday. There would have been many people traveling to Jerusalem.
Did He feed 20,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish? Your guess is as good as ours. Perhaps there were vending machines dotting the hillside! Did the generosity of a little boy cause the generosity of thousands of other people to share what they had in their coolers? Perhaps.
We believe the importance of this story can best be explained metaphysically. And if interpreted at that level of expanded awareness, it uncovers one of the greatest formulas for prosperity you will ever find:
Let’s take a look at some of the metaphysical interpretations of key phrases, terms, and characters in the literal story bymetaphysically bumping up their meanings:
Sea of Galilee = Headquarters, our super-conscious, Unitive Consciousness
Sea of Tiberias = expanded awareness
Crowd = our cattle drive of thoughts that seek spiritual understanding
Jesus = that higher consciousness aspect of us that is in alignment with the Christ within
Disciples = our spiritual capacities and abilities used in service
Passover = the passing over or becoming unattached to materialistic appetites and addictions
Philip = the power of affirmations and refusal to give power to the world of outer appearances
Andrew = strength of mental resolve and an internal locus of control
Simon Peter = faithing it ‘till we make it
Boy = childlike trust and imagination
People seated = discipleship
5 loaves = Universal Substance that underwrites the power of our five senses to accelerate our good to us
2 fishes = divine ideas which lead to limitless abundance when our human self (small ‘s’ self) aligns with our Higher Self (capital ‘S’ Self)
12 baskets = the 12 highest spiritual qualities (powers) within us that are quickened when we operate at an elevated level of awareness. [They also stand for our 12 bodily systems and 12 pair of quickened cranial nerves – but that’s a book study and not a blogcast]
When you toss all of these characters and key concepts into a MetaSpiritual basket, here’s what we get:
When we enter a high state of consciousness with a positive attitude and childlike faith, connect with our Christ Self, affirm what we want to manifest, and trust in our ability to draw from Universal Substance, we will tap into all twelve of our awesome spiritual powers (according to the Unity tradition) to manifest the health, wealth, and prosperity we so richly deserve as spiritual beings divinely ordering our human experiences.
* Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; and John 6:1-15
From this story, we can actually get the formula for prosperity. Jesus demonstrates it so clearly —step by step! As simple as A—B—C!
A: Acknowledge the Field of Infinite potential, not your problem!
When we get into difficulty, it is so easy to focus on the lack – focus on the problem. But Jesus demonstrated that it is more important to focus on the potential. The disciples were focused on the problem. But Jesus said, “Let’s give them something to eat!” In Mark, He asks: “How many loaves do you have?” He is demonstrating the need to focus on what we have, and imagine what CAN be done, rather than on the lack. When we focus on the problem, we get tense, upset – and literally block the flow from coming.
Keep yourself in the frame of consciousness to be always focused on potential rather than the problem. One way we can do this is to create Attitude of Gratitude Lists, at the point of a frustrating situation.
B: Bless what you have.
When we bestow a blessing on something, we confer prosperity upon it; we send an energy of growth and magnification. The first thing Jesus did was bless the loaves and fish that were offered. It wasn’t a beseeching prayer (Oh, God, make this stretch to feed everyone!”) It was a prayer of thanksgiving. He knew it would be plenty, for He understood the principle of Mind Action, and of Invoking blessings.
Here’s an example: When Unity Village was going through a rough spot, back when Charles and Myrtle were building the movement, they called all the workers together to pray. When people suggested to pray that the money would hold out, Myrtle Fillmore is quoted as saying, “No! We must pray for our faith to hold out!”
What you bless is multiplied and grows. When you focus on your lack, you are literally invoking a Negative Blessing!
C: Claim the Impact of Generosity!
It is important to take action – step out in faith, believing your abundance is manifesting. Jesus gave the bread and fish to the disciples and told them to distribute it. It must have looked kind of puny – and maybe the disciples thought Jesus had lost it! But they did as He requested! And not only was everyone fed, there were 12 baskets of leftovers! (We know from earlier in this blog what that stands for!)
