I’ve been known to put together pretty good feasts for very little money – church dinners, reunions, even a wedding reception or two. I can organize food, giving out the same recipe to enough people to ensure the right amount of meatballs, appetizers, dessert, etc. But I’ve got nothin’ on Jesus, who managed to feed a crowd of well over 5,000 people with very little food, and no planning to speak of:
“Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled.”
Sure, he had the power of God working through him. He also had a savvy grasp of logistics and crowd control. He had people sit on the grass… we’re often much more receptive when seated. Other accounts tell us that he had people sit in groups of 50 and 100 – now we’re talking manageable group sizes. We can imagine feeding 50 or 100.
Then Jesus took what was on hand, the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven – presumably in prayer, a prayer for blessing, a prayer of thanksgiving for what was about to happen – and blessed the food and broke it up.
And here’s how it got to the people: he gave it to the disciples, and they gave it to the crowds. Jesus didn’t personally feed anyone that day – the disciples did. And as they did, they kept having enough. It doesn’t say that Jesus caused a mountain of bread and fish to appear, from which they refilled their baskets. It just says they gave it out, and kept not running out. “And all ate and were filled.”
So often we think something is impossible, insurmountable. Well, if God says it is possible, and if we sense God inviting us to bear God’s power into, say, famine, disease, peace in the Middle East, we don’t have to know how it will work; we don’t need to see the whole picture from the start. We can step out in faith, doing the next manageable task, and keep trusting the provision of the One who sent us. God already has the whole thing worked out – and for some reason is waiting for us to carry the baskets, hand out the food, bind up the wounds, help to transform structures of injustice.
Is that a lot of pressure for us? Yes and no. Yes – I do believe that if every true Christ-follower in the world helped to feed others, no one would go hungry. And if more of us stood up to violence and injustice, more people would live in safety. The challenges are only insurmountable because so few do take action. That being said, it’s NOT a lot of pressure, because it isn’t our work – it’s God’s work. We simply make ourselves available. We don’t have to engineer it.
Given what’s going on the world this month, this week, I can hear how ridiculous and “pie in the sky” I sound. I also believe it’s true. So my response is to ask each day, “Lord, who do you want me to feed? What do you want me to be doing about Gaza?” I think I’m supposed to organize a prayer service in my community. Will that make a difference? If there were 10,000 prayer services around the world? Maybe.
What challenge do you sense, which you feel is way beyond your capacity? Is God asking you to do it? Then God will show you what resources you already have, and provide what’s lacking. Let’s spend some prayer time on that one today. Then take it, bless it, break it, and give it away.
Who is God going to feed with our loaves and fish today?
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