As I read the gospels and recount the conversations and interactions that Jesus had with his disciples, religious leaders, and seekers, I am reminded that the Master teacher used every obstacle and seemingly impossible task as a means for a teaching opportunity. Such is the case in the miraculous feeding of 5000, which is recorded in all four gospels. The story begins as Jesus lands his boat in a nearby town and is met by a crowd of people. This was not a welcoming committee, but rather a massive group of hurting people with needs, the majority of whom required healing. Jesus is not overwhelmed by the masses, but rather meets them with compassion and spends the entire day healing the sick. When it begins to get dark, the disciples become concerned about the large crowd that may very well be hungry after a long day that did not include a lunch break. Would they be obligated to whip up dinner for an enormous group of people? It’s quite possible that in addition to their concern about any responsibility they might have to feed A WHOLE LOT of people, they were also just plain exhausted, hungry themselves, and ready to call it a day. As the Sun continues to set, the Son of Man continues to work the miraculous, seemingly oblivious of the late hour. The light of day is diminishing, but the crowd unfortunately is not. The disciples make the decision to approach Jesus as a unified front to discuss their legitimate concern with Him. Surely, once Jesus is made aware of the serious predicament, they might all soon find themselves in, he will respond promptly by ending the meeting, providing dining options, and dismissing the crowd. Then again, maybe not… Later that afternoon the disciples came to Jesus and said, “It’s going to be dark soon and the people are hungry, but there’s nothing to eat here in this desolate place. You should send the crowds away to the nearby villages to buy themselves some food. They don’t need to leave, “Jesus responded. You can give them something to eat. (Matthew 14:15 & 16 TPT)
This is clearly not the answer the disciples were hoping for, but truthfully it doesn’t really surprise them. Their Rabbi is a radical thinker and his problem-solving methods oftentimes seem unreasonable, unconventional, and in this moment, unrealistic! Perhaps they just needed to explain in specific detail. So, they try a second time…
But all we have is five barley loaves and two fish. (Matthew 14:17 TPT)
And Jesus responds…
Let me have them (Matthew 14:18 TPT)
It had been a long day of ministry for Jesus and it’s now become apparent to the disciples that their mentor and teacher was obviously not thinking or hearing clearly. What purpose would it serve to review the contents of the young boy’s lunchbox? Clearly, a meal packed for one, that could potentially be shared with a friend or two, was ridiculously inadequate to feed a stadium sized crowd of 5000! After a few minutes of awkward silence pass, the disciples realize that Jesus is not fazed by their presentation facts. They’ve done their best to present their legitimate concerns and it’s become apparent that their teacher will not be persuaded to consider their logical suggestion. So with seemingly no other choice, they hesitantly and reluctantly hand over the contents of the boy’s lunch to their Rabbi. Jesus receives the food, offers a prayer of thanksgiving to his Father, and moves into miracle mode. Next, He organizes seating arrangements for the crowd and enlists the help of the disciples as wait staff. Now with everything and everyone in place, the distribution of food begins, one plate at a time, to one person at a time, until every hungry soul is fed. Throughout the afternoon, the platter for one, miraculously continues to replenish until every person has been served and is satisfied.
After the meal, the crowd disperses and the disciples collapse on the grass exhausted. The good kind of exhausted, the kind that follows after the completion of a major event; in this case, a miraculous event. The usually talkative disciples, now recline in silence, and Jesus joins them on the grass. No words are spoken between them. Sometimes actions, specifically on this miraculous day, in this little seaside village, actions speak for themselves. The sweet silence is interrupted by the sound of someone’s grumbling stomach, and the twelve disciples suddenly realize they’re all starving. Not a problem. As fate would have it, there just happened to be twelve baskets of food, each packed to the max, left over from the dinner crowd; one for each disciple, and plenty to share with Jesus.
I love this inspiring story of how the impossible became possible, the little became a lot, and the not enough became more than enough, as it serves as a reminder to me today that I too, have what it takes, when I take what I have to Jesus. The lesson the disciples learned on this day with the large, hurting and hungry crowd is the same lesson I need to learn on almost a daily basis, and the lesson is this: my potential to tackle any assignment, large or small, is not based on my ability, but rather on His super abounding ability that works through me to accomplish His purposes. Successful achievements are not determined by what I possess, but rather what I offer to God in faith. When I feel overwhelmed with a task, inadequate to meet a need, lacking wisdom or direction, or simply not desiring to do what I know I’ve been called to do, I must respond with haste to My Father’s standing invitation, to abide, trust and depend on Him.
As I position my heart and mind in a posture of surrender, releasing control and embracing trust, I experience complete wholeness and perfect peace. In this sacred space I hear the loving voice of my faithful Father reminding me that He has chosen me for His purposes, and He is able, completely able, to turn my ordinary into extraordinary.
God’s invitation to me is standing and simple: cease from endless reasoning and rationalizing, approach me with confidence and expectancy, release your grip, open your hands, and simply…
give me what you’ve got.
