When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick.Toward evening the disciples approached him. “We’re out in the country and it’s getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper.”
But Jesus said, “There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper.”
“All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish,” they said.
Jesus said, “Bring them here.” Then he had the people sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples. The disciples then gave the food to the congregation. They all ate their fill. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. About five thousand were fed.
Isn’t it amazing – all we see is the little we have and the huge task, where as Jesus sees so much more, if we just hand what we have to him so he can show us. This is one I struggle with a lot – thinking my gifts/talents aren’t suffecient and yet with God in the mix I’m always suprised what can be done. I see the small stone in my hand and assume it will have no affect if thrown into the pond, not like everyone elses big stones – God knows the ripples will go further than I can imagine and I have to trust, be obedient and throw it in. I saw a notice on a church that read ‘The power behind you is greater than the task ahead’ The disciples could never have imagined that so little would go sooooo far.
I’ve just read yesterdays and todays reading together and it struck me that Jesus performed one of his most talked about miricles at a time when he probably just wanted to be alone: to have a moment of solitude and mourn the death of John, yet he sacrificed his own will in order to bless others.
Yes, I think I would have politely tried to extract myself from company in order to deal with my own grief. I would have felt that my need to be alone (or at least not being so public and giving out to others) was almost sacred. How did he do it? Where did he get the strength to be so utterly selfless? I guess the answer to that could be a combination of strength from his heavenly Father and strenth born out of love for the people. If that’s the case, then his love is so infinitely greater than mine, which does things so grudgingly when I’m feeling low or worn out. Isn’t this guy just amazing?