Read Matthew 14: 13 - 21
In this familiar story, three things stand out to me.
First, Jesus desires to do His work through His disciples. Could He have fed that crowd without the disciples help? Of course. Could He have spoken food into existence? Of course. And yet He did not. He told the disciples to feed the people. When they could not because their supplies were so limited and meager, Jesus stepped in and performed extravagant work and supply.
What do we learn that is applicable to us? Jesus wants to use you and me to do His work. We may not believe that is such a good idea because we know how weak and limited we are! But it is the way Jesus chooses to work. So, we bring our meager supplies to the Lord - our limitations, our want of talents and gifts and resources - bring them all to the Lord and leave them there. And then trust that He will do with them what He wills. My job is to openly bring what I have to the Lord ... His job is to work with it however He chooses. That's good news! We can trust Him to do more than we can dream or imagine with our own limited selves.
Second, even our little is worthy of thanks. Jesus gave thanks to God for the pitiful little meal that was laid before Him. He doesn't make excuses for it ... we do sometimes. He doesn't rationalize away the gift because it is so small. He gives thanks for it ... and proceeds to use it. That's also good news! We don't have to apologize for our shortcomings ... or make excuses for how little we have to offer ... or rationalize away any possible benefit from them. We just bring them and give thanks to God that we have anything at all to offer!
Third, in the face of this stupendous miracle ... this extravagant display of food ... there was no room for waste. Jesus had the disciples (whom He was still working through) collect the leftovers. Barclay says, "God gives to us with munificence, but a wasteful extravagance is never right. God's generous giving and our wise using must go hand in hand."
OK ... familiar story ... strong applications for us. So, what will you do with this little story? Will you just learn the facts and be able to say, "Wow, look what Jesus did!"? Or, will you, with me, choose to examine our own lives and ask three very pertinent questions:
First, Jesus desires to do His work through His disciples. Could He have fed that crowd without the disciples help? Of course. Could He have spoken food into existence? Of course. And yet He did not. He told the disciples to feed the people. When they could not because their supplies were so limited and meager, Jesus stepped in and performed extravagant work and supply.
What do we learn that is applicable to us? Jesus wants to use you and me to do His work. We may not believe that is such a good idea because we know how weak and limited we are! But it is the way Jesus chooses to work. So, we bring our meager supplies to the Lord - our limitations, our want of talents and gifts and resources - bring them all to the Lord and leave them there. And then trust that He will do with them what He wills. My job is to openly bring what I have to the Lord ... His job is to work with it however He chooses. That's good news! We can trust Him to do more than we can dream or imagine with our own limited selves.
Second, even our little is worthy of thanks. Jesus gave thanks to God for the pitiful little meal that was laid before Him. He doesn't make excuses for it ... we do sometimes. He doesn't rationalize away the gift because it is so small. He gives thanks for it ... and proceeds to use it. That's also good news! We don't have to apologize for our shortcomings ... or make excuses for how little we have to offer ... or rationalize away any possible benefit from them. We just bring them and give thanks to God that we have anything at all to offer!
Third, in the face of this stupendous miracle ... this extravagant display of food ... there was no room for waste. Jesus had the disciples (whom He was still working through) collect the leftovers. Barclay says, "God gives to us with munificence, but a wasteful extravagance is never right. God's generous giving and our wise using must go hand in hand."
OK ... familiar story ... strong applications for us. So, what will you do with this little story? Will you just learn the facts and be able to say, "Wow, look what Jesus did!"? Or, will you, with me, choose to examine our own lives and ask three very pertinent questions:
- Am I willing to offer myself - with all my limitations and shortcomings - to my Lord for His use, as He sees fit?
- Am I a grateful person for the gifts that have been bestowed on me? Or do I spend my timing whining about what I do not have?
- Am I wasteful? With time, resources, money, talents? How can cut back the waste in my own life?
Lord, help me see myself in the light of this encounter You had on the hillside in Galilee. Use me ... use us ... as we come to You in complete dependence on Your hand and work. We desire to be useful disciples of Yours!
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