“God, I don’t know what you want to say,” I prayed. It was a familiar conversation as I prepared to teach. But that morning, His answer caught my breath and my attention.
“You feed them.”
My mind raced to the parable when Jesus said this. It was the feeding of the 5000 men (plus the thousands more of women and children). I grabbed my Bible and landed on the Mark 6 version.
I reread the passage like an old friend’s letter. I have studied the story many times. But the tone of God’s voice that morning confirmed that there was something fresh for me to see.
“You feed them.”
The First Ah-ha.
It says that Jesus had compassion on the crowds and that moved him to action. Those two words are always linked in God’s hands. Compassion equals Action. It’s not enough to care unless you do something with your care.
The Second Ah-ha.
One of the twists of this story is when Jesus turned to the disciples and asked, “What do YOU have?” Many times before, Jesus just took care of the present need. He healed someone, or put mud on their eyes, or some other crazy thing. But that day He turned to the disciples, just like He turns to us every day, and asks, What do you have in your hands?
The Third Ah-ha.
Then He did another interesting thing, then and now. Jesus asked the disciples to give the loaves and fishes to Him. What are the small things in your hands? Those very small things, the five loaves and two fishes kinds of things, the things that are not enough to feed the masses. Jesus wants it.
The Fourth Ah-ha
Then He took this little ole basket of “not enough’ and lifted it to heaven and blessed it. And then He did an even stranger thing. Jesus handed the basket “full of Heaven” back to His disciples and told them to give it away.
He put it back it their hands and called them to action. It’s no different for us. He wants what’s in our hands to be full of Heaven and given away.
“You feed them.”
There is a greater reality than Jesus doing miracles among us. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus has made Heaven possible to flow through us. Our job is to take what we have, give it to Him to bless it and then when He gives it back to us, do what He says.
It’s not about getting bigger, better fish. Or more fish. It’s about doing what He says and trusting that He can make it more. Why? Because His compassion moves us to action. His blessing sparks Divine Multiplication.
It’s the most amazing math equation. Our gifts plus our faith plus the breath of God changes the world.
Who’s hungry??