More About Jesus #6
He Did Much with a Little
You remember the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 followers. In just a few words: Jesus fed a crowd of over 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish. Moved by compassion, He blessed the food, multiplied it, and provided more than enough for everyone. The miracle revealed His divine power, taught trust in God’s provision, and pointed to Him as the Bread of Life.
No story of the life of Jesus would be complete without a look at this story. Of all the miracles Jesus did, this is the only one that all four of the Gospel writers told. What was so great about it?
First, Jesus fed 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. We would not even try such. That many people would require thousands of loaves and hundreds of pounds of fish!
Second, because of the great lessons it still teaches us:
It teaches that God can do much with a little. The disciples doubted how such a small amount of food could feed so many (Mark 6:37). Yet, when they obeyed Jesus and trusted Him, they witnessed the impossible. This should encourage us to rely on God’s power rather than focusing on our limitations.
It teaches that great things begin with gratitude. What did Jesus do before he fed the crowds? He blessed the food. When you don’t have enough, thank God for what you do have. If you call on God in gratitude, he will work wonders.
One last interesting note: Jesus didn’t feed 5,000. It was many more. The Bible says that he fed “About five thousand men were fed, in addition to women and children.” (Matthew 14:21). He fed 5,000 men plus the women and children!Maybe it was 10,000 who were fed. No one knows!
God always does more than we even know.
I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.