This blog post is a continuation from my last blog post in which I shared three insights into what we can learn from Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand as we pursue our purpose. I continue to be amazed at how much these familiar passages of scripture revealed. Rather than attempt to unpack all of the insights that I discovered in one blog post, I decided to share three additional insights in this blog post that can offer us wisdom through these scripture passages as we answer God’s calling on lives.
Don’t Limit Jesus
The disciples were wavering in their faith, as I highlighted in my previous blog post. The flip side of that diminished faith was their lack of expectation concerning what Jesus could do. There was no room in their belief system for Jesus to do anything astonishing despite previously witnessing Jesus perform miraculous acts.
Philip’s response to Jesus’ inquiry concerning from where they should buy bread offered no faith that Jesus would perform an extraordinary act that could accommodate feeding the crowd. As I shared in my last blog post, Philip answered Jesus’ question, by answering with an estimation, what the literal costs would be. His answer was a match for his level of faith. Philip had a limited view that did not offer space for Jesus to do more. Yet Jesus could do more and, in fact, did!
We saw how Philip was not alone in the belief system that he held, as other disciples also responded to Jesus’ question in a similar manner as Philip.
In the gospel of Matthew, scripture revealed the following:
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.”
~ Matthew 14:17 NIV
Mark’s gospel demonstrates a similar account:
“They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
~ Mark 6:37 NIV
Jesus would go on to take the five loaves and two fish, look up to heaven, give thanks and break them, multiplying the bread and fish in order to feed the crowd. Through this miracle, Jesus was teaching the disciples the importance of believing what is possible beyond what our human eyes can see or what our minds can conceive and, in addition, what is possible with and through Him!
It can be so easy for us to limit what is possible to what logically makes sense. But just because we may not have all of the resources in the natural, does not mean that we should not make room for what God can do in the supernatural. God is able! What may seem inconceivable by human standards is simply an opportunity for God to show up and show out! God can do the unimaginable and we are invited, through our faith, to take the limits off of what God can do. This was a powerful reminder that we need not limit God!
Jesus Can Use the Ordinary to Do the Powerful and Miraculous
Throughout scripture we see how God used ordinary people, circumstances and even objects to do the powerful and miraculous in order to fulfill His will. God used Rahab, a harlot, to hide and protect Israelite spies being sent to survey the fighting strategy of Jericho. Moses, who had a speech impediment, was God’s mouthpiece and was used by God to bring the Israelites to the edge of the Promised Land. God used Paul, previously known as Saul when he was persecuting Christians, to spread the message of Christianity after Paul experienced a conversion while on the road to Damascus. Paul would eventually be responsible for writing approximately one-third of the New Testament.
This miracle was no exception and Jesus would perform the miraculous, through a little boy and his mere lunch of five loaves and two fish. Just as Jesus was able to multiply what appeared to be a modest meal from a child, He too can multiply whatever we humbly bring to Him in service no matter how ordinary it may appear. We may think that our talents are not enough. We may question, “Who am I to be called to this assignment?” But Jesus invites us to come as we are and use what we have as we answer our calling, bringing glory to God. Similarly, we may feel limited in resources such as knowledge, manpower or finances. Yet God can take what we have and multiply our efforts.
Jesus Welcomes a Willing Heart
A contributing factor to Jesus’ ability to multiply the five loaves and two fish to feed the crowd, was the fact that a little boy was willing to offer his food in order for the miracle to take place.
The little boy is referenced in the gospel of John:
“Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among many?”
~ John 6:8-9 NIV
There is something so moving about this for me. The disciples, who had more than the little boy but didn’t see what they had as enough, weren’t used. In fact, because the disciples did not see what they had as able to make a difference, they didn’t even think to offer anything. It wasn’t any of the approximately five thousand men in the crowd who would be used for the miracle to take place. But rather, a young, unassuming boy would be the one to make all the difference. The young boy did not have to offer what he had. He could have declined sharing what he had but didn’t. The little boy had a willing heart ready to offer his lunch, no matter how seemingly small the meal. Because of his generous heart, Jesus could perform a miracle that would bless the masses.
This is a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished through the willingness of one’s heart. A heart filled with obedience, willingness and generosity makes all the difference. It is a willing heart that says ‘yes’ to what God may be asking and submits to God’s request with obedience, that has the ability to impact and bless others profoundly. Never underestimate the power and impact of what willing heart can do on behalf of God. As the Bible states:
“For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.”
~ 2 Corinthians 8:12 NIV
Are there any areas in which you have limited Jesus’ ability to move powerfully in your life? Do you believe that you can be used by God to do the powerful and even miraculous, as a function of His will? Are willingness and obedience part of the makeup of your heart posture? Please share! I look forward to hearing from you.