Have you ever been to Golden Corral? It’s a crazy all-you-can-eat restaurant. They have everything and lots of it! If you go away from there hungry, it’s your own fault.
When Jesus performed His most famous miracle, the Feeding of 5,000, He made more than enough out of only 5 loaves and 2 fish. If you want to read the story you can see Mark 6:35-44. I discovered three lessons that have impacted my life in this simple story.
1. God wants to use us to bring the Bread of Life to a needy world.
The disciples brought the problem of a hungry crowd to Jesus’ attention. Their answer was to send them away. But Jesus told them “You feed them.” Even thought Jesus performed a miracle, He used the disciples to arrange the people into smaller groups and to pass out the bread and meat. Jesus performed the miracle and used the disciples to distribute the food.
As we think of hunger, the most tragic hunger is spiritual hunger. People are starving for the message of the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. God wants to use us to share Jesus with others. He is the Bread of Life. I’ve heard it said that true Christianity is simply ‘one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.’ Share Jesus with others.
2. God can use a very small thing if it is committed to Him.
A small lunch (5 loaves & 2 fish) will not feed a multitude. But in the hands of Jesus it is more than enough. When we give our resources to Jesus, they are multiplied. If you don’t have much to offer Jesus, you’re in luck. That’s exactly what He can use to make a lasting impact on your community.
We often think God wants and needs our strengths. He does when they are committed to Him. But what about our barley loaves, our ordinariness, our weaknesses? The truth is, these are harder to give to God. But when we give what we have to Jesus, He will use it to reach others.
3. Jesus only works when resources are put into His hands in willing consecration.
The entire lunch was placed in Jesus’ hands and that’s where the miracle occurred. We must give Jesus our all, total surrender, and watch Him work. Hold nothing back from His Lordship. Place it all in His hands.
Sometimes we don’t know what God will do. But if we give Him time, we will see more return to us that we ever surrendered. Following the miracle, the disciples collected 12 baskets of leftovers. I’ve often wondered if they gave this to the boy who surrendered his lunch for Jesus. He deserved it.
During the Dark Ages, a vassal would pledge his loyalty to his feudal lord in a ‘ceremony of homage’. Each would approach their lord, bow their knee, and raise their hands together in submission to his lordship. The lord would then acknowledge them, place His hands over theirs, and proclaim ‘You belong to me.’ Christians during this time recognized the similarities between this ceremony and their obligation to Jesus Christ. This began the custom of kneeling and folding the hands in prayer and submission to the Lordship of Christ that continues today.
Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? Give your all to Jesus. He gave His all for you.