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Obedient Giving: Feeding the Multitude:
Scripture: John 6 1-15.
Memory Scripture: John 6:9 “There is a boy here who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish.”
We have surely heard of one of the most potent blessings performed by Christ, The Feeding of the Multitude.” The blessing was chronicled in the books of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and the Apostle John. However, in the book of John, he provides a little more detail surrounding the blessing.
While Christ was certainly aware of the events that unfolded on that day, this one blessing has astonished scholars and saints since its occurrence on the side of that mountain years ago in the Northern part of the Jordan River Valley. And while history seemingly credits Christ for feeding 5,000, be aware that the 5,000 were only the men, and further reading of scripture reveals that many of the men traveled to hear and see Jesus with their families, wives, and children. Moreover, after the multitude was fed, twelve baskets of “Leftovers” were collected by the disciples of Christ.
Here are some key lessons that we can glean from this great miracle:
Generosity and Sharing: The less obvious or less discussed lesson is generosity. The boy willingly gave what he had, even though it seemed insufficient for the enormous crowd. His willingness to share his small meal, or what he had, demonstrates the importance of sharing our resources with others, no matter how little we may think we have.
Presence: For the boy to have shared his gift or donation, he had to have a presence. The Bible says that we should fail not to assemble ourselves, and by the boy assembling himself in the presence of Jesus and His followers, the boy was able to make his contribution. As Christians, we must have a presence within the house of God. And once we have a presence, God will position us to channel our respective gifts.
Bring What You Have: The story also highlights the importance of bringing and offering what you have. Man will tell you that “You have nothing to Offer!” But God encourages us to come as we are. If we simply “Show Up” God will bless our giving.
Togetherness in Community: The miracle also highlights the importance of our togetherness within the community or most often said, within the body of Christ, coming together to share resources and support one another in times of need.
Jesus' Compassion: The story illustrates Jesus' compassion for men, and their hunger for food, blessings, and the Word of God.
Service and Our Discipleship: The disciples served the food and collected the leftovers. Such acts demonstrate that as followers of Jesus, we are called to serve and help meet the needs of others, regardless of our positions or titles. All are servants of Christ.
ROI: When we give out of obedience, God returns it generously. While the scriptures do not give specificity regarding the final disposition of the leftovers, we can conclude that from the twelve baskets, there certainly was more than enough to return to the boy.
The story of the boy who gave fish and bread in the Bible is a powerful illustration of faith, generosity, and God's miraculous provision. It encourages us to trust in God's abundance, be willing to share what we have, and care for the needs of others, specifically within the body of Christ.
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