The Bible talks about the instance when Jesus Christ crosses over to the other shore of Sea of Galilee a large crowd follows him there.
Jesus had been performing numerous miracles, healing the sick, delivering the demon possessed and raising the dead. No one coming over to Jesus with humbleness and the right mindset would return empty handed.
Although the crowd was not fully aware of the divinity of Christ, but they had come to respect him as an amazing teacher or Rabbi who could also take care of their needs which other spiritual leaders could not. They had come to see him as someone with some supernatural powers and sent from God. For most it was a short term relationship based what they had observed or heard.
John 6:2
2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.
Jesus was a wonderful host who cared about the worldly needs of the people while also taking care of their spiritual and physical needs. In Verse 5 says he says “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”
Imagine feeding a large crowd of 5000 people when they did not have catering, and off-course the kind of money it would require. That’s when they find this boy who’s mother had probably given him a “packed lunch” of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. They ask him to hand over the 5 loaves and 2 fish, he gladly hands over to them.
John 6:9
9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
The result is amazing, Jesus turns the 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish into thousands to be able to feed 5000 people.
Here is what we can learn from this passage:
1. The Boy was ready to part with the 5 loaves and 2 fish: Sometimes we tend to hold back, because we feel “it is just enough for me”. Be open to sharing your talents and blessings with others – God can turn into to multi-fold blessings. Yes your needs will be met in addition to many others.
2. The Boy probably had a good training from his parents: Care for others and share your blessings, the boy was taught to be open to share what he had. Teach your children to care about others needs, and get into others shoes so they understand what challenges other may be facing and do what they can. And if you are a leader teach about the blessing of giving and sharing.
3. Don’t limit the results based on what you can do, or whats in your hands: The boy knew deep in his heart that Jesus who could heal the sick, deliver the demon possessed, and raise up the dead could solve the hunger problem. Many times we limit what God can do by limiting our faith based on what is “humanely possible”, release your faith today and trust in God who can do great things and there are “no limits”.
Are you ready to part with your “5 loaves and 2 fish” today, God has a great plan for you, he wants to use those to make it a greater blessing for you and many others. You may be thinking the loaves are too small – my talent is not good enough for God. Or even I don’t have any talents, but God can use anyone- he is looking for your “availability” much more than your “ability”. He can turn those 5 into 5000, you just need to be ready to offer your 5 loaves and 2 fish in his hands.
