It Is Enough!

All four Gospels record this incredible story of Jesus feeding the five thousand (now by most accounts this was 5000 men, plus women and children, so the total number could have been much greater). Can you imagine the resources this would have taken to feed this many people, and on the spur of the moment? Does Little Caeser's even keep that many hot and ready pizza's on hand? Clearly for the disciples this is a question of money? But for Jesus it was an opportunity for faith driven compassion. Philip, Jesus said, "where shall we buy bread for these people?" Jesus already knew what He was going to do, but He asked Philip what he thought? "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!," Philip exclaimed. But notice the glimmer of faith in Andrews words, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Now it's really easy to pick on both Philip and Andrew, and the rest of the 12. But Andrew had enough faith to bring what he had to Jesus (actually what a little boy was willing to give up for the sake of Kingdom work. The little boy might truly be the one with the greatest faith in this story.) Was Andrew bemoaning to Jesus, "this is all we can scrap up, it'll never do," or, "this is what we have Jesus, what can you do with it?" I think Andrew was speaking the latter, "here is what we have Jesus, thanks to the generosity of this little boy, now You, Jesus, need to take it and make it work."

If this is the case then the moral is simple, how are you looking at the resources you already have? Jesus, this is all I have. Or, Here Jesus, I have this, now I need You to do something miraculous with it. I'm working on changing my perspective as I am realizing that no matter what I have in my hand it is enough for Jesus to meet every need.

I don't know what resources you have in your hand right now, or think you don't have, but this I do know, with Jesus it is enough.

I'm striving to be like the little boy, here Jesus, take what I have. But I'm also striving to be like Andrew, take what I have Jesus and do something miraculous with it.

Grace and Peace,
Shawn