Sometimes we just get so wrapped up in the world and all its problems (and ours) that, I don’t care if you go to church every single day and are in ten small groups, we get wrapped up the “bigness” of it all and consumed by how seemingly small we are. And we're left with that nagging feeling we're unable to really do anything about it. Any of it.But, know this, it doesn’t phase Jesus. Not one bit. In fact, I think he enjoys showing His people who is in control. There are many examples of this throughout the Bible, but one of the best is in John 6: 1-14. I know you know this passage, probably by heart, but read through it again. I want to point out a couple things.
“Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
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 so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Jesus sets up the this scene just to prove a point to his disciples. In pure Jesus fashion, there is a problem, a big problem, and Jesus approaches it by asking a simple, casual question, “Gosh, how are we going to feed all these people?” His disciples response? Well, they kind of freak out. Note Phillip’s reply, “...eight month’s wages isn’t enough for each person to have a single bite!” Like I said, they freak out a little. Hey, don't we all.
So that’s the set up. Jesus is again against the impossible. I can almost hear one of the disciples muttering, “We...are in trouble.” while another looks around for the quickest escape route. And it’s at this point Jesus does His thing. With what? Read through the passage again. With a (small) boy. With five small loaves of bread. And two small fish.
Overwhelming circumstances? Jesus comes through using three small, ordinary items to do, not just the impossible, but the unfathomable. And He could have left it at that. Fed the people. Preached a little and headed on to the next town. And it would still have been amazing. But – and this is key – Jesus being the Great Teacher told his disciples to fill up baskets with what was left over after everyone had had their fill. In the end, they loaded up twelve baskets of abundance. Twelve. Why twelve? Perhaps Jesus wanted his disciples to each carry a basket to the next stop to hammer home the point and leave no doubt – that He takes on our impossible and leaves His abundance.
So this week, come up with some areas in your life where you feel you feel you're too small or life is too big for you to handle right now. And then pray, honestly and openly, that Jesus demonstrates how He can work in your life to conquer the impossible. To show you He is in control. So you can experience His abundance in your life. And carry it with you always.
