When Jesus saw a great crowd coming towards him, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. His compassion extended further into their immediate physical need – hunger. So he asked his disciples to provide them with bread. Jesus always taught his disciples by example. Through this incident Jesus teaches us:
- Our ministry must flow out of our compassion for the lost souls.
- We must not restrict our ministry to teaching the Word and healing the sick.
- Our areas of ministry must never be controlled, limited by financial constraints (Mt 14. 14-21, Mk 6.33-44, Jn 6.5-13)
The Disciples' answer to Jesus' command to feed the crowd is another interesting point. While in Matthew 14:17 we read their reply, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”, in John 6.9 we read, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (Emphasis is mine)
Jesus obviously wanted his disciples to take him also into consideration. It wasn’t just ‘five loaves, and two fish’. He wanted them to say, “We have five loaves, two fish…and you Jesus!” Standing next to the disciples was the solution to their problems…but they didn’t consider him as part of the answer. They stopped their count at the five loaves, and two fish and worried!
How about us? Are we any different? If not, let us determine today to stop wondering, second guessing and worrying over our problems. Let us remember His words and promises and stand on them.
He said :
· Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Luke 11:19 NIV)
· If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. (John 15:7 NIV)
· What ever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24 NIV)
Pray:
Lord, I cast the whole of my cares [all my anxieties, all my worries, all my concerns, once and for all] on you … (I Peter 5:7)
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