There is a section in the gospel of Matthew when Jesus has heard of John the Baptist's death and heads out in a boat 'by himself' to a 'deserted' place; it doesn't say why he did this but it seems that he was going out to a 'special place' that he could commune with his Father. When Jesus gets to the place and gets out of the boat he is met with 'crowds' who had seen him get in the boat and walked from the nearby towns to see him. So much for the 'deserted' place! Well, this is where I want to pick up the story and see how Jesus can satisfy us, but satisfy us so completely that we won't be able to contain it. Look in the gospel of Matthew chapter 14:13-21. Let's dig in and see if we can meet Jesus there on the shore and listen to what he is telling us.
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
(Mat 14:14 ESV)
I just want us to notice that even though Jesus was going out to a 'deserted place' as noted above, when met with a 'great crowd', he 'had compassion on them'. Wow, that shows the heart of Jesus doesn't it? If it were me I may have looked to the shore and saw the crowd and just turned the boat around and looked for that 'quiet place' that I was looking for. I mean, he had just lost his cousin and friend, surely he 'deserved' some time alone didn't he? That's how we may think, but not Jesus. He cared and had compassion, so much so that he healed their sick and spent the day with them. Maybe, just maybe, when things just aren't going as planned, we should 'minister' to someone else; or, look at what were faced with and develop an attitude of thanks for what were faced with and where we are instead of the 'why me' attitude that is so easy to develop and nurture. "he had compassion..."
Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."
(Mat 14:15-16 ESV)
Notice that even though Jesus was ministering to the people all day, the disciples are tired and ready for everyone to go away. Now they say it is because they have compassion on the people and since it is so desolate where they are- no McDonald's nearby- that everyone should go back to the local towns so they can eat. Jesus always knows the heart, and by his response to them he seems to indicate that even though the disciples are tired and it's been a long day, they need to continue to minister- "you give them something to eat" Notice what Jesus didn't say. He didn't say, "I will provide the food"; what he said was, "you". I think sometimes we are looking for Jesus to 'do' things in our life when actually, it may be that Jesus is saying to us, 'you' do something. We may be tired, at the end of our rope, stressed, unsure, intimidated, you name it, but Jesus is looking at us and saying 'you give'... Now, that's where the test is isn't it? Do we obey, or do we sit down, cross our arms and pout or give up because "Jesus (God) isn't answering my prayer"; or, "Jesus (God) isn't doing his part-what He is supposed to be doing." Obey him or disobey, follow, leave or stand still, the choice is ours, Jesus just says, "you give...". Remember, we come in contact with people all the time who are going through a 'deserted place' in their own personal struggles and circumstances. They need 'food' to eat and nurture them. If you are a disciple of Jesus (a follower of Christ) then you have the food they need: you have Jesus. Jesus is that spiritual 'food' that the world knows nothing about (and sometimes we forget), he is the only 'food' that will satisfy a heart hungry for more than what this life has to offer, and you have it (Him)! "you give..."
They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me."
(Mat 14:17-18 ESV)
The disciples here, see what 'they have' as insufficient. Jesus, however, sees what they have as that 'mustard seed' of faith, that little bit of faith, that he can work with to make something great. We always need to be cognizant that it is God who does the great work. I'm sure Jesus already knew that he could provide abundance out of little (or nothing if need be); it wasn't for his faith that they brought him "only five loaves and two fish", it was for their faith and for the crowd's faith. Because they became obedient and found 'only' a few things, Jesus was able to do a miracle that would give glory to God and draw them to him by faith. When we don't think we have anything to offer God, think again; Jesus was able to feed thousands because a few disciples listened to him and stepped out in faith to bring him 'only' what they could. Faith isn't built on us or our power or our strength, it is built on God and his power and his strength, for his glory. We just need to believe him and take that first step, Jesus does it all!
"he said, 'Bring them...'".
Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
(Mat 14:19-21 ESV)
Once Jesus took the disciples 'little', he showed the disciples and the crowd in the next few minutes what faith in an all powerful God can do! Jesus has everyone 'sit down'- we will all need to 'rest' in God and in his promises if we want to see him move great mountains out of our lives, or be filled with the joy that only He can give even though we may be in a 'deserted place' and starving for fulfillment. Once sitting, Jesus blesses this 'only' food and to everyone's amazement, thousands of people were not only fed, but given more than they could eat, "they all ate and were satisfied." No one sitting there said to his neighbor, 'I don't believe it, you may have enough, but it will never be enough for me!" No, "they all ate", the small faith of a few overflowed to many and the power of a great God was able to satisfy the hunger of a great crowd. This is a story for us today. God has placed us here to use whatever 'little' or 'only' faith we have to bring him glory. When the hungry were fed God received the glory, and when we are able to 'feed the hungry' with the word of God, or help someone (physically or spiritually), or give to someone, or share the gospel with someone, or doing whatever 'little' thing God may be asking us to do: when God says 'you give' don't hear him asking you to do something, instead hear him asking you to have faith in Him! This faith, even though built on nothing of your own (just like the bread and fish weren't the disciples own) will be used by God to feed you- as well as those you are ministering to- until you are more than satisfied.
"For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."
(John 6:33-35 ESV)
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