Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
(verses 12-13)
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The disciples have just returned from mission, having been given power and authority from Jesus to work miracles – driving out all demons, curing diseases, healing the sick, preaching the good news of the kingdom. They reported to Jesus what they’d done, including “healing people everywhere”(verse 6), clearly works of God’s power. Wow.
But now Jesus reminds them of their own powerlessness. “You give them something to eat.” In their collective hands are five loaves and two fish – that’s very, very little fish and bread in each hand, compared with the many, many hands reaching out from that vast multitude. No wonder the Twelve said, “Send the crowd away.”
But the emptiness of the hands is no inhibitor to the work of Jesus. Indeed, the immensity of the gap, between need and resource, simply provides the occasion for Jesus to intervene with power and provision. Taking the loaves and the fish, looking to heaven and praying (“Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe …”), he broke piece after piece, providing endless supply from that one meager lunch.
I think it’s no mistake that this is the only one of Jesus’ miracles that is recorded in each of the four Gospels. Clearly, it made an impression. I wonder how often, in the midst of the life of ministry that followed, these disciples saw this scene in their mind’s eye, taking from Jesus’ hand again and distributing to hungry masses.
On the night before his death, having once more broken bread and distributed it, Jesus reminded them, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). I imagine in that moment they remembered empty hands and full baskets, the power of their Lord making all the difference.
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Lord Jesus, I have nothing in my hands apart from you. So, help me to never be daunted by the immensity of the need and my own powerlessness. This day I choose, again, to remember … and look to your hands, not mine.
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Pray:
Stretch your hands out before you, empty. Offer them to the Lord today. Without him you’ve got nothing. Enter each circumstance of this day with this awareness, ready for him to fill empty hands once again.
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Photo by Luis Quintero on Unsplash
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