Give Them Something

“When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’” Matthew 14:15-16

When the disciples see the massive crowd of people present as the mealtime approached, they ask Jesus to send everyone away to a nearby village to buy food. However, Jesus responds with “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They’d heard Him teaching about faith numerous times, and now it seems He wants to ignite theirs by reaffirming His promises. They collect five loaves and two fish. Jesus blessed the meal and multiplies it to feed everyone present. And just to make the point clear, there are twelve baskets left over, one for each of them.

The prominence of this story – recorded in all four gospels – shows that both the Holy Spirit and the early church thought this story was important, and important as more than just an example of the miraculous power of Jesus.

Two things stand out to me about this story today: # 1 - It shows that Jesus had compassion and care for the people of God, and wanted them to know His provision in their lives. # 2 - It shows that Jesus chose to work through the hands of the disciples, to testify of God’s provision and care.

My prayer for us today is that we would boast in God’s compassion and provision.

Love & Prayers,

Alan James Schrader