From the desk of Pastor Ben

Lessons from the Feeding: The 12 Established – Part 2

“Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied.”         (Matthew 14:19-20a)

Today, we continue our look at how Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 established the apostles with some valuable lessons. Another such lesson is that He taught them to do things in an orderly and careful manner (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40), which taught the 12 the importance of obeying Christ even when the reason is not at all clear. Only when the disciples went ahead and seated the people and began distributing the food did they see Jesus’ miracle take effect.
Our ministry to others should always show an unreserved generosity that considers their needs before our own. Just as the food did not multiply until they obeyed, the apostles’ own needs were not met until others were fully satisfied.
The apostles learned they could trust God to supply the impossible. As we do today, the disciples at first looked everywhere but to Him for assistance. God can work without us, but He often chooses His servants and their small resources to magnify His goodness and power.
Our Lord’s redemptive plan entails the witness, work, and means of His followers, whether it’s the apostles or us. He delights to show His power and abundance in the most “impossible” of situations (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). At the feeding, Jesus truly taught the apostles the effectiveness of the humble over the grandiose — in this case, a little boy’s lunch.

Ask Yourself:
Where does your generosity usually start and stop? Have you seen it devalued into the mere giving of money without a corresponding compassion for others or a genuine desire to worship and glorify the Father? How could generosity begin to truly transform you?