Significance

Do you sometimes feel like the contribution you make is as small as the loaves and fishes in the Bible story of the feeding of the 5000?

All four gospels record the feeding of the 5000. It’s found in Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9 and John 6. All of these tellings give us a picture of Jesus’ compassion on those who came to hear Him—and who had no food. And in all of these accounts, Jesus provides more than enough food for all who were there.

It’s a nice story but it is important to notice the exchange that happens between Jesus and His disciples. This is how it is recorded in Mark 6:35-38 (NIV): “By this time it was late in the day, so His disciples came to Him.

‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’ But He answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’ ‘How many loaves do you have?’ He asked. ‘Go and see.’ When they found out, they said, ‘Five—and two fish.’”

Jesus then multiplies these sandwiches into enough food for thousands. The important thing to notice is that Jesus took the small things the disciples had and turned them into a great thing. In John 6, we are told the food came from a small boy. An “insignificant” person’s “insignificant” resources were made into something great.

Again and again in the Scriptures, we find incidents of this nature: God using the gifts, abilities and resources of His people to accomplish great things. The disciples objected that they didn’t have enough—Jesus’ simple response was “What do you have?” And what they had was enough for God.

Followers of Jesus are called to use what they have to advance the cause of Jesus. In Matthew 25, Jesus told a parable about three servants, each left with different amounts of money. Two of them put these resources to work while the third did nothing. When their master returns, he praises the different results of the two servants who have worked but condemns the servant (the one who had the “least”) who has done nothing with the resources he had.

God calls us to use what we have—our time, our talents, our gifts— to His glory. No matter how small it seems, He can use it.