Five Loaves in His Hands

A huge crowd was coming. Thousands of hungry people, far from town, and the sun moving across the sky. Jesus turns to Philip and asks, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” John lets us in on something Philip did not know. Jesus was asking this to test him, “for He knew what He was about to do.”

I find great comfort in that line. Jesus is never stuck. When the problem shows up at your door, it does not surprise Him. He already knows what He is about to do. The question is not whether He has a plan. The question is whether you will trust Him while He works it out.

Philip does the math. “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.” A denarius was roughly a day's wage for a laborer, so he is talking about months of pay. Philip is a numbers man, and the numbers do not work. We do the same thing. We look at the size of the need, we look at the size of our bank account or our strength or our time, and we say, it cannot be done.

Then Andrew shows up with a boy. “Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?” Barley bread was common, inexpensive food. This was a plain lunch. Andrew brings it, but he apologizes for it in the same breath. I think most of us bring our gifts to God the same way. Here is what I have, Lord, but it is not much. Here is my little bit of time, my little bit of talent, my little bit of faith. What difference will it make?

Watch what Jesus does. “Have the people sit down.” He brings order. Then, “Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.” He took the small thing. He gave thanks for it. He did not sneer at the barley loaves. He thanked His Father for them. And then He gave it out, and it was enough. More than enough. As much as they wanted.

Then He told the disciples to gather the leftovers so nothing would be wasted, and they filled twelve baskets. Jesus does not just meet the need. He overflows it. And He cares about the pieces. Nothing in His hands is wasted. Not your failures. Not your tears. Not the small offering you were embarrassed to give.

A few verses later in this chapter Jesus will say, “I am the bread of life.” The bread in the field pointed to Him. He would one day take His own body, broken on the cross, and give it for the life of the world. That is the greatest multiplication of all. One life given, and countless sinners fed.

So what is in your hands this morning? A tired body, a modest paycheck, a small gift, a short prayer? Do not apologize for it. Put it in His hands. Let Him take it and give thanks over it. Small in your hands can be plenty in His. You are not responsible to feed five thousand. You are responsible to hand over the lunch. Trust Him with the rest. He has never run short yet, and He is not about to start with you.