Feed them.

Matthew 14:16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 

Why do you suppose Jesus told His disciples this? Why did He tell them, “You give them something to eat”? He was Jesus; certainly He knew how much food they actually had. What was He teaching them? What was He teaching us?

The commonly taught interpretation of this story is that Jesus was teaching the disciples to give to Him so that He could bless their gift and multiply it back to them. Then, in turn, they could use the blessing that they received to bless others. This is a great interpretation, especially when you’re teaching about tithing or giving to the church. It breaks down something like this: “You give to God out of your lack and God will supernaturally bless you with some multiple of what you gave to Him. As a result, you’ll be able to give more to others.”

I think Jesus may have been coming at this from a different angle, however. I think Jesus was trying to teach His disciples to believe they already had an abundance. I think Jesus was trying to show them that with Him, they could feed a multitude of over five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. It’s a subtle difference in interpretation. One says, “Give to God; receive a blessing.” the other says, “Receive the blessing; give from God.”

Jesus knew that He was going to multiply the loaves and fish in a supernatural way so that there would be plenty to go around. Furthermore, He knew there would be enough left over for each disciple to have a basketful for himself! I think Jesus was telling them, “See what you have? With Me, it’s always an abundance, even when it looks like a lack!”

So where’s the lesson in this for us? Well, today Jesus is giving us the same command: you give them something to eat. Christ wants you to realize that He is with you and when He is with you there is more than enough supply. You may not be on a mountainside with five thousand people, but you have Bread to feed the hungry souls with: Jesus Christ.

You may think, “I only know a little bit about Jesus. How will I feed so many?” Jesus knows how little you know of Him; let Him multiply your knowledge. He’ll increase your knowledge of who He is, what He’s done, and what He’s doing so that you can feed the multitudes. And when all is said and done, there will be plenty of Jesus left over to feed your soul as well!

The Devil wants you to look at your lack. He wants you to focus on the little bit of Jesus knowledge that you have, and he wants you to be discouraged by it. But Christ looks at the little that you have and sees the abundance He’s ready to supply. You may see your inadequacies, but Jesus sees you on a mountain feeding thousands from the supply He provides.

Whatever ministry work you’re doing, whether it’s preaching sermons, playing music, mopping floors, or changing diapers, don’t focus on your perceived lack. Instead focus on the source, Christ. Know that with Him there is always more than enough to go around!