The Greater Miracle

All four of the gospel writers tell the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand.  The first three gospels (known as the Synoptic Gospels) tell it much the same.  John personalizes the event by speaking of specific disciples instead of the disciples in general.  An interesting feature of the first three is the way the disciples wanted to send the people away.  It was the only sensible thing to do in light of the great need of the crowd and the lack of anything to eat.  (Matthew 14:15).   

What Jesus said to their pragmatic thinking must have blown their minds.  "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." (Matthew 14:16). They had nothing except five loaves and two fish which was a paltry amount to feed so many.  Why it would not have even been enough to feed the twelve disciples much less five thousand people!  When Jesus responded to them by saying, "Bring them (the loaves and fish) to me," (Matthew 14:18) He says an important Word we often do not want to hear.  Basically, He told the disciples two things.  First, you do something about the need you see.  Secondly, make available what you have and it will be enough.  

What is more frightening to us?  It is one thing to see folks in need and another to personally get involved.  As frightening as that possibility is to us, the second is even worse.  Jesus wants us to give not just part of what we have, but all of what we have even it is what seems to be such a small amount.  It is the stuff of miracles.  The first miracle might be meeting an impossible need, but the greater miracle might be you and me turning loose of our stuff.