Thought this might bring some encouragement....

Re-distribution? Or Miracle?

Tom Barnard

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ou are familiar with the story. It is the only miracle of Jesus found in all four gospels. Like most of the biblical accounts of his miracles, this one is an understatement of the power of Jesus to meet human needs. The reference is John 6:1-15.

Jesus and his disciples had just crossed over (probably by boat) to the northern shore of Galilee, near Capernaum, and a large crowd of curious folk found him there. They had seen his miraculous deeds and wanted to see more of him. Timing-wise, it was near Passover, which possibly accounted for such a huge number of people being on the roads—most of them en route to Jerusalem for the annual celebration.

It was lunchtime, people were hungry, and there were no places to buy food for so large a crowd. Jesus tested Philip’s faith; Andrew had an idea; and the lad’s lunch became the opportunity for a lesson in generosity. After everyone had eaten, the food scraps collected filled 12 baskets. When the people tried to make Jesus their king, Jesus retreated alone into the hills to pray. That’s the story. What did it mean?

First, like Jesus turning water into wine in John 2, this story shows his interest in the everyday things of life. On the one hand, a wedding feast ran out of wine; on the other hand, a crowd of men and their sons were hungry. Jesus was always concerned about what concerned the people around him. His parables were that way—a shepherd who lost a sheep…a maiden girl who lost a coin…a father who lost a son. People things…personal things. Just like the things that hold your attention today…the stuff of life. Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” Wherever you are, he is there; he wants to hear from you. What concerns you, concerns him.

Second, when Jesus transforms something, He transforms it abundantly! In Cana, he began with six stone jars of water and turned them into 120 gallons of the best wine anywhere in the valley. Truth be known--a pitcher-full of wine would have been adequate. Jesus produced a year’s supply! In this story, everyone ate to the full, and there were still a dozen baskets of uneaten food left over. Abundance!

Third, Jesus involved other people in the making of a miracle. In Cana, he used the servants to fill the huge stone jars with water—servants hired by the bridegroom. There were no college graduates among them. They were common, ordinary people—just like you and me. They followed his directions, filled the stone jars with water from the well, and then dipped out a pitcher of wine and took it to the master of the feast. On the hillside, he took a lad’s lunch and distributed it through human hands to feed the multitude.

Do you have any idea how long it would have taken to feed 5,000 men and their sons if Jesus had broken every barley loaf and handed it out personally? Think about how long the project would have taken if a committee had organized the event! I can see it now. There would be twelve lines, each line headed up by one of the twelve disciples. Jesus would break one roll twelve times, and the crowd would line up all the way back to Capernaum to be served. Over 400 dads and their sons in each line. Do the math. It would have taken a half day to distribute the food! This story was not about a food line; it was about fast food!

Fourth, there is another lesson here. It is a lesson about generosity. The lad gave up everything he had with him that day. It was his lunch and it really mattered. He could have said, “My mother packed this lunch for me and me alone. She didn’t want me going hungry. It’s mine! Go get your own lunch!” Instead, he gave it away without hesitation. I like this quote from Billy Graham: “God has given us two hands—one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for giving.”

The questions to ask here are these:

What is in your hand? How much are you willing to give? When can you begin?

Thank you for reading “Tuesday Morning” for February 9, 2010. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this publication, send your name and

Email address to Dr. Tom Barnard at barnard22@cox.net. For back issues, go to: www.snu.edu, or www.emfsprayerandpraise.com.