I was sitting on the hill overlooking galilee, from right here I could see where most of Jesus preaching took place. My mind rushes back to a story recorded in Luke chapter 9. Here we see Jesus send out the disciples on an evangelistic mission. He gives them great power, power to work miracles healing the sick, power to cast out demons. power to be provided for with taking supplies, just being sent my Jesus was going to have to be enough.
Excitement fills the air, it’s electric, you could feel it. Grinning from ear to ear in celebration they return. They have done such amazing things in the community. Nothing was impossible for them, they had healed anyone who was sick, cast out evil spirits, and as far as evangelism goes, they bought a crowd of 5000 people back with them to meet the messiah. So powerful was their mission that the king was scared that a mighty prophet such as John the Baptist was back from the dead.
For the people of the day it was like the legendary day or miracles was back. Fully back to life in flesh and blood. The disciples were so powerful they didn’t know what to do with it. We see the disciples brimming with confidence, they have passed every test in this mission, it was a success, they know Jesus gave them power to heal, power over the satanic forces. It’s theirs, it’s been given to them.
All is right with the world, until Jesus says, hey these people have been listening to be along time, they are hungry, feed them. What! When Jesus said feed these 5000, it was out of their comfort zone. They can’t do that. It’s like they have these boxes they’ve put Jesus Christ in, tell us to make a paraplegic walk again, can do, heal the leper, easy, cast out the devil possessed person, not a problem, witness and convert an entire town, easy.
But there is another box, that of money, Lord 200 pennyworth is how much it would cost to feed them all for just one meal, and that’s a lot of money. No the box of feeding people, that wasn’t Jesus box, that’s the disciples box, their responsibility. They were used to performing miracles when it came to daemons, and healing, but food, that’s a money problem, Jesus has all this power, but he doesn’t have unlimited money.
So Jesus asks them what they have, takes 2 loaves and a few fish, and feeds the 5000 to overflowing. It’s like Jesus is screaming I am so much more, I can do so much more than that little Box you have me in. Just trust me with it all. Will you trust him?
