Jesus came to serve, and not to be served. He came to give, and not to be given.
:: Jesus feeds the Five Thousand ::
The little boy that came to hear Jesus is significant. We don't know much about him, but we do know that the lunch he had, proved that he was the poorest of the poor...Barley is the cheapest food. I love that Jesus uses the poor to teach us so much. And He sees them as valuable. This little boy is the only one who seems to really get it in these scriptures. He offered Jesus everything he had in order for Jesus to have it. He probably didn't even know that Jesus wanted to feed the five thousand...he just wanted to give Jesus his meal.
What we are about to see in Scripture is powerful. Jesus shows us here that He is the Son of Compassion. He recognized that the physical need is also met with a spiritual need, and vice versa. What we have doesn't necessarily mean it's going to get rid of the problem. What does matter, is that Jesus gets everything that we have. And He can use it in unexpected ways. Just like the little boy gave it all to Jesus.
John keeps using the word 'sign'. This is a sign that, not only can Jesus use anything that we offer Him, but also that people couldn't even understand the reality of who Jesus was. That something so small (the little meal, and an analogy of Jesus) could meet the need of so many. Jesus says, "Sit down on the grass", and for us to just let Jesus be Jesus; to give Him everything we have! "It's great that people's needs get met, but it's pointless if people's needs get met here, but then they just go to hell with full bellies. Jesus came to give life, and life to the fullest. Eternal life." - Brian
He is life. How incredible is His tenacious love for us! For all of us. He gave everything. Everything for you. For me. What are we willing to give Him? I hope it's everything. He has this incredible way of taking the simplest thing, just like that tiny little meal, and doing something extraordinary.
Know Jesus well enough to know what His agenda is.
When we care about Jesus well enough to know what His plans are...it gives us a glimpse of what Jesus intended to do. And is continuing to do.
