Explore the Bible: September 24

Satisfies • Mark 6:30-43

By Rick Henson

The story of how Jesus fed five thousand men plus many women and children teaches believers much about the nature of God and our response. From this story we discover three questions that teach us how to serve the Lord and how to be IN the world but not OF the world (John 17:14-15 KJV).

A crowd followed Jesus and He taught them God’s Word. The disciples interrupted Jesus as He spoke to the crowd. People had been saved, lives had been changed, bodies healed, and yet the disciples found a problem.

Some of our church members are not content with the great things God is doing; they must find something wrong. The disciples came to Jesus and told Him that the people had to leave for there was not enough food nor anywhere for them to eat.

Jesus turned the problem back to them as He told them to feed the people. The disciples said they did not have enough to feed the crowd, so Jesus asked them, “What do you have?”

This first of three questions still applies to believers today. The disciples had to take stock of the situation. They looked around and found a small lad who willingly gave up his five loves and two fish. It was not enough, but it was all they had.

One of the disciples stated this gift would not be enough. John 6:9reads, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? (KJV).

What Do You Have? Take stock of your life. What is in you that God can use? Like the disciples, you surely will conclude that what you have is not enough  feeble efforts, frailties, failures, frustrations, broken lives, broken homes, and broken dreams.

As the disciples concluded, you also say, “What are these among such needs?” Isaiah 64:6 reminds us, But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (KJV).

We do not have enough, but Jesus is more than enough in us. When we ask ourselves what we have, the answer is the same as the disciples’  not much. Thus the first question leads us to hopelessness but the second question leads us to hope.

What Can Jesus Do with It? When the disciples brought the boy’s lunch to Jesus, He blessed it, broke it, multiplied it, and gave it back to the disciples for distribution. While this passage is about food, it reminds us of what Jesus does in and through His followers.

When we give ourselves to Jesus, He blesses us with His presence. Then He breaks us, for only those broken may serve the Lord. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise, according to Psalm 51:17 (KJV).

Louisiana pastor Gary Mitchell said, “The world will not use anything that is broken. God will not use anyone who is not.”

Jesus multiplies our efforts with His Holy Spirit. As He returned the bountiful lunch to the disciples, Jesus returns us to the world with more than enough resources that we may serve Him. When Jesus finished His miracle, twelve baskets were left over. In the hands of Jesus, not enough becomes more than enough.

What do you have? Not enough, only sin and ruin. What can Jesus do with it? Clean it up and make it useable. That leads us to the most important question of this story.

Will You Give It to Him? The little boy gave his lunch, and the Lord used it. Imagine the stories he told for the remainder of his life how the Lord used his five loaves and two fish to feed so many.

How many more people were there that day that had food, but did not give what they had? Only those who give what they have to the Lord are used by God. God will not use what is not freely given to Him.

What do you have? What can Jesus do with it? Will you give it to Him? As did songwriter Joseph Hart, we must decide that, “I will arise and go to Jesus. He will embrace me in His arms. In the arms of my dear Savior, O there are 10,000 charms.”

Henson is minister of outreach and evangelism at Bethel Church, Brandon.