Thought Picnic: What little to do much with

Meeting all needs regardless

The gospel reading and sermon in church today was based on Matthew 14:13-21, the well-rehearsed story of the feeding of the 5,000. It begins with Jesus withdrawing for some quiet time, but the people followed him that he abandoned his quest to minister to their needs.

Seeing the great crowd, out of compassion, he healed their sick and taught them until it was late. His disciples then urged him to let the people go because they could get food and sustenance, as they were in a deserted and remote place.

Jesus, however, was not going to let them go in their hour of immediate physical need that he told the disciples to feed them. The disciplines had somewhat determined there were 5 loaves and 2 fishes available which might have wanted to share amongst themselves.

The little we bring

That little was what Jesus needed to feed the crowd, having asked the disciples to feed the people, he then showed them how. A process of miraculous multiplication took place in his hands, a man who healed the sick and raised the dead could take so little and make much out of it. The ned of the story was not that 5,000 were fed and that was just the men, excluding the women and the children, it was that 12 baskets were gathered after everyone was fully sated.

The Dean preaching this morning emphasized on the fact that little is a lot, engagement is good consideration and beyond that, we should act. We pray for the needy and then go out and meet that need. Letting Jesus blessing whatever we have got to multiply it in provision and means to those in need.

Just a word is enough

What also made the message quite significant to me was in conversation with Brian during the week, he opined on how a somewhat insignificant word can be the source of inspiration for a blog. I have on occasion found myself writing copiously on the premise of just one word, an insignificant event, a silly idea or a dismissible observation.

Earlier in Matthew’s account of the gospel, a centurion came to Jesus asking that he heal his servant. Jesus was ready to follow to the centurion’s home to heal the servant, but the centurion gave an interesting exposition on power and authority. All the centurion required was caught in this: “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” [BibleHub: Matthew 8:8]

Back to my conversation with Brian, to his observation, I said, maybe the singular word before I blog is like my 5 loaves and 2 fishes of inspiration seeding a blog. Obviously, in the light of what I heard today; it only behoves me to find other areas where the little I have can become something great in the master’s hands. I leave you with another blog that came from that last sentence in a song by Danniebelle Hall.

Blog - Back to the cross with meaning to me