The Donation

The Donation

Luke 9:12-14, NLT

Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.” 13But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” 14For there were about 5,000 men there.

Mark 6:37, NLT

Jesus said, “You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!”

John 6:8-9, NLT

Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9“There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

Setting the Scene

The disciples were shocked by Jesus’ response. They didn’t understand what he was saying. How could they possibly feed this huge crowd? Thus they gave him the typical reasons his request seemed impossible: too many people, no stores, no money. So Jesus told them to find out what they actually had (see Mark 6:38). A check of the resources yielded just a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish, a small boy’s lunch that he was willing to share for Jesus’ use.

The Bible doesn’t tell us what the boy was thinking or even where his parents were, for that matter. Was he the only one who had thought ahead? He was risking a lot, turning over his lunch to Jesus. We don’t know the interchange between the boy and the disciples, but they brought the food to Jesus.

In all the accounts of this incident, we read nothing about the disciples giving of their resources to Jesus. Instead, they expressed their grave concerns about the problem and their doubts about any possible solutions. In contrast, the boy gave Jesus everything he had, even though it wasn’t much in light of the huge need. The boy’s faith in Jesus, expressed by turning over his meager resources, made all the difference.

Getting Personal

What holds you back from giving something to God?

What resources can you submit to Jesus for his use?

Because we are painfully aware of our weaknesses and limitations, we can easily think we have nothing to offer God. After all, we might think, I’m only a housewife, or I’m only a layperson, or I haven’t been a Christian very long, or I’m poor. We and our resources are meager, but our God is infinite and omnipotent, with unlimited resources. He wants us to release control, to turn everything over to him.

Talking to God

If you feel ready, offer the Lord everything you have for his use—your money, time, talents, relationships, and possessions. If you feel reluctant, ask the Lord to help you grow in your faith and confidence in him.