Several years ago, the Lord downloaded this message to me. I was sitting in church listening to the sermon about Jesus dividing the five loaves and two fishes. We've heard this story so many times that it's almost boring to us. But, suddenly the Lord gave me a thought. What if the mother of that little boy had not made that lunch?
What if she had said to her son, "When you get home, I'll serve you dinner. So, be home before dark."
Let's look at the story in the book of John:
John 6:5-9 (NIV)
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
(Emphasis are mine).
Jesus took a small lunch, two fishes and five loaves, and fed five thousand men plus an unknown number of others (women, servants, children). This small lunch fed the same number of people that it would have taken more than half a year's wages to purchase enough food to give each person A BITE.
The mother of this boy thought nothing of the lunch she packed for her son that day. It was a routine, ordinary thing for her to do.
BUT if she had not made that lunch, Jesus would NOT have had anything to multiply.
However, because she did make this small, ordinary lunch for her son, Jesus was able to bless it and multiply it to feed thousands of people. PLUS! the bible goes on to tell us...
John 6:5-12-13 "12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten."
(Emphasis are mine).
Twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered and sent home with the boy.
This mother's routine, ordinary act of love, a lunch for her son, was blessed by God and came back to her multiplied beyond measure.
The bible says in Matthew 16:40 "The king will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
What ordinary, routine thing do you do everyday, every week, every once in a while, that God blesses and multiplies to bless others? And then returns it to you in an immeasurable amount?
It's just something to think about.
