Tuesday Scripture: John 6
Something to Share
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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?”
He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about thousand men were there).
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”
So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
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Of all the miracles Jesus performed, this is the only one mentioned in all four Gospels.
That means it's pretty important.
The first miracle here is the faith of a child.
While the adults came with nothing to share, he came with more than enough.
It wasn't enough for everyone, but it was more than he could eat.
He was the only one who came ready to share.
Philip looked at that gift through the lens of scarcity.
In his mind it wasn't a miracle.
It was nice, but it wasn't enough.
Philip was right.
It wasn't enough.
But when we look at the world through that lens, there will never be enough to go around.
Jesus isn't looking for us to be miracle workers.
He doesn't ask us to provide for the world.
But when we have enough to share he uses that miracle to bless others.
In Jesus' hands, the little you share is more than enough.
That is the second miracle.
But miracles aren't made to be wasted.
They are meant to be shared.
They gathered up the leftovers and shared God's blessing with others.
When we do that--it's the greatest miracle of all.
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Lord give me the faith of a child and a heart willing to share.