I love this story.  I love the story where Jesus feed the five thousand.  Every time I read this story I feel like I am struck in a different way. This morning I spent some time thinking about the reasons that I love this story so much.  I came up with a few.  

This passage flies in the face of what I think many of us are frequently tempted to feel and believe.  I don’t know about all of you but there are frequently times when I feel like I am ill-equipped to really make a difference.  When I feel like I don’t have the tools, finances, or influence to really make an impact.  Jesus takes the offering of a young boy, “five barley loaves and two fish”, and feeds more than 5,000 people.  In verse 10 it says that there were 5,000 men alone not counting women and children.  Then it says everyone ate as much as they wanted. It was an all you can eat buffet! 

I spent some time thinking about the boy.  I’m sure when he offered his lunch to Jesus, he was not thinking, “How can I impact the world?”  He was simply taking the things he had to offer and humbly giving them to Jesus.  Jesus then took that gift and used it to influence more than 5,000 people.  This boy’s lunch causes thousands of people to turn to Jesus in worship.  Verses 14 and 15, explain that when the people saw the miracle they said, “Surely he is the prophet we have been waiting for.”  The people were ready to make Jesus their king.  When Jesus saw this he slipped away.  

My question is this, “What gifts can I humbly offer to Jesus?” How can I serve him in worship with the things He has given me?  When we feel the temptation to think we have nothing to offer, remember that Jesus took a boy’s lunch and used it to draw over 5,000 towards himself.  Every single one of us is called to be a world changer in and through Christ!