5000 Reasons Why I Keep Blogging

 

It was a fascinating story to a 6-year old hearing it and seeing it with flannelgraph figures deftly positioned by the Sunday School teacher.  Jesus takes a boy’s fish sandwich lunch and uses it to feed 5,000+ people. I never thought much about why Jesus fed some people who could have gone home and fed themselves.  Apparently, Jesus’ disciples didn’t think much about it either. Shortly after that miracle, Jesus would tell those disciples that it wasn’t about bread. (Mt. 16:11)

 

So, what was it about?

 

I can only speak to one particular ray of light from the story.  I was listening this past Sunday as our pastor, Henry(without the use of flannelgraph), read the story that I have heard often for the last 50 years.  As he read, it was as if God blurred out every line of the story except one.

 

You give them something to eat.

 

You may know the other lines of the story. Thousands of people have flocked to a remote place, hoping to hear a word from Jesus or to receive a healing touch. Later in the day, the crowd is weary and hungry, and there is no Captain D’s eatery nearby.  His disciples advise Jesus to send the people back to the villages to get supper. Jesus surprises them.

 

You give them something to eat.

 

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”  (Mark 6:37-38, NIV)

 

This was not about bread. Or fish.  It was about Jesus’ desire for His followers to distribute his miraculous grace to weary people hungry for life and hope.  Jesus named Himself the Bread of life that people need in order to live, the Word from God for people who hunger for something more deeply than bread.  We live among those same hungry people today, and Jesus says to me, to us…

 

You give them something to eat.

 

It is a common call from Jesus. Two years later, eating fish around a campfire, Jesus would tell Peter: “Feed my sheep.”  The same Peter who had abandoned Jesus when they came to arrest Him.  The same Peter who denied even knowing Jesus.  We are those same failing followers today, and still Jesus says to me, to us…

 

You give them something to eat.

 

And if we are paying attention, we will feel the impossibility of the instruction.  Uh…we only have some bread sticks and brim.  We don’t have enough. We don’t know what to say. We are not enough. We have failed too much. You are expecting too much.  Exactly.  And now we are ready for Jesus’ real lesson: You distribute the bread, and I will fill the hunger.

 

Here is what God pressed into my heart. I want you to feed people.  I want you to speak my words of life.  Keep blogging. Keep speaking to neighbors.  Keep writing. Keep teaching. Keep sharing Jesus. And as you do, I will multiply the bread.

 

I need not be an outstanding writer, or gripping speaker or engaging conversationalist. I need not have a memorable post.  I need not answer every question perfectly. I’m just carrying the bread; Jesus does the feeding.  I recently saw a video clip of Billy Graham teaching. I could not believe how simple and basic his message was. No gripping stories or clever phrases. The farm boy from North Carolina just talked about Jesus, and as he did, Jesus multiplied the bread. It was not about the power of Billy. Or me. Or you.

 

We aren’t the bread. We are just the servers. And the wonder is that Jesus calls us—his fragile followers—to  keep speaking His words to people.  If you love and follow Jesus, you have bread that weary people desperately need.  Blog. Write notes. Share. Speak out. Message. Post. Give Thanks. Text. Phone a friend.

 

You give them something to eat.

 

 

 

[Feature photo from Free-Photos at Pixabay.]