Hey Mister, Have You Got Any Bread?

I have the bread. It’s in my possession though it isn’t really mine. God provided it, but unless He blesses it, it will not multiply nor will it satisfy anyone.

Those are the thoughts that go through my mind as I read Matthew 15:29-39. It’s a similar story to the one we find in Matthew 14:13-21. This latter event startled me too. In Matthew 14 the disciples come to Jesus after a long day of teaching and tell Him to send the crowds away so that they can get some food. Jesus tells them: “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat” (14:16). In Matthew 15 there was a little more faith present. The disciples didn’t ask to send the crowds away, they asked: “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd” (15:33). In both cases there was bread and fish. In the first case they didn’t believe those would be enough. The second case reminds me of someone standing beside a well-to-do man and asking: “I wonder where I can get a dollar for a cup of coffee?” You know exactly where but you aren’t going to come right out and ask!

But, aside from all that, I was struck by two things:

    1.    I have the bread and God has charged me with distributing it.
    2.    Unless I give Him back the bread He gave me so that He can bless it and multiply it, it won’t be enough to satisfy anyone.

Oh, I already said that, didn’t I! It’s just that I’ve never really thought of these passages in this particular context before so I’m kind of in awe here.

Tonight, as I begin a study series in the book of 1 Peter, I take with me this application. I have the Word of God that He has given me and that He has asked me to share. I give Him back His Word and pray that He will bless it and multiply it so that everyone who comes will go away satisfied.

There, I said it again!