Saturday, February 14 Give them something to eat.​—Matt. 14:16.

[Helen Highwater]

Saturday, February 14

Give them something to eat.—Matt. 14:16.

 

Jesus’ request to feed the crowd was a problem because there were about 5,000 men. And including women and children, there may have been 15,000 people to feed. (Matt. 14:21) Andrew spoke up: “Here is a little boy who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are these among so many?” (John 6:9) Barley loaves were commonly eaten by the poor and others, and the small fish may have been salted and dried. Still, the amount that the boy had would not be enough to feed so many—or would it? Wanting to be hospitable to the crowd, Jesus directed the people to recline in groups on the grass. (Mark 6:39, 40; John 6:11-13) We read that Jesus gave thanks to his Father for the bread and the fish. It was entirely fitting to thank God, who in reality was the Source of the food. What a good reminder for us to follow Jesus’ example by praying before a meal. Jesus then had the food distributed, and the people ate and were satisfied. w24.12 2-3 ¶3-4

[dljbsp]

Businesses today talk about 'alignment'. 'Shared vision'. 

 

But in a field outside Bethsaida, Jesus taught something far stronger.

He looked at a problem too large for one pair of hands and told His disciples to feed the crowd. The resources were almost embarrassing — five barley loaves and two small fish. The math didn’t work. The scale didn’t make sense.

Yet no one stepped back. They stayed under His direction. They organized the people. They carried the baskets. They moved.

 

He performed the miracle, but they handled the distribution.

They didn’t generate the supply; they participated in what He was doing.

They kept walking row after row with food that shouldn’t have been enough, trusting the instruction more than the numbers in front of them.

 

So what actually keeps a group moving when the inventory is thin and the need is overwhelming? Training? . . . Leadership structure? Or the confidence in the One giving the direction?

 

That field wasn’t just about bread. It uncovered what really holds people together when the outcome isn’t visible yet.