I have been reading through the book of John and love the story of Jesus feeding five thousand. Most of us have probably heard it since we were little kids and know how the story goes. If not check out John 6. What I love is the fact that there were 5,000 people there and the 5 loaves and 2 small fish they decided to use came from a kid. Now, you know there had to have been someone there hiding a few loaves away and could have given up 5 and 2, but you know those loaves and fish were ALL that this kid had. And he was willing to give it up for Jesus. If we don't have anything to offer to God he won't have anything to use. However, he can take what little we have and turn it into great things. You don't need a seminary degree for Christ to use you. You don't need to be able to recite every verse in the Bible at the drop of the hat. You don't have to have gone to church since you were born. All you have to do is to be willing to give what you have to Christ.
And what about those great things to come? Are those great things to be done for our recognition or his? Do you think the kid said to himself, "I'll give Jesus these 5 loaves and 2 fish so that when he does something awesome with them I can get credit for being the one who gave him the food." Probably not. The credit was to go to Jesus. This is so incredibly hard to do.
This is perfectly modeled earlier in John 1:30-31 when John the Baptist says, "This is the one I meant when I said 'A man who comes after me surpasses me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Think of the humility of John the Baptist to be able to do this. He had built a huge thriving following and yet he knew the reason he had been able to do it was solely to prepare the way and point people to Jesus. The credit was to go to Jesus. The commentary makes a great point....when you are content to do what God wants you to do and LET JESUS CHRIST BE HONORED FOR IT, God will do great things through you.
Tate
And what about those great things to come? Are those great things to be done for our recognition or his? Do you think the kid said to himself, "I'll give Jesus these 5 loaves and 2 fish so that when he does something awesome with them I can get credit for being the one who gave him the food." Probably not. The credit was to go to Jesus. This is so incredibly hard to do.
This is perfectly modeled earlier in John 1:30-31 when John the Baptist says, "This is the one I meant when I said 'A man who comes after me surpasses me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Think of the humility of John the Baptist to be able to do this. He had built a huge thriving following and yet he knew the reason he had been able to do it was solely to prepare the way and point people to Jesus. The credit was to go to Jesus. The commentary makes a great point....when you are content to do what God wants you to do and LET JESUS CHRIST BE HONORED FOR IT, God will do great things through you.
Tate
RSS Feed