I recently mentioned some of my insights on this in church, and a friend asked me to put to type it out for him. So here it goes.
As I have pondered on Jesus feeding the 5,000 with 5 loaves and two fish, I have tried to imagine what it would have been like to have been there. In these scenarios, I see the bread representing God’s ability and desire to meet my temporal needs, and I also as being symbolic of the truths that Jesus taught.
I have put myself in different places in the situation. First I imagined being one of the 5,000 who was hungry. I see myself in the back of the crowd, and I become aware that some food is being distributed through the multitude. Would I be patient and trust that Jesus would provide for me as well as he is providing for others? Would I be impatient? Would I fear there wouldn’t be enough for me? Would I resent or be jealous of others who got the bread before me? Would I try to measure how much I got compared to others, and make sure I got just as much as anyone else? Of course all of these fearful things would have been unnecessary. We tend to be fearful and prideful which leads to unhealthy comparisons. But God wants to provide for me as much as anyone else. When it comes to receiving the word of God, I am not in a competition with anyone else. Someone learning a truth before I do doesn’t limit the possibility of me learning and benefitting from the same truth. No matter how much bread one person took, there was more than enough for everyone. This is how it works in God’s economy physically and spiritually. His words and his works are endless, there is no lack.
Next I imagine myself as one of the disciples who is asked to help share the bread. We don’t know exactly how this happened, but I see Jesus giving me 1/2 of a loaf of bread and asking me to feed a group of 50 people. Would I have the faith to move forward and trust that this half a loaf could feed 50? Or would I stop and wait for Jesus to give me more? Would I complain that he wasn’t giving me enough bread? Would I sabotage the miracle with my unbelief? Or would I trust that since Jesus was asking me to feed 50 with 1/2 loaf, it must be possible, and I would be successful on the Lord’s errand.
Then I imagine myself sharing the bread, and seeing it miraculously multiply. The people also see it and are amazed. Some of them praise me for this miracle and ask me how I am doing it. Some of them compliment me on the flavor of the bread. What is my response to their compliments? Could I take any of the credit for any of it? Of course not. In life we are tempted to take the credit for God’s blessings to us. However, in this scenario, and in life, if I am honest, all I can say is, “Praise Jesus, thank Jesus! Every good thing comes from him. I CAME WITH NO BREAD! I have nothing to share except what he gave me to share; so don’t thank me, thank him. I am just grateful he used me to share his bread, his truths.”
Next I see myself looking over at one of the other disciples, he is feeding a group of 800, I am only feeding a group of 50. Would I feel “less than” the other disciple? Would I feel disappointed that Jesus only asked me to feed 50? Is the other disciple better than me somehow? And what if someone I share the bread with begins sharing it with another group and it miraculously multiplies for him like it did for me? Would I feel cheated that he took away my opportunity? Would I resent that he can share it just as well as me? It is so easy to fall into these prideful comparison mindsets. But when it comes to the truths of the gospel, the truth is truth, and it doesn’t matter who is sharing the truth. The bread wasn’t better because I was sharing it, the truths of the gospel aren’t more true when I am teaching them. There is no competition in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are all unprofitable servants that God chooses to do his work through. Regardless of the position of the person sharing a truth, the Holy Ghost can touch hearts and lives can be changed. We each need to be willing to receive the truths of the gospel from unlikely sources. We need to celebrate the success of others in living and sharing gospel truths! Jesus can share his bread through whoever he wants to, and I should never turn away from an opportunity to learn, regardless of who is sharing the bread. And if Jesus uses someone to do more of his work than me, then I can be happy for that other person. They haven’t taken anything away from me. I still have every good possibility and truth in my life that God desires for me; and ultimately we are all meant to be join heirs with Jesus Christ and receive all that God has!
Lessons From The Loaves 