You give them something to eat

But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

Frequently, as we speak about or study the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes to feed the 5,000, our primary attention goes to the miracle Jesus worked. Certainly, the miracle is attention-getting and yet another view into his lordship. But, in focusing only on Jesus, we miss an important, perhaps subtle, message about our responsibility in God’s working.

The headline beginning this note is a snippet from the Gospel according to Saint Luke (9:13) that makes up the larger story of the feeding of the 5,000. The apostles appealed to Jesus to send the crowd away from their desolate location as the day was drawing to a close and there was no food or lodging available. Jesus turned the situation back on the apostles and said, “You give them something to eat.”

There is no doubt that Jesus was well aware of the situation.  He could have taken action earlier, working miracles to provide lodging and food. But he waited and made an important point. He waited until the apostles saw the need, and then made it clear that they were to be the seed of the solution. Yes, he would work a miracle, but it would be from what the apostles offered.

God certainly can and does, provide for our needs. He at times will provide well beyond our needs. But where would humanity’s relationship with God be if our every need were filled without our asking and without our participation? It would be an entirely one-way relationship.

We are dependent on God. He is generous in providing. But in return, he expects that we will acknowledge our dependency, respond in unfettered love, and participate in his acts of love and creation by letting go of what he has given us so that he can work miracles with it.

That is stewardship. God has blessed us. We are to notice and be concerned with the needs of his creation and creatures around us. We are to act by giving the best of what he has provided us, the first-fruits, the tithe, to those needs. God will work his miracles and multiply what we have given.

Perhaps it seems like a silly game. Why doesn’t God just take care of everything himself? Why give us what is needed and then desire that we pass it along? God could do it without us. But then what would our participation be? And why would there even be a reason for our existing? It is an absolute gift, the gift of life, that God has created us to participate with him in his work. It is an absolute gift that God provides us the seeds to sow, the sharing of our time, talent, and treasure, to be part of his miracle-working.

How do we respond? Is it appropriate to say, “No, I will take care of what I want to take care of first?” Or do we, in thanksgiving, give first to God’s work? Do we first sow the seeds for God’s miracle-working? Imagine what a vibrant beacon of Christ in the world Christ Church would be if everyone one of us were sowing such seeds!