“But Brother Copeland, I don’t really have much to offer people.”
So? In John 6, Jesus’ disciples didn’t have much to offer either. You probably remember what happened in that situation:
"When Jesus…lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?" (John 6:5–9).
Andrew’s question sounded reasonable. After all, there were upward of 20,000 people in the crowd that day, including women and children. Five barley loaves, each about the size of a cracker, and a couple of little fish looked like nothing in comparison. Yet with no other options, the disciples put that little dab of food in Jesus’ hands. He told them to have the crowd sit down and…
"Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten" (verses 11–13).
The word translated baskets there is the same word used to describe the basket in which the Apostle Paul hid in Acts 9:25 when the Jews in Damascus were intending to kill him. These were man-sized baskets of leftovers! So, the little boy’s lunch fed the whole crowd, and he got a big-time BLESSING in return.
Notice, though, that the first thing Jesus did in this situation was ask a question: Where shall we get food for these people to eat? The disciples never did answer that question. Instead, they immediately started talking about how much money it would cost. Jesus didn’t ask them to come up with the money. He said, “Where will we get the food?” But they weren’t listening.
BVOV : 7
