Bring it to JEsus

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

BRING IT TO JESUS

Mark 6:38-44

When they found out, they said, "Five — and two fish." 39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

NIV

Although this is the story of Jesus multiplying the five loaves of bread and the two fish into enough food for over five thousand, maybe even ten thousand, for the men were the only ones in the count given, there is a truth in here that cannot be ignored. Yes we could say that if we give Jesus our bread and fish he might make it into more, but that is really unlikely in our world today, or is it? But the truth here is that fact that what the disciples found and brought to Jesus he made more of it, more than what was actually needed. What can we bring to Jesus for him to make more of? We could think it would be our money; the church surely makes that one of the issues. Of course the church does need money to function that is a fact. Although some television preachers have said that we need to trust God for our finances, so give our money to them. Why can’t they trust God like we are supposed to? But the point here is that whatever we bring Jesus he will multiply and make more of it. It would appear that would include us. When we come to Jesus and give him all of us, he will pray over us and make us into more than what we were. Whatever talent or ability we have, he will increase it, if we bring it to him. We cannot hoard our talents, our gifts, our abilities, especially the ones he gave us in the first place. We must bring them to him. If we think we do not have enough money, time, talents, or abilities if we bring them to Jesus he will make more of them than is needed, there will even be leftovers. This may be a difficult truth to grab a hold of, to wrap out minds around, or to embrace. The world tells us to store up, to be self-centered, to be looking out for number one, to be motivated by self-achievement, even in our service to others, so that we are lifted up in our humanity. But Jesus simply asks us to go and find what we have and bring it to him. The greatest thing we have is ourselves. Beyond all the wealth and material possession we own, is our own self. Who we are, who God made us to be will be increased. When we come to Jesus he will make us more of what God intended us to be. We must let Jesus break us, pray over us and give us out so others may be fed. Has he not told us to feed his sheep? We need to bring it to Jesus.