Learning About Ministry

Just yesterday in my post on feeling bitter, I said I’d share what I learned of the two passages I quoted, one of which was Matthew 14:13-21 where our Lord Jesus Christ feeds the five thousand.

Yet, as I read more about it, another lesson was given to me out of the same verses, and I think I’ll share that with you instead.

This other lesson is a lesson in ministry and how our surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ is an integral part of it.

When I say “ministry” I don’t mean just serving in a church. As others have so succinctly reminded me of my prior misunderstanding, we are all ministers in one way or another in any social station or economic position. We all have a duty to be ministers as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded!

With that established, let’s first read the passage starting at verse 15, shall we?

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14:15-21

Now we are mostly familiar with this account of one of many miracles our Lord Jesus Christ performed. Previously, I too would have just read it as a miracle and that’s it, but as I read it yesterday I was taught new things by the Spirit.

Let me tell you what the first thing that struck me was.

When the Apostles said to our Lord Jesus Christ that they wanted to send the people away to the villages to get food, our Lord said to them:

But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

Matthew 14:16

Notice the “YOU give them something to eat.”?

To me, that’s a call to minister. Our Lord Jesus Christ specifically said to the Apostles that they are to be the ones to feed, or minister to the five thousand. Yet, of course, Jesus also knew the answer that they will give, which leads me to the second lesson I learned.

Next, the Apostles tell our Lord Jesus Christ that they only had five loaves and two fish with them and He said “Bring THEM to me” (emphasis mine).

And he said, “Bring them here to me.”

Matthew 14:18

Notice that Jesus didn’t say to bring Him a few loaves and a fish or any other combination, but ALL of the five loaves and two fish. Now, I can quite certainly believe that even if the Apostles were to hand over just one loaf of bread and one fish that our Lord Jesus Christ would have been able to do the same with them, but he specifically said to bring all to Him.

Why is this significant?

The five loaves and two fish was all that they had in terms of food and Jesus asked for all of it to be handed over.

The Apostles duly complied and Jesus blessed the bread and fish and fed the five thousand, after which they collected twelve baskets of leftovers!

Taken altogether in this simple account of one of our Lord Jesus Christ’s many miracles, it has taught me that in whatever ministry we are in, i.e. in whatever capacity we hold in daily life and where we are called to be ministers, we shall be required to surrender all that we have and hold dear to Him that the LORD might do great things through us and for His glory.

Just as our Lord Jesus Christ demanded all that the Apostles had — the fives loaves and two fish — and blessed it so that the Apostles could minister to the five thousand for the glory of God.

Shalom Aleichem.

Picture taken from the BBC.