Solving BIG problems five loaves at a time.

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Gospel: Matthew 14: 13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over–
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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How did Jesus do it? How did he feed thousands of people with only five loaves and two fish?

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The honest answer is, we don’t know. All the Gospel tells us is that everyone ate and was “satisfied.”

While we have to accept the possibility that Jesus could’ve simply multiplied the loaves and fish himself, some scholars argue that he did it another way.

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Instead of just multiplying food, Jesus transformed human hearts, inspiring people in that crowd to see themselves as part of the solution.

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“Give them some food yourselves,” he says.

In other words, I’ll give away what’s here, but you must reach into your own pockets and share what you have, as well.

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Imagine everyone with bread quietly tucked inside their pockets, reaching out and sharing what they have with others.

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This, then, might’ve been an even greater miracle – teaching thousands of people an important life lesson.

When problems arise, we must see ourselves as part of the solution.

This is true in terms of resolving poverty, famine, war – and even those little conflicts that happen inside our homes.

Whenever we find problems that need to be solved, we must see ourselves like the disciples – as part of the solution.

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Image credits: (1) it-oLogy (2) Maggie Oldham, Modern Etiquette Coach (3) Simpsons, Twitter