Give Me Watcha Got

- Walking on the water

- Feeding 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish

These are two of Jesus' most famous miracles and they happen, back-to-back, in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 6.

Can you imagine being told that you're supposed to whip something up for 5,000 guys and their families who dropped in? How long would it take? How much would that cost?

Jesus' followers had done the math. They figured it would cost 8 months wages!

The crowd was large. The time was getting late. The location was far from any food source. People were getting hungry. The disciples were getting nervous.

So Jesus asks a seemingly unimportant question: "How much food do you have?"

You could page Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart, Emeril, Alton Brown, and all of the other Food Network Stars, AND IT WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH!

5 loaves & 2 fish came the report.

You could visit Gordon's Food Service or Sam's Club Warehouse and you STILL might not have enough to feed all these people.

"Bring it to me" was Jesus' reply.

I wonder if anyone was tempted to argue. I wonder if people thought Jesus was simply gathering enough food for himself. I wonder if they thought, "THIS is a waste of my time." Or "Somebody should have planned ahead."

Whatever they thought, they brought the food to Jesus. He blessed it and started passing the food out. The next thing you know, everyone has more than enough to eat. There are actually 12 baskets of leftovers.

Immediately, Jesus shuffles his followers into a boat and they sail off without him. But late in the night, while on the sea, they see someone walking toward them.

They do what you or I would do if we saw someone walking toward our boat WHILE IT IS SAILING: they freak out!

"Don't be afraid" Jesus tells them. "It is I." Or as some have translated it, "I AM." Which might not seem like a lot to you or me. But if you read the Exodus account where God introduces Himself to Moses, He uses those exact same words. "I AM".

I wonder. What do you think Jesus was saying? Do you think he was telling the 12 scaredy cats on the boat that God was with them, in their midst, in the person of Jesus? Do you think he was saying that the same God who was with Moses was the same one who fed 5,000 people just a few hours ago? Do you think he was telling them that just as Jesus is Boss of the sea, he's boss of any other problem they'll come up against? Do you think he was saying, "I know you don't have enough. But I'm calling you to give me the little you DO have and let me make up the difference?"

What might Jesus be saying to you in these two stories?