Jesus’ Flow
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” ––Matthew 14:15
Jesus and the disciples had been praying and ministering to the people since dawn. Now the sun was soon to set. Everyone was dead tired. But as the Lord and His followers tried to slip away to find food and much-needed sleep, the crowd kept on. They were many miles from any village, and the people had no way to get food. Thus the disciples faced a dilemma.
What would you have done? You’ve got 5,000 men (plus women and children, who were not included in the count in those days), hungry and tired. Here’s what I would probably have done: First, make everyone queue up—perhaps 12 lines, each to be manned by a disciple. Second, take a collection from the crowd and then send a team into the nearest village to buy as much food as possible. Third, ration the food into 12 equal units to be fed to those in each disciple’s line. Fourth, make sure that everyone received just enough so that those at the back of the line also got something to eat.
Jesus, however, saw the thing from a very different point of view. When asked the question of what to do, he actually turned the question back on the disciples. “You feed them.” It was a test. How big was their faith? With some embarrassment, Andrew said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9)
We strive. Jesus observes. We organize and strategize. He acts. We exert control, He releases freedom. In the case of the 5,000, He takes His time and waits until the disciples run out of ideas. Not until Andrew half-heartedly acknowledged the boy—willing to give up his meal to feed the crowd—does Jesus act. The faith of a child; the miracle of the Savior.
As men of God we need to acknowledge that in most things, we can’t—but Jesus can. Even when His rhythm makes no sense; even when His timing seems wonky. Because everything He wants to do in us is based on a pacing and flow we can hardly comprehend. It’s the rhythm of the Kingdom. Slow down, quiet your striving—do you hear the rhythm?
Father, help me flow in Your timing and Your ways, not my own.