“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[f] you were doing it to me!’”
–Matthew 25:40 (NLT)
I don’t know about you, but I was always terrible at math. Of course Siri wasn’t available then to do my calculating for me, so I think my graduation from high school was strictly an act of mercy on the part of my teachers. I still remember trying to figure out x+whatever=whatever. But what I have learned was extremely important, and it could make a radical difference in your life as well.
While I was in school, I met the greatest mathematician ever. He is still alive today, and He will live throughout eternity. Of course I am talking about Jesus, and what sets Him apart can’t be fully comprehended by us. But in my humble oppinion, one of the characteristics which makes Him stand out from all other teachers is His use of numbers.
First, let’s look at the number 1. Many times, we see Jesus as 1 lonely carpenter from Nazareth. Therefore, we may have a limited view of Him. You might scoff at this, or ask yourself what I’m talking about. But if you know Him, you also know that he said His nutrition came from doing the will of His Father.
While it is true that Jesus walked those dusty streets, the Bible makes it clear that He existed with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit before creation. So the number 3 is essential as well. When we contemplate the trinity, we see His equality with the other members of the Godhead in every way. This tells us that while Christ left heaven for us, heaven hadn’t left Him.
Instead of Jesus being nothing more than a solitary figure who lived 2,000 years ago, then, we need to see the Godhead working in concert with His earthly ministry. If we do, I believe we will be caught up by His majesty in a fresh way today.
We may know where the power of Christ originated intellectually, so thinking about this might seem old hat. However, if you do reflect on Jesus’ power, it will open new doors for you.
Having said the above, I have two questions for you. First, have we really let this truth grip us and become part of our beings? Then, the $64 question is: How is this accomplished?
Again, numbers come into play here. I believe that Jesus answered both questions during the feeding of the 4,000 and the 5,0000. If you look at both of these miracles carefully, you will learn two things. First, God’s love for a hungry crowd led Jesus to alert His disciples that they needed to feed them. Then, take a look at the reaction of His disciples. They were dumbfounded, because they were looking only to the natural resources at hand. They didn’t have the means to feed the hungry crowd, and they were looking everywhere for answers except to Jesus.
While I don’t like to admit it, I’m afraid we often do the same things. God may get us out of one jam, but when we face a new situation that seems impossible, we just shake our heads and focus on our circumstances instead of Christ. Using our natural abilities, these situations often seem hopeless, and we forget one of the basic admonitions in the Bible. Scripture clearly tells us that we can do nothing without Christ, and we can do everything through Him–even the impossible.
Next, we see Jesus breaking the bread and blessing it. This tells me that until He breaks our will and blesses a work, we can’t really move forward.
Like those early disciples, we are only called to pass out bread, as we keep our eyes on Him. Just as he once fed the multitudes, He is still able to multiply what we have in our hands and use it for His glory. The Bible says that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But amazingly, He uses you and me to usher in His Kingdom.
You and I are not able to number the stars in the heavens, or imagine the number of cells in the human body. While these numbers are mind-boggling, it is even more incredible to think that God would use a particle of dust which He created. But He doesn’t stop there. The Bible says that every hair on our heads is numbered, and that speaks of His all-consuming love for each of us.
If we really reflect upon this, we will be able to dwell under the wings of this love, and allow Him to continually open our eyes to new truth. We need to be like the first disciples who were transformed into men and women of faith, so let’s look at the last thing we see, which will act as a challenge for us to live this way.
Remember how Jesus told His disciples to pick up the leftovers once the multitudes had been fed? This tells me two things. First, nothing is wasted with God. You may think your efforts are wasted, but this is not true. While those fragments may seem like scraps to you, nothing is too small for God to use for His glory.
Secondly, although I’m sure the disciples were exhausted and they had come to the end of their strength, I believe that was God’s plan. It is only as we, His disciples of today, run out of strength that we must rely on Him fully. It is this reliance upon Christ that causes us to move forward.
So whether you’re passing out the bread of life, or picking up the fragments that remain, do all to the glory of God. Draw upon Christ’s strength. Always keep our opening passage in your mind, and try to help your neighbors whenever you can.
It is my prayer that you will open your heart to Him today if you don’t already know Him. If you do know Christ, I pray that you will fall deeper in love with Him every day of your life.
Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 101 S Kraemer BLVD, Suite 123A, Placentia, CA 92870.
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