When crowds of people had gathered to listen to Jesus and the hour was late, Jesus’ twelve disciples were getting tired, hungry and short-tempered. They told Jesus, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we’re in a remote place here.”

It was a practical suggestion. There were 5,000 men, plus women and children, and the disciples didn’t have food or money to feed such a multitude. But they really weren’t thinking about the needs of the crowd, they were being selfish. They wanted Jesus for themselves. They wanted a quiet evening alone with their teacher.

Jesus saw right through them and laid a direct challenge on his disciples. He said, “You give them something to eat.” He not only rejected their selfishness, he made them responsible for the solution.

Frankly, Jesus’ answer makes me want to squirm. When I’m faced with people’s needs, my first two responses are likely to be, “Let someone else do something” or “Let God take care of this one.” We’re all prone to make excuses and quick to see what can’t be done.

You may already know the rest of the story. The disciples came up with the lunch of one small boy in the crowd and brought it to Jesus. Jesus took the lunch and miraculously multiplied the food so it fed everyone.

The lesson for us is that anything is possible if we’re willing to step forward and offer what little we have for Jesus to use.