In order to give

[Jesus] kept giving [bread and fish] to the disciples to set before the crowd. Everyone ate and was filled. (Luke 9:16-17)

I like how this translation renders verse 16. “Jesus kept giving” the bread and fish to his disciples so that the crowd could be fed. 

Like the disciples, we don’t have much to give others, and yet their spiritual needs are so great.

But Jesus doesn’t simply say, “You feed them,” and leave us to our own resources. Rather Jesus keeps giving to us the grace and resources required to meet their needs.

But for that to happen, we need to constantly be plugged into him. We need to constantly put ourselves under the faucet of his grace so that we can be filled up and overflowing.

The question is, are we? 

As Jesus said, 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me…

As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.” (John 15:5, 9)