But He answered and said to them,
"You give them something to eat."
And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"
But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?
Go and see." And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."
Mark 6:37-38
Jesus doesn't sugar-coat His words. The disciples wanted to send the crowds away but Jesus said, "You give them something to eat." Notice that He was emphatic, using the word, "You," as if to say, "You, yes I am talking to you, you give." Can you imagine how foolish the disciples must have felt as they listened to Jesus' words and realized their own selfishness?
Jesus wants you (yes, you!) to do something for Him. And notice Jesus didn't say to give the people "anything;" He said to "give them something." There are specific things that God wants you to do, things that will make a difference in people's lives. You see, just as Jesus wanted the disciples to give the multitudes something to eat, He wants us to give something to the world around us -- to the "multitudes" of people we see everyday. Real revival won't start until you and I are willing to give the multitudes something.
What is it that you could give to the multitudes in your city or community? You could give them the fruit of the Spirit that's in your life. What is it that you could give to the multitudes where you work? Maybe it's integrity and honesty. And the greatest "something" that we can give is God's Word -- the Gospel. There is substance in the Word of God.
Deception is spreading like wildfire in our churches and our nation. Our responsibility is to love people and give them "something" of substance and value. Jesus is calling each one of us, individually and personally, to accomplish great things for His kingdom. What are you willing to give?
"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38).
