much with little

We spent time on Sunday morning talking about how small you are and how big God is. Just so we don’t forget what the point of the mustard seed parable is, it’s good to know that in God’s kingdom, our small, coupled with God’s big, goes a long way. God’s immensity is the invisible factor that makes our small look awesome – that is, if we let God have his way with it.

There was a point in time when 5,000 men (plus women and children) were in the middle of nowhere because they wanted to follow Jesus and learn from him. Let me rephrase that: There were over 5,000 people who were at the most happening place on the planet while everyone else stayed wherever it was they were, which seemed like the middle of nowhere by comparison. Still the problem is that this crowd and Jesus were somewhere there was not enough edible sustenance to satisfy everybody’s needs. The disciples logically concluded: “That’s a wrap. Time to send the people home. It’s been great, but it’s over now, because our tummies are growling.” They were still getting to know Jesus, who we now know thinks that the Godfest never stops, even when we life’s needs arise. “You go get them something to eat.”

So they work the crowd and try to see what kind of food was already there that maybe could be shared. They spent time doing that and all they came up with was that there was one boy who was willing to share his five rolls and two fish with everybody. Aww. How sweet. If that’s all we got, we’re back to square 1. The boy might as well keep it. This is obviously not going to work. Either because the boy insisted or because the disciples at least had to say something, they actually presented to Jesus the boy’s gift to the community. Jesus’ response: “Okay, great! Have everybody sit down and pass these around.” What? But they do it anyway, and everyone eats, and there are basketfuls left over. (I would think these baskets would have gone back to the boy, but I guess that’s the Lord’s call.) No small gift – nobody fed. One small gift – everybody fed. Give God your little and it becomes huge. (This is a paraphrase of the first part of John 6, by the way.)

Consider how the woman who put in the two pennies attracts Jesus’ praise more than any of the other givers, because Jesus knew her heart and sacrifice in the gift (Luke 21:1-4). Even though the gift was so relatively small to others, her heart was huge, and her legacy has gone round the world. Everything you have comes from God, so in a way, you cannot control the nature or possible amount of what you have to give back to God. But you can control your heart size. Look what happens when you turn up the love volume.

Consider Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). A master entrusts his servants with money while he’s away. They are to do business with them and see what kind of return they get. Two of them invested, and one saved so as not to lose anything. They investors quickly doubled the money. The one fearful of losing gained nothing except the disappointment of his master. It wasn’t his call to make, whether or not to invest. His master said to. If his investment lost money, oh well, maybe there would be some things to learn for the future. But he was disobedient, and he did not give away what his master told him to give away. He acted as though the money were his. If he just knew that he was holding on to such a powerful thing to invest (his fellows doubled their money) he would have realized what an awesome and important job he was given to do!

You might not have much, but you do have something. You don’t even realize what an awesome and important job you have been given: Invest as much of yourself as possible into God’s kingdom purposes that transform the world, with a heart as big as you can make it, and just like the mustard seed, explosive growth is inevitable (but God controls what that looks like and the timing). Embrace your smallness, and then kiss it good-bye. In God’s kingdom, there are only big things in store once you give away your small gift with great love.

- Pastor Bo