"6 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denariiwould not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”"
John 6:1-14
The inadequacy of provision proved all that was needed on this occasion, for Jesus turned the little into much, making a feast for the five thousand in which all had sufficient and much was left over. Not that Jesus needed even this in order to work the miracle. He could, as Creator, have done it as well without the five loaves and two fishes as with them. But He deigned and condescended to make use of human provision, and herein lies an important lesson for us on the question of Christian stewardship. The lad gave up all he had to Christ; and it fed a multitude. We may not have much to offer Christ, but unreserved giving leads to blessing, for He multiplies it. This underlines the fact that it is not so much what we have or how much or how little we have, but the spirit in which we give it to Him, that is the all-important thing. Little, given unreservedly into the hands of Christ will always be made into much for His glory. All that we have is rightly His in any case. The lesson that stands out clearly here is that a true stewardship of what we have - time, talents, money - will always lead to miracle-working power being released among God's people. The young lad who became the instrument of this notable miracle is not even named - in this, he is the representative of countless of God's people who seek to exercise a wise and faithful stewardship in the work of the gospel, and whose giving is never in the forefront of the news but dear to the heart of the Lord. He is not slow to acknowledge and commend it. The Father who sees in secret, we are told by Jesus Himself, shall reward them openly (Matthew 6:4, 6).