A Home Run

When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:13-21 NIV).

He was born in 1934 at Mobile, Alabama. No one could have ever dreamed that he would grow up and become a household name to anyone who followed the game of baseball. Henry Louis Aaron, known to all as Hank Aaron, was among the first blacks to play a full career in the major leagues. He began in 1954 and retired in 1976. However, the most memorable moment came on April 23, 1974, when he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. His legendary mark of 755 career home runs still stands today. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. He had done what most believed to be impossible!

It is amazing what impossible things have been accomplished to those who merely believed. That is the background of our Scripture this morning. Jesus had been teaching for sometime and the disciples had become concerned about feeding so many people if He continued. Jesus replied without hesitation, “Feed them.” Their response was to exclaim how impossible that task would be. Almost as a joke, Andrew brings a little boy’s lunch to Jesus. From those five biscuits and two little fish, in the hands of Jesus, five thousand people were fully fed and satisfied!

There are two important lessons for us in this story. First, nothing is impossible in the hands of Jesus. Regardless of the challenges we face today, if we trust ourselves to Him, we will find a way. It may come from the most unexpected of places, or in the most unbelievable of means, but He will provide a way. Second, even the smallest of resources is enough in Jesus’ hands. No talent or resource is so small as to be inadequate in His hands. The key is in our faith.

If you know something of chemistry, you know that if you mix hydrogen and oxygen, the well-known components of water, you get no reaction -- and no water! But if you add a small amount of platinum to this stable mixture, things began to happen very rapidly. The hydrogen and oxygen unite and a chemical change occurs which produces H2O. Just as platinum is needed as a catalyst to achieve the desired result, so faith must be present in our walk with the Lord if we are to experience progress in our relationship with Him. We have to rely wholly upon the wisdom and integrity of God's written Word and be confident that He can and will do the things He has promised. Furthermore, we must abandon any reservations that might hinder our Christian growth if we want the kind of transformation that true faith can bring. This vital ingredient must be introduced to give meaning to our Bible reading, our prayers, and our church attendance. If we follow this formula, we will see the difference Christ can make in our
lives. Then we'll fully understand the "chemistry" of spiritual change. Philip Yancey defines faith as: "Believing in advance in something that will only seem logical when seen in reverse." Go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will always be able to see farther. Hit a home run today with your faith!