As a kid, my parents would sometimes give me tasks to do that seemed impossible. Not only did I not want to do them, they truly seemed like tasks that I was not able to do. Maybe it was painting the entire barn, or filling the entire wood shed with split wood. Maybe it was moving to a new school when I was in the 8th grade.
Sometimes, we are asked to do things that we don’t think we can do. Sometimes God asks us to do things that we literally can’t do.
Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to [Jesus] and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.”
But Jesus said, “You feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” For there were about 5,000 men there.
Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.” So the people all sat down. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers! – Luke 9:12-17
This was a case of Jesus asking His disciples to do the impossible: feed 10,000 or more people with a little bit of bread and fish. Why did He ask them to do it? I think it helped the disciples understand several things:
- Who Jesus was. This was one more example the disciples had that Jesus was more than just a good teacher.
- Who they were. This was a good reminder to them that they really had no power in and of themselves.
- What they could do with His help. Though they were powerless to help the crowd by themselves, they were able to distribute more than enough with the help of Jesus. They did not perform the miracle, He did. All He asked them to do was hand it out to the crowd.
Sometimes God asks me to do things that seem impossible. Sometimes they are doable, but I am merely unwilling or reluctant to obey. But sometimes they really are impossible for me to do…and He still intends for me to do them. When we have the courage to take on these tasks, we are reminded of who Jesus is, who we are currently, and who and what He wants us to become.
May God always give us one more Mission:Impossible, and may we have the courage to finish the task with His help!
