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| Jesus in the Chaos |
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By Rick Brown
Tomball, TX
“Iowa Jim” was suspicious. He had read on Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame’s website that he was urging people to donate money to Katrina relief efforts. But he wasn’t sure Brian Wilson was really behind it.
So he issued a challenge using his web name. He said that he would gladly donate $100 if Brian Wilson would call him up and prove it was really him. Next thing he knew he was getting good vibrations through the phone lines. Iowa Jim was talking to none other than Brian Wilson.
Then, Brian and his wife Melinda had a brainstorm. Why not call everyone who donates $100 or more? Then he decided to match any contribution of $100 or more made through his website by October 1. “If we get $10,000, we’ll match $10,000,” Wilson said.1
Wouldn’t it be nice to know someone who would match your efforts? Better yet, what if you knew someone who would maximize your efforts? You see a need that is large but you feel your own resources are small. And you think your contribution will not make a dent in the problem.
I found a story that will help you. Jesus sensed his disciples needed a rest. There were many people “coming and going” and they had not even had a chance to eat (Mark 6:31). So he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31).
You’ve been there before, haven’t you? A full week. Late night meetings. It’s almost the weekend, time to kick back and relax. You feel as if you are about to come unglued, but you know a little R&R will do the trick.
That’s probably how the disciples felt. They had just come back from a ministry assignment of preaching that people should repent and driving out demons and healing sick people. They had done some pretty significant work. Now it was time for them to take care of themselves.
But before they could get a minute to slap some sandwiches together, their cruise boat docked right into the middle of a large crowd. Five thousand men to be exact. It was late in the day. They were in a remote place. A place that was supposed to be a quiet place where Jesus and his disciples could get some rest. And something to eat.
But Jesus had other ideas of what they needed more. Mark’s account says that the disciples looked at Jesus and told him to “send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat” (Mark 6:36). Jesus shot back, “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37).
I doubt that’s what they wanted to hear. It’s not what I wanted to hear on Thursday. I was ready to do a little work at home while we all prepared for a storm that was supposed to be one of the worst in hurricane history. I had come up to the office to get my laptop so I could do some work at home.
A bumper to bumper line of cars dotted the 249 northbound lanes. I started to notice people pulling into our parking lot and sitting in the shade of the trees. Cars were overheating. Parents were overstressing. Kids were crying. Pets were panting. Gas tanks were emptying. Nerves were near empty too.
Next thing I knew our church building was becoming a Texan Hotel Rwanda. People were coming in to use the restrooms. People needed ice. People needed water. It wasn’t long before I found a family that needed more than anything a place—a quiet place to rest. They really had no plan of where they would go.
Only one other family that day needed a shelter for the night. So we set up two rooms. One for the first family. One for the second that had with them a 99 year-old grandmother. I tucked them in and went home to rest.
The next morning was a different story. One of our members—Manuel Ilufi—had planned on sheltering at the building with another family from his neighborhood. When I met him at the building, we were already finding others who had run out of gas and out of hope. The storm was bearing down on us, and the options on the open road were few.
Before long we had about 100 people here who had no other place to go. This passage in Mark came to mind. I’d like to say it is because, like Jesus, I “saw a large crowd, [and] had compassion on them” (Mark 6:34). If I’m honest, at first I felt more like the disciples. “It’s late. I’m tired. Maybe we can find a restaurant where they can buy themselves something to eat.”
But Jesus is always a good teacher and in the face of a large problem when resources looked small, he whispered to me, “You give them a place to stay and something to eat.” Again, I felt like the disciples. “Where are we going to find the money and the store to feed this many?” And again, the same words from Jesus landed in my ears, “What do you have? Go and see?”
Before long we had a team working together. We went to see what we had. Air mattresses were gathered, blankets were brought by other members, and food was found in the freezer. People who were staying here pitched in, a cooking crew was named. And everyone was fed.
John’s version says that Jesus started the whole thing by asking the disciples, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” so he could test them (John 6:5). He knew what he was going to do. He knew what he was capable of doing. He wanted his disciples to know too.
So he had them go and see what they had. While Philip was calculating how many months he would have to work to buy enough bread for each man to have one bite, Andrew went to see what they had. And what they had was a boy with a lunch sack. In it were five small loaves of bread and two small fish.
The need was large. The resources were small. But when given to Jesus, these offerings were not merely matched. They were maximized. Jesus blessed them and had the disciples do some work of taking care of the people. When it was all over, there were leftovers. One basketful for each of the disciples. The same disciples that at the beginning of the story were trying to get away to rest and eat.
It doesn’t surprise me that the next thing that happens is the disciples find themselves in a storm. They are out in their boat in the middle of the sea. They are anxious. Afraid. Much like many who were sheltered here and around Houston. Much like us. Jesus shows up and the storm dies down. The disciples are left amazed at who he is.
Life does not appear to be getting any easier. We’ve seen the results of Katrina and felt the force of Rita. Back to back. Many of you have been busy helping. Doing what you can. Others of you are tired from the regular routine of life. Taking care of your kids. Working hard. One thing is for certain: there will be more storms. Hurricanes that pummel our land and hurricanes that pound our hearts.
You may feel you need some rest. Only to find yourself in another situation where the need is great and your resources are small. What are you to do?
The answer is simple. Jesus would have you look to him first. Take stock of what you do have. Bring it to him. And then serve people.
When you do, he’ll bless it. He’ll take what you have to offer and not only match it. He’ll maximize it. And when the serving is over, you may find the rest you were looking for.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Notes:
1. “Brian Wilson Dialing Up Katrina Donors,” found at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050925/ap_en_ce/people_brian_wilson_5;_ylt=AqYtpcw4MXvdl5TYGlpon60bLisB;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
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Hope Network Ministries
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(210) 690-2597
email: Hope Network
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