Jesus testing His disciples

"He asked this to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do." (John 6:6)

Jesus is continually testing his disciples, putting them to the test to draw out their faith. He is constantly bringing before us cases of need, sorrow, and trial—to test us. He wants to draw out our love, our sympathy, our tenderness, and train us to do the works of love which He leaves us in this world to do.

The disciples thought they could not feed the multitude before them—yet Jesus meant that they should do it. Their 'little', blessed and then used, proved quite enough.

We think we cannot answer the needs, sorrows, and hungers that appeal to us; but we can if we will. Christ wants us to go forth to minister in his name to all whom He sends to us. We do not appear to be able to do much.

But even our few words spoken kindly, our tears of sympathy, our expressions of love—Christ can use to do great good to the faint and the weary hearts before us. We must never say of any appeals that come to us, "We cannot do anything!"

To our word of powerlessness, when we have a bidding of duty, Jesus only answers, "Give them something to eat!" and we must go out to feed them, though we seem to have only a crumb or a crust to give.

J.M.