One of the earliest and still one of the most common symbols of Jesus Christ is the Ichthys, or Jesus Fish. Jesus also called Himself the Bread of Life. When Jesus Christ performed the miracle of feeding five thousand with a few loaves and fishes, He was not just feeding them but teaching them about His power, His grace, and His love. As finite creatures with mortal weaknesses and frailties, we have a hard time making sense of how God could possibly divide His care and attention amongst all of His creations and still manage to make sure all of their needs are being met. We know from personal experience that if we try to divide our time or spread ourselves too thin, or juggle too many balls at once, we’re going to end up wasting and wearing ourselves out. But it’s not the same for our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. In defiance of all of the laws of mathematics as we understand them, when our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ divide, they multiply. There is no such thing as using up too much of our Heavenly Father’s love or our Savior’s mercy. When Jesus divided up the loaves and fishes and fed everyone until they were full, there were still twelve baskets left over. When we seek forgiveness for our mistakes, Christ does not simply return us to the status quo, but He makes us and everything around us better than it used to be. Coming to truly understand how limitless our Lord’s grace is should give us greater confidence in laying aside our fears and doubts and trusting in God. It should also give us hope that just as Christ can divide and multiply a few loaves and fishes, He can that much more divide and multiply our time, talents and energy when we place ourselves in His multiplying hands. The more people we embrace and love and serve, the more of us there will be to provide that love and service, and the more of us there will even be left over.
