When they had plenty to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves that had been left over by those who had eaten.

John. 6:12-13

Recently I came across Rev. Joseph Yoo’s thoughts on this Bible passage in Saving Grace Devotions and I want to reflect on his thoughts here. 

Despite what many believe, the teaching that “God helps those who help themselves” is not found in the Bible. In fact, this sentiment couldn’t be further from the narrative of Scripture. It’s a cliché misused to justify our fear and insecurity, which stems from a mindset based on scarcity that prioritizes the individual over the community.

“HELP YOURSELF FIRST” – has never been God’s message.

“PUT YOURSELF FIRST” – has never been the gospel narrative.

Jesus was the embodiment of the opposite teaching: that sacrificial love means putting others first. He made it clear that those who constantly put themselves first will be last; that those who consistently exalt themselves will be made humble.

We read about the miracle of feeding the multitudes because a child put others ahead of himself. Perhaps it was his childlike (ir)rationality that led him to believe what he had was enough to feed everyone.

What if the child hung on to the scarce resource that he had and hid among the crowd? Jesus multiplied the child’s gift, ensuring it was more than enough to feed everyone. But it was the child’s willingness to give what he had, to offer it to God and to the crowd, that made the miracle possible.

I wholeheartedly believe that you cannot put yourself first; you cannot claim “me first” or “us first” and still claim to be a disciple of Christ. Because you see, we are not saved from something, despite how we so often talk about freedom. We’re saved to something. We’re saved to a life of community and a life of servanthood. We’re saved from our sins so that we can live a life of service and community.

Miracles take place in the context of community. Miracles never happen when fear, scarcity, and self-interest are abundant.

Cain responded to God with a question, “Am I my brother’s guardian (keeper)?” A legal expert later echoed that question when he asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Both stem from an individualistic worldview. God continues to push us to a communal worldview.

This communal worldview is one reason we teach, train, and highly recommend the Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program, by Herb Miller. Proven time and time again that asking church members a communal question, “What is God calling you to give?” as an act of worship, is effective. If you want to learn more about this program we invite you to attend our training session on Thursday, May 18. This one-day session will be held at the UM Building from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. You can click here to register.

After all — God is not one but three in one; a community.

The miraculous feeding of the crowd took place because a child looked at the community and not himself. Though John never explains what happened with the leftover food, one could most definitely assume that it did not stay with Jesus and the Twelve. We can witness and even be part of miracles only when we trade in our tendencies for an individualistic worldview and embrace the vision of God’s kingdom that includes others.

This article was submitted by Rev. Lynn Benson, Director of Legacy Giving for the United Methodist Foundation, Inc. If you would like more information regarding UMF, you can contact Lynn at [email protected].