“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.”
Luke 9:16 NLT
The phrase “He kept giving” was not something I had ever noticed in this passage before. Maybe it’s because I’m more accustomed to reading the NIV, which translates it this way.
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.”
Luke 9:16 NIV
There seems to be a significant difference between “He kept giving” and “He gave.”
The ESV translates this verse similarly.
“And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.”
Luke 9:16 ESV
With the NASB generally being regarded as the most literal, but sometimes less readable translation, I’m curious how it would translate this phrase.
“Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people.”
Luke 9:16 NASB
“He kept giving.” Is this closer to the Greek meaning of this word or phrase?
ἐδίδου / edidou
He kept giving.
This verb is imperfect active indicative, meaning it was a continual action in the past.
This simple difference in translation might not seem like a big deal, but it completely changes the way I see the scene unfold.
I have always imagined Jesus taking the five loaves and two fish, breaking them into pieces, and putting them into baskets for the Twelve to distribute to the crowd. What Jesus originally put in their baskets never ran out. As people took food from the basket, it was miraculously replenished right before their eyes.
This subtle difference paints a different picture for me now. What Jesus originally put in their baskets did run out, and the Twelve had to continue returning to Jesus to have Him miraculously refill their baskets.
I love this picture! It paints a powerful picture of dependency, on continually coming back to Jesus.
He puts a baskets in our hands, the vehicle for ministry. He puts the loaves and fish in our hands, the ministry itself. The basket and the loaves are not enough though. We must continually come to Jesus. Our ministry runs out. Our ministry is limited. Every day, I must return to Jesus with my empty basket and ask Him to fill me up again. Without His supernatural provision in my life, I have nothing to give.
Jesus was dependent upon the Father to keep multiplying the loaves and fish in His hands, and the Twelve had to continue returning to Jesus to re-supply their basket. Jesus modeled dependence upon the Father. The disciples had to minister out of a spirit of humble, joyful dependence upon Jesus.
What a powerful lesson for the Twelve. Jesus wants to use us, but we are going to have to depend upon Him.
What a powerful lesson for me!
Jesus, here is my empty basket. Fill me up!
This blogpost originally appeared at: Determined Dependence Drives Ministry Fruitfulness – Sonlife and is based upon Sonlife’s study, Knowing Him / A 50 Day Study in the Life of Christ / Day 36