The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, Classic Version, 2016Sample

Multiplication

Hattie May Wiatt, a six-year-old girl, lived near Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia, USA. The Sunday school was very crowded. Russell H. Conwell, the minister, told her that one day they would have buildings big enough to allow everyone to attend. She said, ‘I hope you will. It is so crowded I am afraid to go there alone.’ He replied, ‘When we get the money we will construct one large enough to get all the children in.’

Two years later, in 1886, Hattie May died. After the funeral Hattie’s mother gave the minister a little bag they had found under their daughter’s pillow containing 57 cents in change that she had saved up. Alongside it was a note in her handwriting: ‘To help build the little temple bigger so that more children can go to Sunday school.’

The minister changed all the money into pennies and offered each one for sale. He received $250 – and 54 of the cents were given back. The $250 was itself changed into pennies and sold by the newly formed ‘Wiatt Mite Society’. In this way her 57 cents kept on multiplying.

Twenty-six years later, in a talk entitled, ‘The history of the 57 cents’, the minister explained the results of her 57-cent donation: a church with a membership of over 5,600 people, a hospital where tens of thousands of people had been treated, 80,000 young people going through university, 2,000 people going out to preach the gospel – all this happened ‘because Hattie May Wiatt invested her 57 cents’.

The theme of multiplication runs throughout the Bible. What cannot be achieved by addition, God does by multiplication. We reap what we sow, only many times more. What we give to the Lord, he multiplies. We see this common theme of multiplication in today’s passages.

Psalm 25:16-22

1. Multiplication of troubles

Jesus promised his followers a multiplication of blessings. But he also warned them that alongside the blessings there would be trouble. He said that whoever followed him would receive a hundredfold in this life – with persecutions (Mark 10:30).

In this psalm David expresses how ‘the troubles of my heart have multiplied… See how my enemies have increased’ (Psalm 25:17,19). He speaks of loneliness, ‘affliction’, ‘anguish’ and ‘distress’.

We have seen this principle at work throughout the world. Wherever God blesses, troubles and persecutions tend also to increase.

Any kind of leadership will involve opposition. The greater the responsibility, the more your troubles will multiply and your enemies increase.

David prays to the Lord for his help in guarding and rescuing him (v.20). When under attack, always try to act with integrity, uprightness and faith (v.21). Do the right thing regardless of what people think.

Lord, as I face opposition, help me always to act with integrity, uprightness and faith. Help me to do the right thing whatever the cost or consequences may be. 

Mark 7:31-8:13

2. Multiplication of resources

In this passage we see the extraordinary multiplication of God’s provision. With seven loaves and a few small fish, Jesus fed the 4,000 and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Interestingly though, Jesus doesn’t just do a miracle, he first involves the disciples. He calls them over to explain what he wants to do (8:1–3). He allows them to think their way towards a solution (v.4), perhaps hoping that they will remember the feeding of the 5,000 (6:30–44).

He then enlists their help, by asking them for the food that they have (8:5). It is only at that point that Jesus performs a miracle, multiplying the food that they have given him. Even then he gets the disciples to help with the distribution of the food (v.6). This is an example of how Jesus loves to involve us in his plans and work.

The disciples’ role seems fairly small in comparison to what Jesus is able to do. God is able to do a lot with a very small amount. Whatever you give to God, he multiplies.

Today’s passage starts with another miracle of Jesus’. He healed a man ‘who was deaf and could hardly talk’ (7:32). He prayed for him ‘with a deep sigh’ (v.34). Perhaps this is the kind of prayer that Paul is describing as ‘wordless groans’ (Romans 8:26). It represents the Holy Spirit struggling in prayer through us. Jesus ‘said to [the man], “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened”)’ (Mark 7:34).

No doubt Jesus, aware of the multiplication of opposition, ‘commanded them not to tell anyone’ (v.36). However, ‘the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it’ (v.36).

After the miracle of multiplication, Jesus sent the crowds away so that he could concentrate on a smaller group of his disciples (8:9–10). The needs of the crowd were enormous – for evangelism and healing. Nevertheless, Jesus prioritised time with a small group of leaders.

In spite of the miracle of multiplication, and all the other miracles, not everyone believed. ‘The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven’ (v.11). They wanted outward compelling proof of his authority.

They were spiritually blind and unable to recognise the signs God had given (you might have thought feeding 4,000 people with a few loaves and fish might have been a fairly obvious ‘sign’!). They wanted to choose signs of their own – which Jesus refused to do. It is still true today that miracles do not always lead to faith – people often dismiss miracles, thinking there must be some other possible explanation.

Lord, thank you that you are able to do a lot with a very small amount and that whatever we give to you, you multiply. Lord, today I give you my life again to be used in whatever way you want. I give you my time and resources to be available for you.

Exodus 35:1-36:38

3. Multiplication of volunteers

I have observed over the years the astonishing achievements that are possible when every member of even a small congregation gets involved in praying, giving and serving.

The people of God faced a massive task in the building of the tabernacle. They achieved it through a multiplication of involvement of volunteers. Moses assembled ‘the entire congregation’ (35:1, MSG). This is what is needed in every church today:

• Everyone praying
  We saw in yesterday’s passage how everybody united in prayer and worship, ‘they all stood and worshipped’ (33:10). The Sabbath was not just a day of rest, it was a ‘holy day’ of ‘rest to the Lord’ (35:2). It was a day when people could devote more time to prayer and worship. The whole community prayed.
• Everyone giving
  They took up ‘an offering for the Lord’ (v.5a). Everyone was urged to give: ‘Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze’ (v.5b).

The task was not achieved by one generous donor alone. ‘And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work… All who were willing, men and women alike’ (vv.21–22). Like Hattie May Wiatt, each one brought their ‘57 cents’.

If your community is to achieve everything that God is calling you to do, you will need everyone giving – not under compulsion but willingly (2 Corinthians 8 and 9).

As everyone got involved in giving, they had ‘more than enough’ (Exodus 36:5). ‘The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings! There was plenty of material for all the work to be done. Enough and more than enough’ (vv.6–7, MSG).

• Everyone serving
  Everybody got involved in serving. The words ‘everyone’ and ‘all’ appear many times in this passage. It was entirely voluntary: ‘All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded’ (35:10). For example, ‘everyone who had acacia wood… brought it’ (v.24); ‘Every skilled woman spun with her hands’ (v.25).

A key role was played by the artists, Bezalel and Oholiab. They were filled with the Spirit to make artistic designs and to teach others to do the same. Together they used their skills and ability to do the work: ‘Every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work’ (36:1).

All this was entirely voluntary. The people of God were ‘stirred up for God’ (35:21,26, AMP). The task was achieved by ‘everyone whose heart was roused, whose spirit was freely responsive’ (35:21, MSG). If we are to achieve what God is calling us to do as a community we need this multiplication of volunteers.

Enthusiasm is infectious. As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘If you associate with a person who is visionary, you will soon get a vision. But if you stay around lifeless people who want to do nothing but complain, sit on the couch, eat donuts, and watch soap operas, then soon you will be doing the same things.’

We need to stir one another up to pray, give and serve. You will be astonished by how God is able to multiply your 57 cents and do more than we could ever ask or even imagine.

Lord, thank you for the amazing generosity we see in our community. Thank you for the way that everyone is getting involved in praying, giving and serving and thank you for what it is possible to achieve when this happens. 

Pippa Adds

Occasionally, when I am in a rush in the morning, I have to decide between having breakfast and reading my Bible. Generally I decide on breakfast. So I am very challenged by today’s New Testament passage, Mark 8:2. The people had been with Jesus for three days without having anything to eat. Their priority was definitely to be with Jesus. 

Hattie May Wiatt illustration from Sermon by Russell H Conwell ‘The History of Fifty-Seven Cents’, Sunday morning, December 1, 1912.

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 

Joyce Meyer, Everyday Life Bible, (Hodder & Stoughton, 2006), p. 147