Kingdom Math
Scripture Focus: Mark 6:30–44
A Child’s Confusion Over Bus Fare
I can still vividly remember when I was about five years old, being in the company of one of my aunts who had the responsibility of keeping me safe as we rode the school bus together. This aunt is about twelve years older than me. The bus fare to and from school was thirty cents each way. For some reason, she asked me to use my one-dollar bill to pay for her morning fare, promising she would pay for mine in the afternoon.
In my child’s mind, I expected seventy cents back in change. Instead, the bus driver handed me forty cents. Tears of disappointment began to flow down my face because I simply did not understand what had happened. My sobbing grew even louder as my aunt tried to explain that my fare for the return trip was already accounted for. Adding to my frustration was a simple truth: at five years old, I did not yet fully know how to trust the word of my seventeen-year-old aunt. She was so annoyed with my lack of comprehension that morning.
When the Disciples Faced a Shortage
The disciples were often also mistrusting and unbelieving. Jesus was teaching a large crowd about the Kingdom of God and healing the sick in a remote, desolate area. As the sun began to set, the disciples urged Jesus to send the crowd away so the people could buy food for themselves in nearby villages.
Jesus surprised them with a direct instruction: "You give them something to eat."
The disciples could not make sense of Jesus’ math. Even if nearby markets were open, they lacked the financial means to feed a crowd that easily numbered fifteen to twenty thousand people. While they may not have shed physical tears like a five-year-old on a bus, they certainly struggled with confusion and uncertainty about what Jesus was asking them to do.
The Surplus of Kingdom Addition
What the disciples failed to see in that moment was that Jesus was not limited by human resources. When we walk with Christ, He asks us to trust Him before we fully understand His plan.
Sometimes Kingdom math asks us to deny ourselves, delay our expectations, or share what little we have; making it feel like God is subtracting or dividing our resources. But whenever we yield our lives and are obedient to Him, Jesus transforms our human math. He turns our perceived loss into divine addition and multiplication, ensuring that our needs are always abundantly met. Another truth is that He has already secured the way for the destination home. If my auntie were to read this story, I am sure that she will roll her eyes at me even today.
Thought for the Day: Kingdom math doesn't require us to figure out the solution; it simply requires us to trust the One who holds the answer.
Blessings,
Pastor Zhivago Adderley
A Child’s Confusion Over Bus Fare
I can still vividly remember when I was about five years old, being in the company of one of my aunts who had the responsibility of keeping me safe as we rode the school bus together. This aunt is about twelve years older than me. The bus fare to and from school was thirty cents each way. For some reason, she asked me to use my one-dollar bill to pay for her morning fare, promising she would pay for mine in the afternoon.
In my child’s mind, I expected seventy cents back in change. Instead, the bus driver handed me forty cents. Tears of disappointment began to flow down my face because I simply did not understand what had happened. My sobbing grew even louder as my aunt tried to explain that my fare for the return trip was already accounted for. Adding to my frustration was a simple truth: at five years old, I did not yet fully know how to trust the word of my seventeen-year-old aunt. She was so annoyed with my lack of comprehension that morning.
When the Disciples Faced a Shortage
The disciples were often also mistrusting and unbelieving. Jesus was teaching a large crowd about the Kingdom of God and healing the sick in a remote, desolate area. As the sun began to set, the disciples urged Jesus to send the crowd away so the people could buy food for themselves in nearby villages.
Jesus surprised them with a direct instruction: "You give them something to eat."
The disciples could not make sense of Jesus’ math. Even if nearby markets were open, they lacked the financial means to feed a crowd that easily numbered fifteen to twenty thousand people. While they may not have shed physical tears like a five-year-old on a bus, they certainly struggled with confusion and uncertainty about what Jesus was asking them to do.
The Surplus of Kingdom Addition
What the disciples failed to see in that moment was that Jesus was not limited by human resources. When we walk with Christ, He asks us to trust Him before we fully understand His plan.
Sometimes Kingdom math asks us to deny ourselves, delay our expectations, or share what little we have; making it feel like God is subtracting or dividing our resources. But whenever we yield our lives and are obedient to Him, Jesus transforms our human math. He turns our perceived loss into divine addition and multiplication, ensuring that our needs are always abundantly met. Another truth is that He has already secured the way for the destination home. If my auntie were to read this story, I am sure that she will roll her eyes at me even today.
Thought for the Day: Kingdom math doesn't require us to figure out the solution; it simply requires us to trust the One who holds the answer.
Blessings,
Pastor Zhivago Adderley
Recent
Archive
2026
January
February
March
May
June
August
2025
Categories
no categories
No Comments