Be the Difference

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 28th of June, 2026.  If all went well, a recording of the service may be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams for the older services or https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch3115/streams for later services.]

Did you ever see the movie “Caddy Shack”?  In it, the golf pro character played by Chevy Chase coaches a player to “be the ball”.  It’s a Zen-like statement the way it’s made in the movie, where the player is to see himself as the golf ball as it rolls toward the cup, guiding it in.

Of course, we can only be the ball in our imagination, but there a number of things in life that we can be.  We can be a leader.  We can be a role model.  We can be an instructor or a mentor or a best friend.  We can make a difference in someone else’s life.  And it may require very little of us.

On one of His visits to Jerusalem, Jesus stopped by the pool called Bethesda.  This was the place where a large number of sick people waited – the lame, the blind, the afflicted.  Legend had it that an angel would stir the waters, and the first one in the pool when that happened would be healed.  So the sick waited, and when the waters roiled, they all struggled to get in it first.

Jesus found a man there who had waited the longest.  And He healed him.  Now, this was on the Sabbath, when any labor, even that of healing someone, was not allowed.  So the Pharisees jumped into action, questioning the man, and then accusing Jesus.  This is all too familiar – Jesus performing a miracle and the Jewish religious leaders attacking Him for it.

Well, there was one time when we aren’t told of any repercussions to Jesus’ actions, and it occurred right after the incident at the pool.  Please listen and follow along as the Apostle John relates just one of the many miracles Jesus performed, as recorded in verses 1 through 14 of the 6th chapter of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 After these things Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great crowd followed Him, because they saw His signs which He did for the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountain, and He sat there with His disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming to Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for each of them to receive but a little.”

8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are they among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, numbering about five thousand. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; and likewise, they distributed the fish, as much as they wanted.

12 When they were filled, He told His disciples, “Collect the fragments that remain, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

14 When those men saw the sign which He had done, they then said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

--John 6:1-14 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to make the greatest difference in our lives.  We could never be completely forgiven of our sin on our own.  Only through Jesus may we find salvation.  Thank You for having mercy on us.  Father, we know that both You and Jesus command us to love others, all others.  But we struggle to do so.  Too often we let our emotions overcome us and hatred enters our hearts.  So we thank You all the more, Father, for still forgiving us even when we lapse.  Please help us stay on the path of righteousness.  Remind us that Jesus came to make a difference and He left us with the command to do the same.  Help us be more like Him in our daily walk.  This we pray in the beautiful name of our Lord Jesus.   Amen.

In his book, The Americanization of Edward Bok, Edward Bok, one-time editor of the Ladies' Home Journal, tells a story about his grandfather, who lived in Denmark. It seems the grandfather had been commissioned by the King of Denmark to lead a band of soldiers against pirates who were playing havoc with shipping along a certain coastal area. The elder Bok set up his headquarters on a lonely, rocky, desolate island just off the coast, and after a few years was able to clear the pirates out of the area.

Upon returning to the mainland Bok reported to the King. The King was very pleased and offered Bok anything he wanted. All he wanted, he told the King, was a plot of land on the island where he had just lived and fought for so many months. They told him the island was barren. Why would he want to live there? "I want to plant trees," was Bok's reply. "I want to make the island beautiful." The King's aides thought he was crazy. The island was constantly swept by storms and high winds. He would never be able to get a tree to grow there.

Bok, however, insisted, and the King granted him his wish. He went to live on the island, built a home, and finally was able to bring his wife to it. For years, they worked industriously, persistently, planting trees, shrubs, grass. Gradually the vegetation took hold, the island began to flourish. One morning they arose to hear birds singing. There had never been any birds on the island before.

Eventually the island became a showplace and now is visited by thousands of tourists each year. When he died the grandfather requested that the following words be inscribed on his tombstone: "Make you the world a bit more beautiful and better because you have been on it."

Success, first and foremost, requires attempt, and oftentimes repeated attempts.  We’ll never know what we can achieve if we don’t try.  We’ll never reach great heights if we don’t aim high.  We’ll never know how many souls we might help lead to Jesus if we’re too afraid, timid, or shy to share our witness with others.  Making a difference requires action, not wishful thinking.

Our scripture reading this morning is the Apostle John’s version of the event we call the Feeding of the Five Thousand.  Now, note that Jesus told the disciples to “Make the people sit down”, but that John reported “So the men sat down”.  All four of the Gospel writers said basically the same thing, that five thousand men sat down and ate.

But were only men present that day?  Matthew specifically states that, “Those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.”  So there were also women and children present, and they ate, too.  I’m sure not all men brought the wife and kids along, but still there was probably close to ten thousand souls that enjoyed a meal thanks to that boy and his meager offering.

Of the four Gospel writers, only John and Matthew actually walked with Jesus and witnessed His actions,   While Matthew included one detail the others left out, John did, too.  John is the only one to let us know that the two small fish and the five barley loaves came from a boy there in the crowd, one of the uncounted children.  He was probably a local and I bet that was the meal for his family.  Yet he willingly offered what little he had.  And look what Jesus did with it!

A boy, whose name we’ll never know, put what little he had in the hands of Jesus, and over five thousand people were fed.  He made a difference not by what he had, not by what he brought with him, but by what he did.  Jesus was able to take what the boy offered and multiplied it to where there was more than needed, more than just enough.  It’s not what we have to offer than makes a difference, it’s the simple act of offering it.

The Apostle Matthew recorded Jesus as He began His greatest, most important sermon, His Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus opened the sermon with what we call The Beatitudes, which I think we can treat as a good way to start making a difference.  Please hear what Matthew recorded for us in the first 12 verses of the 5th chapter of his Gospel account…

1 Now seeing the crowds, He went up on a mountain. And when He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

2 And He began speaking and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they shall be called the sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be very glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

--Matthew 5:1-12 (MEV)

All these blessings come from our service to Jesus.  By our faith, we believe in Him, and by our belief, we serve Him.  Our service may result in our persecution, for there are people who hate the truth, who hide from the light.  Our spirits may weaken for a bit.  We may hunger and thirst for God’s comforting touch.  But we will be blessed.  And we will inherit heaven.

The young boy only had five loaves of barley bread and two small fish, yet he offered them up to help feed the people.  He only had a little, but he was willing to give it all.  In Jesus' hands, that little became more than enough.  Even if we can only do a little, only give a little of ourselves, in Jesus' hands, our little can become more than enough.

This Independence Day, let's begin not only making a difference in the world around us, let's be the difference.  Help put an end to all the hateful, hate-filled rhetoric that is splitting our nation apart.  Replace hate with love.  Replace violence with service.  Let's make the world a bit more beautiful and better because we've been in it.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for all the lessons saved for us in our bible.  You inspired the men and women who recorded Your words, and the words and actions of Your Son and His followers.  Sadly though, Father, we don’t spend as much time reading and studying our bible as we could, as we should.  Please remind us that this is our book of basic instructions before leaving earth.  It is important for us to learn the lessons within its pages.  Please help us understand its words and meanings.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment so that each of us can speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your and our Lord’s commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us that no matter what or how little we have to offer, You can make great use of it.  All we have to do it give it to You, give of ourselves in Your service, and You’ll do the rest.  Thank You for again showing us that sometimes love requires a measure of sacrifice.  We know that we struggle to love all others, and find it most difficult to love the people who hate us.  

We also struggle to approach people and tell them about You and all You have done.  Please help us be a witness of Your love and mercy.  Please help us follow Your example of impartial love, loving as You love, loving selflessly, unconditionally, sacrificially.  Help us show Your love and God’s love as we reach out to others, sharing Your words and Your works, telling them all about You.  Help us carry out the mission You gave us, seeking the lost sheep and leading them to You.

Holy Spirit, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  All this we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.