Were the disciples faithful followers, or fallible failures? The answer may shock you.. We can have a visceral reaction to want to protect the character of the 12 disciples. However, a true reading of the Gospels reveals that these men failed constantly on their way to becoming faithful followers of Jesus.
In the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, the disciples are shown to be initially very practical. When Jesus told them to feed the people, they were perplexed. They were perplexed because they knew the level of their supply was not nearly enough to fill the need. Put another way, there wasn’t enough in their cup to fill everyone else’s cup.
Andrew offered 5 small loaves and 2 small fish that were available. This created the dynamic for a very teachable moment for the disciples to experience. Simply stated, you are not responsible for filling everyone’s cup (or basket) only for pouring out what’s in yours.
Jesus then tells the disciples to have the multitude of people sit down in groups of 50. They had no idea that he was about to perform the miracles of feeding the five thousand. This meant that their preparation for the miracle was an expression of faith in Jesus' ability to do the miracle.
When we hesitate and shrink back from the call God has placed on our lives it is most often because we feel inadequate, ill-equipped, and insecure. What we learn from the disciples is that we are not responsible for filling the cups of others. Only Jesus can do that. We are, however, responsible for pouring our cup out. As Andrew offered the meager rations of bread and fish, so we may offer our cup to be poured out. In spite of everything, the disciples helped prepare the people to receive the miracle. In the same way, our faith is at work when we prepare for what Jesus is going to do. You are called to give a reason for the hope we have to others! You are never responsible for filling someone else’s cup, but you are always responsible for pouring yours out.