Lost lunch.
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"… (John 6:5-9 NIV)
This young lad was determined and prepared. He wanted to encounter Jesus; even at this young age he knew that there was more to life and hearing about Jesus he suspected that somehow this man held the answer. He gave up a day’s wage to find out.
Wanting nothing to hinder him, he woke up early and prepared himself a packed lunch; even if he got hungry he would still be able to follow Jesus, he would not let Jesus get away from him. The day went on and on, he had been slowly moving through the crowd closer and closer to Jesus. People had left and others had joined until 5000 people remained, more people that he had ever seen before in life, but then all of a sudden there he was – Jesus! The boy’s heart was beating, pounding away in his chest, and then he heard a question. His rumbling stomach became a distant whisper in comparison to the question uttered by Jesus which now resounded in his ears: “How shall we feed these people?”
Full of naivety he offered his lunch. He knew that this was only enough for him and perhaps one other, there was no way it would feed 5000, but he offered it nonetheless. In offering his lunch the boy was not expecting a miracle, in fact he was expecting to lose his lunch. All he wanted to do was please Jesus, even if it meant that he would go hungry; he was willing to give up the very resource that would keep him going because he heard Jesus ask for it.
… Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (John 6:10-13 NIV)
This boy gave expecting to lose everything; he did not expect to eat his fill and then have leftovers! What about you, how do you give? Do you give expecting something in return? Do you put money into the offering each Sunday expecting God to bless you in someway as a result? What would you do if God promised to give you nothing in return for your offering? Would you still give it? Would you give it gladly? Would you give it generously?
Consider the cross in your response.
Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"… (John 6:5-9 NIV)
This young lad was determined and prepared. He wanted to encounter Jesus; even at this young age he knew that there was more to life and hearing about Jesus he suspected that somehow this man held the answer. He gave up a day’s wage to find out.Wanting nothing to hinder him, he woke up early and prepared himself a packed lunch; even if he got hungry he would still be able to follow Jesus, he would not let Jesus get away from him. The day went on and on, he had been slowly moving through the crowd closer and closer to Jesus. People had left and others had joined until 5000 people remained, more people that he had ever seen before in life, but then all of a sudden there he was – Jesus! The boy’s heart was beating, pounding away in his chest, and then he heard a question. His rumbling stomach became a distant whisper in comparison to the question uttered by Jesus which now resounded in his ears: “How shall we feed these people?”
Full of naivety he offered his lunch. He knew that this was only enough for him and perhaps one other, there was no way it would feed 5000, but he offered it nonetheless. In offering his lunch the boy was not expecting a miracle, in fact he was expecting to lose his lunch. All he wanted to do was please Jesus, even if it meant that he would go hungry; he was willing to give up the very resource that would keep him going because he heard Jesus ask for it.
… Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (John 6:10-13 NIV)
This boy gave expecting to lose everything; he did not expect to eat his fill and then have leftovers! What about you, how do you give? Do you give expecting something in return? Do you put money into the offering each Sunday expecting God to bless you in someway as a result? What would you do if God promised to give you nothing in return for your offering? Would you still give it? Would you give it gladly? Would you give it generously?
Consider the cross in your response.
-Andrew Carey
posted by Andrew at 10:14 am
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