There have been many heroes that were young boys. As I ran references for this on the internet, I found that many young boys were known for great things, but all of them were named. The beauty of the little boy we will look at today is his desire to help yet he sought to receive no public accolades.
In John chapter 6, we find Jesus on a hillside preaching to thousands. He had gone to the mountain to be with His disciples. It was almost time for the Passover, but now he finds Himself surrounded by those seeking Him. It is getting late in the day, and everyone is getting hungry. In other passages, the disciples want to send them away, but Jesus has a better plan. In verse 6, Jesus already knew what He was going to do.
John 6:3-6 “And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.”
In verse 7 Philp tells Jesus they do not have enough money to buy food for all the crowd that are present. “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.” Then Andrew speaks up, “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” This young boy brought his lunch to be shared. His mom had probably made his lunch that morning and sent him on his way, but we do know he had a quest to see this man Jesus. He had followed Him with the rest of the crowd. He must have mingled with the disciples at some point because Andrew knew what he had in his lunch.
John 6:8-9 “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?”
Jesus had the men sit, and he took the boy’s lunch and fed everyone there. We know there were 5000 men, but we could easily double or triple that number because of wives and children. After everyone had eaten, Jesus told the disciples to take up the leftovers. Nothing was to be wasted. When they finished, they had much more than they had begun with. There were 12 baskets filled with leftovers.
John 6:10-13 “And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.”
While we have the facts in scripture, there is so much more we can glean from this passage. Think with me for a moment. Jesus asks the boy for all that he has. The boy willingly gives it to Him. He could have said no and kept it for himself. He could have given Jesus a part of his lunch but willingly gave all.
Because of his obedience, he had a front-row seat to one of the greatest miracles recorded for us in the Bible. Can you imagine the story he told when he returned home? This child could tell the story with excitement because he had experienced it. It was not hearsay. It was a personal experience. He understood that Jesus can do all things.
He had a heart of generosity, willing to share what God had blessed him with. Most kids I know would have selfishly said, “No, this is my lunch.” They, like many adults, can not see past their own desires and needs. He was not giving to gain accolades. He felt honored to have something Jesus could use. Yet, I have often wondered how many of those people found him and thanked him for giving Jesus his lunch.
Where do you fit in this story? God wants us to have the same attitude and actions as this unnamed hero, He wants us give our hearts, minds, and souls to Him. We must take our hands off the control switch and learn to trust and obey. Do you believe with all your heart that Jesus has the power to use us for His glory whenever and however He chooses? Do you have a generous heart to meet the needs of others, or do you figure out how much you can do or give after you’ve done what you want desire to do? Are you legalistic in your giving, you give your 10%, which is a tithe, and do not pray about doing more? Can you tell Jesus’ story with excitement and conviction, convincing others of who He is, not because you have read it but because you have experienced it?
When we serve God with open hands instead of a closed fist, we will experience His presence and power as we could never have imagined. We also will have stories to tell that seem impossible to others, but to us, they are realities.
