9-1-2022

Good Morning All,

                      John 6:9; “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

     Do you think you could be that boy?  This is the boy in John’s account of Jesus feeding the 5000.  Now remember there were 5000 men so if we add women and children there were probably far more than that.  Yet this boy had his lunch.  His mother probably packed it for him in the morning before he left the house.  It wasn’t much of a lunch.  Judging from the lunch, he was probably poor as barley was the least desirable of the grain to make into flour then into bread.  These loaves would have been more like biscuits.  The fish would have been small, probably not much bigger than sardines.  It wasn’t much of a meal, but it was all he had, and he was hungry.  Everyone was hungry.

    The disciples were perplexed.  There were so many people, it was getting to be suppertime and all these people needed to eat.  They were in the middle of nowhere so sending the people away was a tough action but looked like the best.  Some could go home and maybe invite one or two with them.  They didn’t have anywhere near enough money to buy food and besides, they were tired and just wanted to rest.  Everyone was hungry, what do we do?

     Then, to top it all off, Jesus told the disciples “you give them something to eat.”  Now the scramble was on.  Scriptures doesn’t tell us much about this part of the story.  The disciples found a young boy with five barley loaves and two small fish.  We are not told if they found more food but no one else would share their food.  We are not told if there were a few who had food but, well, “it was a private party.”  We aren’t even told much about the boy.  Did the disciples ask him for the food, or did he offer it to them?  Did the disciples go through the crowd asking anyone there for food?  Did anyone believe that any food they had would matter anyway?  It looks like the boy did.

    This boy gave what he had to God.  I want to be like that boy.  I want to give to God what I have; not holding back enough for me first; not looking around and deciding it isn’t enough anyway so I might as well keep it.  I want to be that boy because we can learn one thing from this boy that is certain; when you give your all to God, no matter how small, God will use it to accomplish wonders beyond our wildest dreams.  I want to be that boy.  Maybe I get asked to help and maybe I offer to help but I want to be that boy and have strong enough faith to trust God totally with all that I have; knowing that He will provide for me in all things.  I want to be that boy.

Father, you give us so much in this life that we cannot comprehend and too often we hold back.  Strengthen our faith that we may give our all to you, knowing that, in your loving arms, we have complete security.  Lead us to see that true peace is found not in things but in your tender mercy.  Guide us to be your children, looking to you for all our needs and wants.  Build up our faith Lord that we will always look to you with certainty that you will provide for us.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret