Small Parts in a BIG story with Huge Influence
I have been reflecting lately on the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Especially, the account of the event found in the Gospel according to John, chapter 6. The gospel of John gives some insight into the miracle, that we often overlook, but it holds such a great message for all of us who have ever felt like we don’t have much to offer.
In John 6, beginning in verse 6, Jesus asks His disciple Philip where they would buy the food necessary to feed crowd. It is recorded to be 5,000 men, but at that time, records were not necessarily strong when it came to women and children, so it could possibly be anywhere between 8,000–13,000 people present, which makes the miracle even more incredible. Philip had no clue and declared how much money it would take to feed the people.
Then, Andrew, another disciple, points out a boy with “five small barley loaves and two small fish”. In that moment, something small, becomes a huge influence in the lives of thousands, which carries so much weight for a Big story being painted for us.
I’m not going to focus on the miracle, but I would be missing something if I didn’t remind us of how awesome Jesus is in providing for His creation.
I am not going to focus on the disciples. Although, their inability to grasp the power of Jesus, and question as to how tasks that seem impossible, were always possible with Him.
So, what, or who, am I going to focus on?
The boy.
The boy with small loaves of bread and two fish, that Jesus used to multiply and change the lives of a multitude of people.
This boy’s life was most likely changes as well.
Think about it. This young boy was not expecting anything spectacular that day. He had his lunch with him, most likely prepared by his mom, but who knows really. Then, suddenly, Andrew takes it from him to hand to Jesus and a miracle occurs.
Imagine what this boy did after the event! Do you think he walked away grumbling over his lunch being taken? Do you think he was frustrated that he couldn’t eat his own meal in peace?
I highly doubt it!
I can only imagine, mainly because I was a little boy once, that this boy ran home telling his friends and family about Jesus using his little bit, to feed everyone! I bet he jumped up in the air, ecstatic, realizing that the One sent by God, used his small portion to change the lives of the entire world (remember, he’s a young boy, over 5,000 people is like the entire world to him)!
You see, this little boy was used for something great, by Jesus, for Jesus’ glory. Yet, if it wasn’t for his small loaves of bread and a couple fish, the miracle wouldn’t have occurred, at least not the way it’s recorded now.
Again, it’s all about Jesus’ glory shining bright through the action, but the boy was used.
This small character, with such a small offering, was given value and a huge influence in the story of God.
We don’t know the boy’s name. We don’t know his parents. We don’t know if he ended up a church planter. He could have been a scribe for Paul, who knows?
Does it matter? No.
What Jesus did with his lunch is what matters.
He stepped into his role, and Jesus used it for something powerful.
So many of us, maybe even you reading this, miss out because we don’t think we have enough to offer God. We may even refrain from assisting in the church because we think we our skills are lacking.
You’re mistaken! Look at the boy. You may think your offering is little and not worth much, but Jesus can multiply it and change the world.
In my book, Made For More, I mention a song by Lil’ Wayne. Yes, I’m still a Christian. Anyway, in Lil’ Wayne’s song, “Nightmares of the Bottom”, he has a line that says, “We in the same picture but we all got different poses”. This line has power.
God is waiting for us to make the right pose in His big picture. When we hide our small offering, we miss our pose. When we avoid serving due to our “lack of skill”, we are turning our backs on the photographer.
We need to step into our relationship with Jesus, recognizing our small part, but know that through Him, we can have a huge influence in His big story.
What have you been holding back due to doubt or insecurity? What small talent can you offer to Jesus, so He can multiply it, and change the world?
Look at your loaves and fish, hand them over, and watch lives change through the work of Jesus.
Peace and blessings friends.
