The boy's mind was made
up. He had heard that Jesus was coming to town. Somehow, today he would get
close to Jesus. He had heard of wonderful things - people had been healed of
all kinds of afflictions and diseases. The blind could see, the deaf hear and
the dumb speak. The lame could walk and the lepers were cleansed. "Surely
Jesus can heal me too," he thought. It would take a long time to work his
way into Jesus' presence. But he was determined to get there, whatever happened
- he had to!
His mother, a poor fisherman's wife, packed him a simple lunch. She tied it in a piece of cloth, which he hung from his belt, and anxiously watched him go.
The boy had heard Jesus was going to teach at the lakeside. He painfully hobbled his way there, but disappointment awaited him. There was a big crowd there and he heard people talking - Jesus would not be teaching or healing today. Early morning, the news had come in that King Herod had had John the Baptist beheaded. Everyone was shocked. John's disciples had told Jesus when he had come to town and he had been very grieved. John was his cousin, after all.
All kinds of rumours were floating around. Some said one thing, some said another. John had baptized Jesus in the Jordan river. Some people said that when Jesus came out of the water, a dove had come fluttering down on his head and a voice had spoken from heaven. They said it was the voice of God! Others said it was only the sound of thunder. John had called Jesus the Lamb of God. But they all agreed that Jesus had power over all kinds of sicknesses and diseases. Even evil spirits obeyed him and came out of people when he commanded them!
But now they could not see him. He had got into a boat with his disciples and gone away, no one knew where. The people considered what to do. Many were desperate like him. They guessed he must have gone to the hills in the distance. He often went to the hills to get away from the crowds. They decided to go there on foot. Some began to run, others followed more slowly. The boy joined the throng. As long as there was hope, he would not give up.
As they passed other towns and villages, more people joined them. Around noon, many stopped by the wayside to eat, but the boy did not. He was afraid that if he fell too far behind, he would not be able to get near Jesus at all. He had heard that Jesus did not stay in any town for long, but traveled from place to place. He may never get another chance. He stumbled on, ignoring both pain and hunger, stopping only once or twice at a stream to drink.
Late in the afternoon, he saw a crowd on a hillside in the distance. As he approached, he heard shouts - people were calling out Jesus' name. Some called him Son of David, another name for Messiah, or Saviour. With renewed hope, he began pushing through the crowd. Soon the sounds changed to cries of joy of people who had been healed.
By the time the boy got close to Jesus, it was getting dark. He was exhausted, his body racked with pain. As he struggled to reach Jesus, he stumbled and fell. He felt a firm, but gentle hand grasp his arm and lift him up. He looked up into a face full of love and compassion. As he gazed into those wonderful eyes, all the pain and tiredness drained out of him. He was filled with a strange peace.
As he got to his feet, his legs felt strange. He looked down and saw an unfamiliar, but wonderful sight. His feet... they were no longer deformed. They were normal, like everyone else, as if they had always been that way! He was healed - in fact, he had been made new! There would be no more pain, no more hobbling around. No more cruel remarks from other children or pitying looks from older people. He could now help his father to fish. He could run, jump and climb, just like other boys.
Joy, love and gratitude overflowed from his heart. His lips poured out spontaneous words of praise and thanksgiving. He wanted to hold on to Jesus and stay by his side, but others were jostling him as they tried to get near Jesus. He stepped back and looked around and saw Andrew with the other disciples of Jesus. He had a kind, approachable face, so he drew near. It was late and the disciples were talking about sending the crowds away to buy food. They approached Jesus and he heard him say, "You give them something to eat." They seemed taken aback. He heard snatches of their conversation. They had no food, nor did they have enough money to buy any. Besides, the nearest town was miles away. How did Jesus expect them to feed this great multitude? There were thousands of them!
He looked at Jesus, exhausted and spent, and tears came to his eyes. This wonderful man of God had been helping people all day and now he was tired and hungry. He wished he could do something to help him. Just then he heard Jesus say, "What have you got?"
Suddenly, he remembered his uneaten lunch hanging from his belt. He quickly untied it and caught at Andrew's sleeve. "I have some food. I know it is not much, but it is all I have. Please give it to the Master." Andrew took him to Jesus. "Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish," he said. "But how far will they go among so many?"
Jesus looked at the boy and saw the eagerness and love in his eyes. He smiled and took the food from his hands. Then he looked up to heaven and thanked God for the food. He called his disciples to him, broke the bread and fish and distributed it among the twelve. He told them to get the people to sit down in orderly groups and distribute the food among them. The boy listened bewildered. What did Jesus mean? It was only one small meal - no more than fifteen or twenty mouthfuls!
The disciples looked at the food in their hands. Each was now holding the original amount. When Jesus had divided the food among them, it had not diminished. They looked at Jesus' calm and confident face. Then they turned and did as he commanded. One of them asked the boy to sit down with a group. Wide eyed, he watched as they began to distribute the food among the people. As they handed it out, they had more in their hands. Someone handed him his share and he stared at it, amazed. It was more than enough to fill him! Some people came forward to help. The disciples handed them some food and asked them to pass it on. In their hands, too, the food increased as it was given out.
Soon they had all eaten their fill. Jesus asked his disciples to collect the leftover pieces, so that nothing should be wasted. The boy watched amazed, as each disciple returned with a basketful of food. Twelve baskets of leftover pieces of bread and fish! He heard someone say there were about five thousand men there, not counting the women and children.
The boy thought about what he had just seen and experienced and was filled with an inexpressible joy. True, the healing of his feet was a miracle, but he had come expecting that. This however, was beyond anything he could ever have thought or imagined! Surely Jesus was the Son of the living God - nothing else could account for this tremendous miracle! And what a marvelous privilege he had been given! Jesus had taken his meager offering given out of love, and miraculously multiplied it to abundantly feed thousands of hungry people. He couldn't understand it, yet it was true!
Jesus and the disciples were sending the people away. He made his way back to Jesus, fell to his knees and kissed his hand. Then he rose and turned to join the crowd as they started homeward.
Jesus watched the boy's retreating back. Every now and then, he would run and give a joyful leap. He smiled. "Yes, my son, there is joy in your heart today", he said softly. "But you don't know… you cannot even begin to imagine the joy and reward that is waiting for you in heaven. Your little act of selfless giving will be told to generation after generation of people over the centuries. Countless millions will be encouraged and inspired to give freely of the little that they have for the love of me. Yes, my son, your five loaves and two fish will go on multiplying from now till the end of the age."
(This story is imaginary, but based on facts in the Bible. The circumstances surrounding this story have been gleaned and put together from all the four Gospels.)
His mother, a poor fisherman's wife, packed him a simple lunch. She tied it in a piece of cloth, which he hung from his belt, and anxiously watched him go.
The boy had heard Jesus was going to teach at the lakeside. He painfully hobbled his way there, but disappointment awaited him. There was a big crowd there and he heard people talking - Jesus would not be teaching or healing today. Early morning, the news had come in that King Herod had had John the Baptist beheaded. Everyone was shocked. John's disciples had told Jesus when he had come to town and he had been very grieved. John was his cousin, after all.
All kinds of rumours were floating around. Some said one thing, some said another. John had baptized Jesus in the Jordan river. Some people said that when Jesus came out of the water, a dove had come fluttering down on his head and a voice had spoken from heaven. They said it was the voice of God! Others said it was only the sound of thunder. John had called Jesus the Lamb of God. But they all agreed that Jesus had power over all kinds of sicknesses and diseases. Even evil spirits obeyed him and came out of people when he commanded them!
But now they could not see him. He had got into a boat with his disciples and gone away, no one knew where. The people considered what to do. Many were desperate like him. They guessed he must have gone to the hills in the distance. He often went to the hills to get away from the crowds. They decided to go there on foot. Some began to run, others followed more slowly. The boy joined the throng. As long as there was hope, he would not give up.
As they passed other towns and villages, more people joined them. Around noon, many stopped by the wayside to eat, but the boy did not. He was afraid that if he fell too far behind, he would not be able to get near Jesus at all. He had heard that Jesus did not stay in any town for long, but traveled from place to place. He may never get another chance. He stumbled on, ignoring both pain and hunger, stopping only once or twice at a stream to drink.
Late in the afternoon, he saw a crowd on a hillside in the distance. As he approached, he heard shouts - people were calling out Jesus' name. Some called him Son of David, another name for Messiah, or Saviour. With renewed hope, he began pushing through the crowd. Soon the sounds changed to cries of joy of people who had been healed.
By the time the boy got close to Jesus, it was getting dark. He was exhausted, his body racked with pain. As he struggled to reach Jesus, he stumbled and fell. He felt a firm, but gentle hand grasp his arm and lift him up. He looked up into a face full of love and compassion. As he gazed into those wonderful eyes, all the pain and tiredness drained out of him. He was filled with a strange peace.
As he got to his feet, his legs felt strange. He looked down and saw an unfamiliar, but wonderful sight. His feet... they were no longer deformed. They were normal, like everyone else, as if they had always been that way! He was healed - in fact, he had been made new! There would be no more pain, no more hobbling around. No more cruel remarks from other children or pitying looks from older people. He could now help his father to fish. He could run, jump and climb, just like other boys.
Joy, love and gratitude overflowed from his heart. His lips poured out spontaneous words of praise and thanksgiving. He wanted to hold on to Jesus and stay by his side, but others were jostling him as they tried to get near Jesus. He stepped back and looked around and saw Andrew with the other disciples of Jesus. He had a kind, approachable face, so he drew near. It was late and the disciples were talking about sending the crowds away to buy food. They approached Jesus and he heard him say, "You give them something to eat." They seemed taken aback. He heard snatches of their conversation. They had no food, nor did they have enough money to buy any. Besides, the nearest town was miles away. How did Jesus expect them to feed this great multitude? There were thousands of them!
He looked at Jesus, exhausted and spent, and tears came to his eyes. This wonderful man of God had been helping people all day and now he was tired and hungry. He wished he could do something to help him. Just then he heard Jesus say, "What have you got?"
Suddenly, he remembered his uneaten lunch hanging from his belt. He quickly untied it and caught at Andrew's sleeve. "I have some food. I know it is not much, but it is all I have. Please give it to the Master." Andrew took him to Jesus. "Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish," he said. "But how far will they go among so many?"
Jesus looked at the boy and saw the eagerness and love in his eyes. He smiled and took the food from his hands. Then he looked up to heaven and thanked God for the food. He called his disciples to him, broke the bread and fish and distributed it among the twelve. He told them to get the people to sit down in orderly groups and distribute the food among them. The boy listened bewildered. What did Jesus mean? It was only one small meal - no more than fifteen or twenty mouthfuls!
The disciples looked at the food in their hands. Each was now holding the original amount. When Jesus had divided the food among them, it had not diminished. They looked at Jesus' calm and confident face. Then they turned and did as he commanded. One of them asked the boy to sit down with a group. Wide eyed, he watched as they began to distribute the food among the people. As they handed it out, they had more in their hands. Someone handed him his share and he stared at it, amazed. It was more than enough to fill him! Some people came forward to help. The disciples handed them some food and asked them to pass it on. In their hands, too, the food increased as it was given out.
Soon they had all eaten their fill. Jesus asked his disciples to collect the leftover pieces, so that nothing should be wasted. The boy watched amazed, as each disciple returned with a basketful of food. Twelve baskets of leftover pieces of bread and fish! He heard someone say there were about five thousand men there, not counting the women and children.
The boy thought about what he had just seen and experienced and was filled with an inexpressible joy. True, the healing of his feet was a miracle, but he had come expecting that. This however, was beyond anything he could ever have thought or imagined! Surely Jesus was the Son of the living God - nothing else could account for this tremendous miracle! And what a marvelous privilege he had been given! Jesus had taken his meager offering given out of love, and miraculously multiplied it to abundantly feed thousands of hungry people. He couldn't understand it, yet it was true!
Jesus and the disciples were sending the people away. He made his way back to Jesus, fell to his knees and kissed his hand. Then he rose and turned to join the crowd as they started homeward.
Jesus watched the boy's retreating back. Every now and then, he would run and give a joyful leap. He smiled. "Yes, my son, there is joy in your heart today", he said softly. "But you don't know… you cannot even begin to imagine the joy and reward that is waiting for you in heaven. Your little act of selfless giving will be told to generation after generation of people over the centuries. Countless millions will be encouraged and inspired to give freely of the little that they have for the love of me. Yes, my son, your five loaves and two fish will go on multiplying from now till the end of the age."
*****
(This story is imaginary, but based on facts in the Bible. The circumstances surrounding this story have been gleaned and put together from all the four Gospels.)
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