The boy sat in the grass. It was itchy and he couldn’t stop fidgeting. His older brother jabbed him with an elbow. “Ow!”

“Shhhh! The Teacher is ready.”

And a holy hush fell over the crowd of thousands. The Teacher stood close enough for the boy to reach out and touch the tassels. But he didn’t dare.

Minutes turned to hours, and then more hours, but the Teacher kept going, and the people kept eating up his words. This was the answer to the hunger in the depths of their souls. Golden light backlighted the hills beyond, casting a warm glow on the faces. 

The teacher’s disciplines huddled, whispering to each other. One glanced toward the fading sunlight, another toward Jesus. Finally, they interrupted the Teacher. He turned.

The boy leaned close to try to catch the conversation, curiosity overpowering the manners his Ima taught him. “No food!” “Send them away?” “They don’t need to.” “Not enough.” “You give them…” His eyes widened as a wild thought danced across his brain. He grabbed his satchel before his brother had a chance to stop him. He brushed his shoulders against the men and extended a package of fish and bread with trembling hands. Andrew was first to see it: “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:8)

The boy locked eyes with the Teacher. There was a playful glimmer in his wink as if to say, Just wait and see!

Jesus took the food, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples to share with the crowd. From the front row to the skeptical critics lingering in the back, all were fed. The disciples wove through the crowd, picking up the leftovers from smiling faces with full bellies. Each disciple looked at one another in amazement, each with a full basket of pieces.

– Story inspired by Scripture: John 6:1-13, Matthew 14:13-21

Reflect and Pray

What is Jesus showing you with this story and these Scriptures today? What does he want you to know? Where are you feeling “not enough?” Sit with the Lord and wait for him to bring something to your mind. Linger. Pray. Process. Lament. Repent. Receive his peace. 

Photo by German Pankovets on Unsplash.