Tuesday, 23 February 2021

What is your "two loaves and fish?"

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One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. (John 6:8-11, ESV)

There is one miracle recorded every one of the first four books of the New Testament. If you guessed when Yeshua feeds the 5000, you are correct. While, we have four accounts of it, one of them stands out as the most specific in nature. As we can see in the section of scripture above, John records that it was Andrew who suggested that all the food they had available to them was the boy's 5 loaves and 2 fish.

There are numerous applicable lessons one can draw from this miracle. One of them has to do with this unknown boy who provided the loaves and the fish. He was prepared. He was willing to give. He gave. For whatever, reason, he happened to be the only one among that large group recorded as having been prepared. Scripture reminds us in 2 Timothy 4, we need to be ready in season and out of season. This seems like a time that fits the context of men not tolerating sound doctrine.

He was willing to give up his bit of food. Many of us believe that we are willing to give. Many fewer have and are willing to give when asked. The scripture doesn't say the crowd couldn't buy their own food. And, it wasn't like there weren't needy people elsewhere. The idea that this child was willing to give his food, reminds us that true willingness expresses a lack of reservation.

The actual giving up of the food expressed an act of faith. If you are looking for who had the faith in this scenario, you found him. Having the food and willingness to give may be overlooked. For instance, the boy may have been willing to give up his food, but thought the same as the disciples, what is so little compared to all these people? He didn't. Instead, he gave his food up. That step of faith not only earned him his food back, but spiritually speaking, a great reward.

As we grow deeper into our identity in Yeshua, we are going to be challenged to take steps that don't make any sense. This is not the widow giving all she had. This is the prompting to take those steps that appear meaningless to us in our own wisdom. Instead, part of being who we are supposed to be in Yeshua, means we utilize his wisdom.

When we get to those times, where we have prepared and we are even willing to give, we should, rather than ask what can I do with this, complete the thought and ask what can Yeshua do with this?