Lessons ~ Jesus Feeding the Five Thousandနမူနာ

Lessons From The Lad

The disciples were asked to go around and find out how much food was available.  They would have asked the crowds.  No one in the crowd had food or no one volunteered to give, except this little lad (Mark 6:38).  Andrew was the one who met the boy and brought him to Jesus.  He might have expressed the same doubt about the amount of food compared to the need to the boy too.  Andrew expressed his doubt to Jesus.  Yet the boy insisted that he gives what he had to Jesus.  What are the lessons that we can learn here?

There are five principles of giving and importance of children that I can see here.

1.  This boy has been listening to the teaching of our Lord the whole day and faith had been born in him.  He had placed his trust in Jesus (Romans 10:17).  So, when he heard that Jesus had asked to find out if there was food available, he did not hesitate but he willingly offered (II Corinthians 8:1-3).  Faith in Jesus must result in a heart to give. If giving is not happening in our lives then let’s not claim to have to have faith in Jesus.  

2.  Children can definitely understand and children can definitely take their own independent step of faith in Jesus.  We should never assume that children will not understand. God saw that little Samuel would understand His message (I Samuel 3:10).  Jesus was speaking to an adult audience but the little lad understood and faith was born in him.  How wonderfully the Lord would have taught for the little lad to have grasped the teaching, resulting in the birth of faith proved by his giving.  

3.  The boy was willing to give all that he had. The poor widow gave her all (Mark 12:43-44).  We must always see all that we have is not ours to hold, to hoard and consider as our safety. We must see all that we have as a steward to be made available for the kingdom of God.  We need to be good and faithful in our stewardship over all that God has entrusted to us (Matthew 25:21, 23).  

4.  The little lad did not look at the little that he had and compare it against the need; rather his eyes were on Jesus.  He had placed his trust on Jesus.  The disciples were not seeing Jesus but were doing the comparison.  As long we keep working out the comparisons in life, we will never understand and experience faith in Jesus.  This is why we need children amongst us as they teach us the purest form of faith (Hebrews 12:2, 11:1).  We are indebted to children and that is why we care for them so that the kingdom qualities of the child are not lost. If children today are losing kingdom qualities then maybe it is us, adults, who need to be disciplined.  

5.  As he gave his food to Jesus, he witnessed close up and first hand one of the greatest of miracles. When we learn to give away, we too will witness, close up and first hand, God's great miracles.  I imagine the lad going home and telling the story over and over again. What excitement, what joy!!  

Today, many of our lives are dry, jaded, cynical, sceptical and distrustful because we are not experiencing first hand and close range the amazing ways of God. We are not experiencing the release of God in our lives because our faith is not like that of a child (Luke 19:8-10).  

Thought to ponder

Homes are the laboratories, where lessons of faith in Jesus are taught and experienced, releasing us for His service.  

I see the Lord using the little lad as the centre piece to teach precious lessons to His disciples. Did they learn? Are we learning?