Reading notes week 69 - Packing a lunch to feed a crowd

In John 6, we read the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. As we dig into Scripture, we realize that Jesus fed the masses alot - one account is of 4000 as well as this one of 5000 (and let’s remember, they were only counting the men - not the women and children - that’s a lot of meal prep!!) All four Gospels include this story but John shares a detail that I find very significant.

In verses 8 and 9, we read Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

  The mention is of the lad in Scripture who gave his bread and fish to the disciples so that Jesus could use it to feed the multitudes - we don’t even know the kid’s name - but we do know that Jesus took that little bit of lunch and fed over 5000 people.  With baskets left over. 

My thought on this verse is not even about the lad, though. It is one that I have long encouraged myself with.

  Who packed his lunch. 

Now, to be fair, Scripture doesn't tell us that his Mom packed his lunch.  I realize that.  But let's just allow ourselves a bit of sanctified imagination.  Here is a kid - the Bible refers to him as a "lad" so he most likely would have been less than 12.  There is no mention of a family with him and, since he only had a sack lunch for 1, it's pretty safe to believe he was alone.  (I mean, really, when you pack a picnic, don't you pack the whole family's lunch together?  Even if it's Lunchables, the whole meal is not toted around separately by individual family members!)

  And, let's keep going in that line of thinking - do you really think the "lad" packed his own lunch?  Even if he did (uh, yes, often my kids packed their own.  Please do not call DFACS.  They probably have my number on speed dial anyway!), I'll bet his Mom cooked it.  AND reminded him to take it with him!  Oh yes.

So I believe that  Mom prepared his lunch.  And packed it.  And since he was in the right place at the right time and had a heart that was willing to share and had enough confidence to talk to a grownup so he could offer it to the disciples, I think he had a Mom who trained him well. Yep, I think that behind that nameless lad is a Mom who did a great job at home.  She didn't merit a mention in Scripture.  She doesn't get a bumper sticker that says "My kid gave Jesus his lunch".  And we don't even know for sure she existed.  But I believe with all my heart that she was there, behind the scenes, doing her job, even though nobody noticed.

She packed a lunch.  And fed a crowd.  That's how Jesus operates.  And one day, I think we'll get to see her get rewarded. 

I often need that encouragement and I bet you do, too. It’s tempting to feel insignificant, to feel that I don’t do much of anything important and what I do that might even be noteworthy is not even noticed. Which makes it feel unimportant. When I read John 14:12, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father., I certainly do not feel I qualify!

But the thought of the lad in the story - his willingness to share what little he had - and more specifically, the Mom that raised him, breathes life into my soul. It doesn’t matter that my acts are not valued by the world and actually ignored. What matters is that I take what I have and give it up to Him to do whatever He wants with it.

And that my best work might not be anything I have done but rather who I have raised.

Like the Mom of the unnamed lad in John 6.

Next time you make a PBJ (for the bazillionth time),  remember her.