John 6:9 (ESV)
There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
Way to go, Andrew! Good job!
He was grasping at straws with his observation of the little boy’s meal, but at least he was wrestling to see what options were available! I’m thinking Andrew was more of an optimist. Philip, on the other hand, only saw the impossible…a problem that even 6-months’ worth of wages would not solve. Some of us only see the mountains before us, while others assume there must be a way through, even if you can’t see it. Yet.
Which kind of person are you?
In the Talmud—the book of Jewish law—there is a passage where one man said, “There is a fine crop of barley” and another man answered, “Tell it to the horses and donkeys.” Barley was the food of the poor. And what about the two fishes? “While the other Evangelists use the ordinary word for fish (ichthys), John calls them osparia, indicating that they were two small (perhaps salted) fish to be eaten as a relish along with the cakes of barley.” (Bruce) So what Andrew noticed amounted to…nothing much. It was the meager provision of a poor person.
Thankfully, God doesn’t need much to work with. In fact, God doesn’t need anything to work with! He brought everything out of nothing—ex nihilo—and he can do that in our lives, as well. Andrew was walking the fine line between sight and faith. He knew that Jesus was capable of pretty much anything but had already seen and/or heard of him working through the ordinary to do the supernatural. Perhaps he could do something with this poor boy’s lunch? And do something he did. A meal only fit for a peasant, when touched by the love, power, and compassion of Christ, can become an extravaganza capable of feeding 15,000+ people with leftovers!
What ordinary things in your life can the Master use for His glory and your good?
I would encourage you to think in terms of time, talent, and treasure. You may see them as “barley,” but the Lord can turn them into a feast. You may think that you don’t bring much to the table, but God can touch what you bring and use it in multiple ways that you could not imagine…and may not even see. Your old clothes would be a blessing to many. Your spare time could change another person’s life. Your kinds words could alter the day or the destiny of the downtrodden or discouraged. Your abilities could close the gap between nothing and something of great worth. Your spare change could spare another person of some misery. Don’t focus on what you DON’T HAVE…but consider what you DO HAVE…and then consider what GOD CAN DO. What barley and fishes will you lay at the Master’s feet this week?
