Unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable, and learn about heaven’s kingdom realm with the wide eyed wonder of a child, you will never be able to enter in. Matthew 18:3 (TPT)
Wide Eyed Wonder – The Meal Series – Part 2
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7
Jesus was having quite a day. His disciples had returned from a mission he had sent them on, he had just heard that his good friend and cousin, John the Baptist and died. And while he was trying to get some time alone to rest and process, the crowds had found and followed him. Five Thousand plus people.
They were hungry for all kinds of things. Healing, peace, answers, love, belonging, freedom… and yes, food.
The disciples wanted Jesus to send them away so they could find something to eat and somewhere to sleep. But Jesus had a better idea.
What better way to end a beautiful and meaningful day than to share food with those involved? What more effective way is there to get to know your neighbour, to break down social and class barriers, to see your friend and foe alike in the same light, than to sit down and eat and drink together. We eat together at wakes and weddings alike. Food was/is sacred in Jewish culture, and for good reason. As it is in many, if not all, cultures.
The people were hungry. Jesus told his disciples that they should feed the people rather than send them off to find food for themselves. They responded with (I would have too), “Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?” (Mark 6:37 MSG). I also would’ve added, “AND, remember that the new season of ‘Better Call Saul' premieres tonight?”
Jesus friends knew that they had no food to feed the people, and to try to track some down and then divide it amongst thousands would be near impossible.
But then there was this kid who had a bit of food on him: a couple of fish, smoked maybe, and some bread.
Matthew and Luke don’t mention how the young boy gave his food.
Mark says that Jesus sent the disciples looking for it among the crowd and John recalls that Andrew found the boy with the food.
At any rate, there was a kid who had food. And he gave what he had to the disciples.
I wonder if his family were hungry? I wonder if his mum let him go off to give away his food? I wonder if he saw a need, heard the grumbling tummies of those around him and thought that giving away his food was a good idea. When he heard the disciples asking people for food, did he throw his hand up in the air chanting, “pick me, pick me, I have food!”
I have two children, and sometimes the simple insight they have about what's going on around us stops me in my tracks. They see the world, often, more clearly than I do. Kids have a simple, yet wonder-filled faith that I think many of us spend our adult years trying to recover.
Matt 18:3 (TPT) says, “Learn this well: Unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable, and learn about heaven’s kingdom realm with the wide eyed wonder of a child, you will never be able to enter in.”
Maybe the young boy could see what was happening, could feel it in the crowd. Perhaps he looked down at his food and knew that somehow, someway, he needed to share his nourishment with those around him.
And he gave it to Jesus.
A gift.
There is great need around us and within us. It's all too tempting to keep what we have to ourselves, to ensure that we do not go without. Store up, withhold, hide away, hoard our blessings. Western Christianity is rife with this behaviour. To tell you the truth, I struggle with it myself. And it's often my children who remind me to live more generously and openly.
What you have, you can give. You can gift. Something miraculous and unexpected happens when we give what we need ourselves as a gift to bring nourishment to others.
Everyone ends up being fed.
Maybe it takes a little child-like wide eyed wonder to let go of our “keeping for ourselves” ways, and gift what we have away. Maybe it takes the faith of a child to bring what we have and sit at the table with all kinds of different people – some we love and more that we don't, and share a meal as one.
Your turn. What wide eyed wonder have you discovered recently? Leave us a comment below.
Go to Part 3 – Fish and Loaves »
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