“Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish…” (John 6:8-9, NIV)
You know this story. Jesus did an amazing miracle with that boy’s lunch – Jesus fed 10,000 people. But here’s something to think about…what if the boy approached the disciples and offered his lunch, but was met with, “Beat it, kid! Don’t you see we’ve got real problems here?!” Or maybe they would be nicer: “Thanks, son. That’s very kind of you. But we need a lot more than five loaves and two fish.”
For whatever reason, one disciple (Andrew) didn’t reject the gift or shoo the boy away. Andrew took him to Jesus. And the rest is history.
The lesson Jesus taught he would teach again and again: God can do big things with our little…if we’ll let him. Remember the widow in the temple? “As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”” (Luke 21:1-4, NIV)
I’m not sure if I learned this first in Sunday School or in the old Mean Joe Greene Coke commercial.
Little things matter.
By the way, only one of the 12 disciples understood this…a guy named Andrew. And he got some other stuff right, too. This week we’re starting a new sermon series called “The Twelve.” Sunday, Andrew’s up to bat. I hope you’ll join us!
