Those Who Do Not Count
John 6: 4 - 10
4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.
5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"
6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him,
9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"
10 Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
It’s hard to believe that only one small boy had food with him that day. Like the disciples, others presumably looked at what they had and concluded that it wasn’t enough. It took the faith of a child, one who wasn’t even numbered among the 5,000, to give to Jesus the little that He had.
This boy didn’t count because he lived in a world where only men were numbered. He was simply among the unseen who were not noticed by the learned or numbered with the mature. Many of us fall into this category. We lack titles, qualifications, and ministries. We are often overlooked and disregarded, yet each of us hold something that is within our power to give. Referred to as the silent majority, we can conclude that what we hold is insignificant, because others have not noticed us. Yet the Lord delights in the childlike faith that willing gives of the little they hold.
Regardless of whether we are seen by others, we are known by the Lord and what we give to Him is always received and honoured. We may not count in the world’s eyes, but we are always seen by our Lord. Furthermore, we are invited to partner with what He is doing. It may not appear significant in the eyes of others, yet the Lord sees what we give to others - the prayers we prayed, the encouragement we gave, the time we invested.
Philip knew how much money was needed for a quantity of bread he deemed insufficient. Andrew considered the size of the crowd but overlooked the enormity of God’s heart. In contrast, this boy did not count the people around him, nor the size of the need. He simply counted on the Lord to do what he couldn’t do. As a result, he placed what he had in the hands of the Lord and witnessed a miracle.
Jesus knew what He was going to do, yet He used the situation to reveal what was in Philip’s heart. He does the same with us. Do we reason regarding resources we do not have? Do we deem what we hold as insufficient? Will we hold back because we are unknown or not part of the in-crowd? Or will we give what we have, and count on Him to bless and multiply whatever we place within His hands?
We are the ones who determine what we will do with what we have. This young boy could have simply eaten his own lunch, or like many, hidden what he had and simply taken it home. He risked ridicule by the disciples by offering what was obviously inadequate. Yet, he did not see what he had as simply his to enjoy, but an opportunity to give and to bless.
As the crowd dispersed and the people travelled home, one young boy had joy that no one else possessed that day. His lunch had fed a multitude. He would always remember the hands that held what he gave and the eyes that spoke His thanks. No one could ever take from him the joy of that day upon the mountain.
That joy is to be ours also. The Lord already knows what He is going to do; He simply invites us to share in His plan. Regardless of what the “loaves and fish” look like in our hands, it is our joy to bring what we hold and place it in His hands and see Him do what only He can do. It may be little in our hands but when surrendered to His hands, He always does more than we could possibly do.
We might not be numbered among those who count in the eyes of others, yet we count in the eyes of the Lord. Maybe it is time to change the way we count and look at who He is rather than who we consider ourselves to be. Whatever we do, we are to do it for Him. Eternity will honour those who were willing to place the little that they held into the hands of the Lord and become part of His plan.
Consider:
Forever we will remember a boy that fed a multitude with his own lunch. What are you willing to do with the little that you hold?
Are you in danger of holding back because you think you do not count?
Prayer Prompts:
Lord, where have I said that who I am or what I hold, is insufficient, or does not count?
Where are You inviting me to partner with You in what You are doing?
